
"No group has more fun for a great cause." That was what Angela Oakley always said about City Dogs Rescue. The truth is that no one has more fun because we had Angela and she lit a spark in everyone she crossed paths with in her life.
We sadly learned that Angela (age 44) passed away last night after a courageous fight against breast cancer.
It is impossible to summarize the impact of Angela Oakley on City Dogs Rescue. To begin, it's important to know that Angela was there no matter what. Angela was there for the dogs and the people.

Once diagnosed with cancer just a year ago, Angela never stopped volunteering for CDR. From the start, she was always one of the first to raise her hand to help (especially for the less glamorous sides of dog rescue like looking for a lost dog at 11:00 PM on a weekday or picking up a dog in the middle of Maryland at 1:00 AM). I can't begin to think of how many times Angela opened her car door to a dog in need of a ride and said, "Hop in!" In her first summer as a volunteer, Angela was joined by CDR co-founders Dave and Darren on a transport with dogs from Bladen County, NC. It was the first of countless road trips near or far that Angela made for rescue dogs.


Here are some Angela-isms from her Facebook page:
On City Dogs Rescue:
- "I know, I KNOW I post a lot about City Dogs Rescue, the dog rescue I volunteer with. I try not to be a bore but it's fun, I have met a lot of great friends and for me, Facebook is a place for happy things. Here's why I share so much about it. Saturday, we had a reunion with 80 or so dogs that have been adopted in the past 2 years. (The other 300+ had other plans.) All of these dogs were in overcrowded shelters. Some were hours away from not making it out, if you know what I mean. Rescuing a dog is a long, difficult process but here's how it ends. These are now great, much loved, funny pets."

- "The dog rescue I volunteer with made this vid eo . I can't believe the change in this one little dog who now has a wonderful, happy life. If you can, fostering is a great way to help out. Donations to City Dogs Rescue or groups in your area really help, too. I feel like this group helps connect my two homes. We work in DC but bring up lots of dogs from North Carolina."
- "I started volunteering a little over a year ago when I realized I did precious little for anyone other than myself. Since then, I've made tons of new friends, marched in a Pride parade followed by a Nellie's float (bucket list material) and seen so many once unwanted dogs go to loving homes. Today, the rescue adopted out its 300th dog. Gabe is older, had horrible sores on his feet (now healed) and was skin and bones. He came from a shelter in Granville County, NC, the same area where my mother is from. Now he has a family. "
- "I picked up Lady Mary for the adoption event today. She was a great companion! She rode beautifully in the car (right, Ginya ?) and was happy to meet everyone. She is strong and energetic but full of happy energy. She does like to chew on her leash so I had to watch that. Also, she likes doughnuts and will stop at nothing to dig them out of a bag. That was my fault. Oops. Anyone interested in fostering her? Lady Mary is a sweet, smart girl."
- "My friend Padmini put together a great video of a City Dogs Rescue dog who needs a foster and a permanent home. Rookie is sweet and energetic. He loves belly rubs, which he was begging for in this video. You can click the link: https://youtu.be/TgLGMq6G5Lo. Rookie is safe and loved until he finds his people and Sarah MacLachlan makes no appearances. (Seriously, we would love to find him a foster. So if you know anyone interested...)"
When asked about her favorite dog, Angela said every time she met a dog she would think, "This is my favorite dog, but they’re all my favorite." Angela never picked favorites among people or animals, but it's no secret that to all of us at CDR, Angela was everyone's favorite.
To all of us at CDR, Angela was everyone's favorite.