Who is Rosalie?
It’s the question we’re asked more than any other.
The answer reaches far beyond a tiny dog in a wheelchair. Her legs may never have carried her forward, but somehow, her heart led us exactly where we were meant to go.
The dog no one believed in
Rosalie belonged to our President. She was born with cerebellar hypoplasia — a neurological condition that affected her balance and coordination. She couldn’t stand. She couldn’t walk. At just two weeks old, the plan was euthanasia, because no one believed she had a future.
Rosalie never got that memo. Instead, she found her way into the arms of someone who saw possibility where everyone else saw limitations.
She never took a single step on her own — but once she got her wheelchair, you couldn’t convince her she wasn’t the fastest dog on the planet. She had enough sass to keep everyone in line, enough determination to humble us all, and absolutely no interest in feeling sorry for herself. If she wanted to go somewhere, she went. If you were in the way… well, that was your problem.
Rosalie ♡
“Hope doesn’t always walk on four perfect legs. Sometimes it rolls in on four tiny wheels — with a whole lot of attitude.”
The dog who started it all
The dog who changed everything
Rosalie didn’t spend her life wishing she were different. She simply lived it — and in doing so, she changed ours.
She opened our eyes to a whole world of dogs who get overlooked because they don’t fit the picture of “perfect.” She taught us that special needs doesn’t mean less deserving. It doesn’t mean broken. It simply means a dog may need someone willing to look a little deeper.
So when it came time to name this rescue, there was never really another option. Rosalie and Friends exists because one tiny wheelchair dog showed us that the underdogs are often the ones with the biggest stories to tell.
Her Legacy
Not long after our rescue officially became Rosalie and Friends in 2023, her little body began to tell us it was tired. Saying goodbye broke our hearts in a way time has softened, but never fully healed.
But every time we say yes to the dog everyone else says no to, we feel her there. Every medical case. Every hospice dog. Every special-needs puppy. Every senior. Every little soul who just needs one person to believe in them.
That’s Rosalie.
The next time you see our logo, we hope you’ll know you’re not simply looking at a dog. You’re looking at the heart behind everything we do — the little soul who started it all, and the reason we’ll never stop fighting for the misfits.
A Life Full of Love
The girl who never once felt sorry for herself — wheels and all.
What Rosalie Started
The rescue her story built — and the dogs it fights for today.
Today, Rosalie and Friends is a 501(c)(3) rescue in Pensacola, Florida, built on the simple truth she taught us: the seniors, the sick, and the overlooked deserve someone in their corner.
We focus on fospice and fixer uppers. Fospice — foster plus hospice — moves senior dogs out of the shelter and into loving homes for the rest of their lives, with all their medical care covered. Fixer uppers are the dogs who need a little repair first: heartworm treatment, surgery recovery, weight to gain, or confidence to rebuild after a rough start.
We carry a history bigger than ourselves, too. In late 2022, the long-respected Friends of the Escambia County Animal Shelter dissolved and entrusted its work to us — including the fospice program we still run today. Our motto is “fospice and fixer uppers,” but it has never stopped us from helping any dog who crosses our path.
Carry Her Story Forward
Every role matters. Here’s how you can help us keep saying yes.
Volunteer
Transport runs, event support and more. We have a role for every schedule and skill set.
Contact Us to VolunteerFoster a Dog
Provide a home for a dog in transition — or a forever foster home for a fospice senior. Fosters are the heart of what we do.
Learn About Fostering