Janis with one of her many MAGRR foster dogs, Vanna

Janis Ling 

Janis is a long-time MAGRR volunteer and a member of our Angel Corps, as we like to call it. She joined MAGRR in 2006 and has worn many "hats" for MAGRR including foster mom, home visitor, transporter, and more. She currently serves as the Local Home Visit Coordinator and a member of the Intake Team. 

Janis says, "I loved fostering, but due to an 'incorrigible street rescued alpha basset hound', I can no longer do that." So she and Sugar, a failed MAGRR foster who she nursed through distemper, are MAGRR ambassadors on local home visits. Janis proves that even home visits can be eventful. She recalls a home visit where Sugar brought her some litter box 'caviar' and dropped it at her feet so proud of her find! She said it was kind of embarrassing, but the whole family laughed.

Always willing to transport, Janis routinely drives all over the Mid-South from Mississippi to Arkansas and back again to bring in our rescues. And recently, she had quite an adventure! 

On a recent trip to Blytheville (about an hour North of Memphis) to pick up not one, not two, but THREE dogs (two with mange), she had car trouble. She called AAA to tow it back to Memphis and while they were on their way, the tow truck went out just outside of Marion, Ark. (just about 20 min across the Mississippi from Memphis) So close, yet so far!

She called for another and while other MAGRR volunteers offered to come and get her, she waited patiently not to bother others. She ended up waiting about 3 hours! She was in the Pizza Hut parking lot for so long, the store manager became curious and brought her a free pizza! 

In her journey, she notes she met many interesting people. A couple of men were willing to take the dogs "off her hands"  - NO WAY! One man asked if she made a lot of money "doing this". Her reply, "Ha, Ha, we are blessed with riches, but not monetary." And, the Tow Truck driver, she describes him as "straight out of Duck Dynasty and as sweet as he could be." He is an aspiring Country singer/songwriter and hopes to move to Nashville soon. He played her his songs, one of which is "Tow Truck Driver" (He's on iTunes under Marty Ray Productions, if anyone is interested. :) Just goes to show you how friendly and loving Janis is and what an experience she had in rescuing these babies.

After all of this, when being praised by the others, she redirected the spotlight on the others who played their role in this rescue drama. Her response, "We all deserve huge kudos...I'm so happy to be a part of this organization." 

MAGRR members have this to say about Janis and what has been dubbed the "longest MAGRR intake in history":

Janis is pictured here with a litter of 8 puppies that she fostered after they were weaned from their mother. Mother and Father were rescued from the Bartlett, Tenn., shelter. Janis says fostering the litter was lots of work but fun, too and she enjoyed seeing them all get adopted.

"Janis really deserves huge kudos for doing what she did. She first volunteered to drive, and then agreed to add the two dogs with mange. What a long day and how exhausted she must have been. Janis you truly are a Golden Angel!...We have such great and dedicated people that it warms my heart. We all get so stressed (at least I do) and the thing that keeps me going is that we are not in it alone. Thanks to all who truly step up each and every day." 

"Thanks so much for being who you are and always so concerned about the MAGRR Doggies!"

Janis with one of her most recent rescue transport passengers

Janis was been rescuing dogs on her own for a while and in addition to MAGRR, she continues to provide transport for several rescue groups. She says, "We all share a common love of creatures big and small. Taking the time to share this love with them and each other is the greatest gift of all."

Thank you, Janis, for the tireless efforts and time you dedicate to saving our Goldens and so many other furry friends. We love you!

Do you want to nominate a MAGRR volunteer for the Volunteer Spotlight? Contact Newsletter@magrr.org.

 What do I need to do?

1. Register online at krogercommunityrewards.com.  
2. Be sure to have your Kroger Plus card handy - you will need the number off the back of the card. 
3. If you do not yet have a Kroger Plus card, they are available at the customer service desk at any Kroger.
4. Click on SIGN IN if you already have an account. 
5. If you are a new online customer, you will need to click on CREATE AN ACCOUNT. 
6. Sign up for a Kroger Rewards Account by entering your zip code, clicking on your favorite store, entering your email address, creating a password, and agreeing to the terms and conditions.
7. You will then get a message to check your email inbox and click on the link within the body of the email.
8. Click on MY ACCOUNT and use your email address and password to proceed to the next step.
9. Click on EDIT KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS INFORMATION and input your Kroger Plus card number.
10. Update or confirm your information.
11. Enter Non-profit Organization Number 80590, select Memphis Area Golden Retriever Rescue from the list and click CONFIRM.
12. To verify you are enrolled correctly, you will see MAGRR's name on the right side of your information page.
13. REMEMBER, purchases will not count for MAGRR until you register your card(s) in the NEW Community Rewards Program.
14. Do you use your phone number at the register? Call 800-576-4377 and select option 4 to get your Kroger Plus card number.
15. You must swipe your registered Kroger Plus card or use the phone number that is related to your registered Kroger Plus card when shopping for each purchase to count.