- [Rochelle] On a sunny Saturday.

- Oh my goodness.

- The sight and sounds of pups big and small- - Good babies.

- [Rochelle] Have brought crowds of people to Sycamore Brewing in South End, Charlotte.

- Oh, they're so cute.

- [Rochelle] This may look like your typical pet adoption, but these are rescue dogs and they've had a hard life.

For these puppies, their whole lives have been a fight for survival.

- They were brought in with their entire litter in a terrible condition.

They were sick, they were throwing up, barely could lift their heads.

- Avery Andolina is with Forgotten, Now Family Rescue, the largest medical dog rescue organization in the Carolinas.

They not only take in abused and abandoned dogs, but those with serious medical conditions.

They treat the dogs and then find them homes.

- Feeling of seeing them from where they start to their forever homes is indescribable.

It is the best feeling in the world to see that, you know, we really can save lives.

- [Rochelle] Forgotten, Now Family Rescue was co-founded by best friends Emily Chandley and Chrissy Elder.

Elder, who has a rare heart condition, found emotional support in fostering and rehabbing sick animals.

- We are a place where it doesn't matter what disability you have, you can come donate your time.

It doesn't matter what you're going through, we accept you here.

- [Rochelle] Elder, who works in property management by day is the mother of four, including two children with special needs.

She's undergone more than a dozen heart procedures and has been known to post news and updates to the rescue's social media from her hospital bed.

The organization relies heavily on the power of social media to raise awareness and money.

A warning, many of the photos are extremely graphic.

- People need to see it.

They have to live it, then we have to see it.

I think that, you know, us pretending it doesn't exist, it doesn't change the problem.

- [Rochelle] The posts are a call to action for those who want to make a difference.

The rescue operates solely on donations and vet bills can run tens of thousands of dollars.

- I first followed them on Instagram and I saw that they were taking on medical cases that nobody else would take on.

- [Rochelle] The focus of monthly events like this one is to find people to adopt or potentially foster a dog.

Mary Grace Gaskin is a foster mom for Frank.

- These dogs all deserve a chance and sometimes they just don't get that chance.

And being able to help them, pull them out, socialize them, and find that real personality, it's just, it's rewarding.

- [Rochelle] Some dogs can be a bit shy while others like one-eyed Wylie love attention and the camera.

The goal is to be seen.

And many pups come dressed to impress.

Before they get here, the dogs start their journey with the nonprofit here at the Ark Veterinary facility in Charlotte.

- Okay buddy, - Where they're examined and treated by Dr. Kevin Scruggs and his team.

- First thing we do is a physical, so I'm checking all over, making sure their superficial wounds are just superficial.

Make sure they don't go down any deeper.

And then of course, on the inside, listen to the heart.

Looking at the eyes, nose, ears.

- [Rochelle] Elder says Ark is their main hub for medical boarding.

- Hi Buddy.

- [Rochelle] The rescue also takes in dogs involved in animal cruelty cases.

Dogs like King, who was rescued from a dog fighting ring in South Carolina.

- And this was the day that I got King.

- [Rochelle] Saved, literally from the jaws of death, King's story is one of resilience and survival, but the sad reality is in similar cases, the animals often end up euthanized while waiting in municipal shelters that don't have enough space.

For the dogs that survived their injuries, the road to recovery is long.

It weighs heavy on the hearts of the volunteers who travel that road with them.

- It's definitely a labor of love for most of these dogs, whether it's a burn victim or you know, a leg amputation.

But that's why we're here.

- Hi, sweet.

- The rescue was founded in 2021.

3 years in, Elder says they're raising about a million dollars annually to pay for medical expenses, but their work doesn't stop with the victims.

The organization works with law enforcement agencies to hold abusers accountable.

- That's part of our mission as well, making justice actually happen for these dogs versus, you know, us just cleaning up the cruelty acts.

We wanna actually stop the abusers.

- [Rochelle] Eventually, the organization hopes to have a brick and mortar headquarters.

For now, this rental acts as a home base for volunteers.

When Tropical Storm Debbie hit in August, 2024, the rescue was called to help move 50 dogs from three shelters in lower South Carolina that were at risk for flooding.

- They've been out here, they're soaking wet, they've been out here for hours, spending time with the dogs.

So seeing the kindness and the love that has happened from this organization is everything to me.

- [Rochelle] Volunteers also carried over 35 loads of pet supplies to the mountains.

They continue to work with partner organizations in the affected areas.

- I will never stop doing it.

I think that when you find your purpose, you stand in it and you continue to go forward.

And, I genuinely have watched so many lives change from this rescue.

- [Rochelle] They're changing lives and giving dogs like Frank and Wylie, a new leash on life.

For "Carolina Impact," I'm Rochelle Metzger.