Founders Rick and Connie Eicher
Connie now serves as a consultant, offering her time and sharing the wisdom she has gained through h years of experience.ups and their welfare. The Sanctuary operated from their home until donations enabled the construction of a great facility named Trooper's Dream.
On July 29, 2025, Rick was called home. He passed peacefully, surrounded by his family and dogs. We take comfort imagining the homecoming on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. Over the years, Rick saved hundreds of dogs. His spirit will forever live on at the Sanctuary.
Connie now serves as a consultant, offering her time and sharing the wisdom she has gained through her years of experience.
team trooper
In August 2016, Trooper was rescued after a tragic flood in Baton Rouge. He was skin and bones. We were contacted by Companion Animal Alliance, and plans quickly came together to transport Trooper to the Sanctuary, though we weren’t sure he would even survive the long trip.
Trooper’s road to recovery was not an easy one. He earned the nickname, “Sir Barksalot” because he insisted his meals be ready immediately when he was ready to eat. Trooper’s bark and his determination to get well made him a rock star at the Sanctuary.
While Connie and Rick rescued numerous dogs long before Trooper, his dire condition when he arrived, the recovery he made, and his charisma in front of a camera, led to a remarkable widespread amount of supporters. While he is no longer with us, many of our followers still fondly remember Trooper, our Sanctuary is named after him — “Trooper’s Dream” — and we refer to all who stand with us as “Team Trooper”! Read more about Trooper here.
