Dawn Karam rescues boxers from Virginia, New Jersey, even street dogs from Turkey. No “good boy” is turned away.
But Karam’s main focus, through her Adopt A Boxer Rescue, is to help rescue, rehabilitate and rehome dogs in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, and it is also the impetus behind the organization’s new 750-square-foot storefront facility at 616 Lackawanna Ave. in Blakely.
A Yappy Hour will take place from Friday, Dec. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m., to kick off the facility’s launch and offer rabies clinics, chip clinics, lyme disease clinics and other services for dogs, specifically boxer breeds, in need.
Karam, of Dickson City, who is the president of the nonprofit, has been saving boxers from the streets, or worse, for 28 years, and, with the new facility, is ushering in the 20th anniversary of her nonprofit.
“Being a foster-based rescue is really hard,” Karam said. “We want to do more.”
Three decades ago, Karam placed classified ads in an attempt to “help one dog at a time,” which was all the output she could manage while also raising three young children.
Today, her rescue, which takes dogs out of dangerous situations and places them into foster and permanent homes, is on track to have helped 300 boxers this year alone.
She praised the volunteers who work with the organization and open their homes to foster dogs while they are rehomed, as well as all those who donate money and time to keep the rescue afloat.
“We have an incredible group in Luzerne and Lackawanna county, and it’s a testament to the people in NEPA,” she said, adding their organization finished second in NEPA Gives in 2024, an annual online fundraising initiative where donors support their favorite nonprofits. Adopt A Boxer Rescue raised $45,625 with 369 donors, just $3,802 less than the leading fundraiser, the Archdiocese of Scranton.
In a conversation with The Times-Tribune, Karam detailed scenario after scenario of dog abuse she witnessed, including outlining deplorable conditions and neglect taking place within the high number of “puppy mills” in existence throughout Pennsylvania.
“Cancerous tumors, giardia, coccidia, campylobacter, which is Zoonotic and contagious to humans, whip worms, every kind of intestinal worms, ear mites, skin tags,” are some of the conditions the boxers she rescues are exposed to, including a lack of fresh water causing rotten teeth, freezing temperatures, chronic bladder and urinary tract infections, and improperly sized and filthy living conditions.
Karam described it as, “a brutal industry” and said, “Most puppies do not get out alive,” adding the ones who are not sold are killed and discarded, and that “hundreds of puppy mills” exist, with operators defying inspections or remaining “off the grid” by using deceptive methods.
She asserts the mills are allowed to run with loose or no supervision because of conflicts within state departments that arise from the fact that the mills are owned and operated by “farmers.”
“Dogs are man’s best friend, and they really deserve our help,” Karam said. “They should get better than they get sometimes.”
The secretary and a foster volunteer for Adopt A Boxer for the past 20 years, Kim Rowland, of Kingston, is optimistic about the new facility and hopes it will allow them to increase their outreach and “get the community more involved with rescuing animals.”
“We’re super excited,” Rowland said. “We’re super proud of ourselves to be able to offer resources to the community, Luzerne and Lackawanna county. … It’s been a long time coming.”
She says the Yappy Hour should bring “a lot of smiles, a lot of welcomes, and a lot of boxers hopefully,” plus there will be refreshments and “a lot of community warmth” as families in the area that have adopted, friends of the rescue and a curious variety of dog-loving folk stop by to view the new facility.
In addition to 20 years of operation for Adopt A Boxer Rescue and a new facility, Karam was excited about a billboard they secured on Interstate 81 near Montage Mountain Resort. The giant display presents an image of a dirty cage with boxer puppies inside. The text says, “This puppy came from a puppy mill. Its mother still lives there. Adopt, don’t shop.”
Marge Bart, 70, of Dallas, runs Blue Chip Animal Refuge, and said the Facebook post advertising Adopt A Boxer Rescue’s new facility that caught her eye was welcome news.
“When I answer the phone, there are at least 10 large dog surrenders every day,” Bart said, adding they have a waiting list of 50 large dogs every day, and that it’s the same story with cats.
She recounted a story of paying to spay the four dogs of a person who had five week old puppies that were being fed human food, and another where a chihuahua “that must have been paired with large dogs,” because it had been impregnated with “huge” puppies. Bart said the puppies needed to be aborted due to their size, and the injuries which would be caused to the smaller mother.
“It happens all the time, unfortunately,” she added, explaining that people don’t have the money to help their pets, and with drug addiction, domestic violence and other challenges, “they need help, they need their dogs surrendered.”
Karam believes putting energy toward animals is another way to be a community volunteer.
“If you’re going to help an animal, you’re going to help a person.”
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