Photos and captions by Maria Fornari.

Who doesn’t love a sweet German Shepherd? Located only seven blocks away from USC, Westside German Shepherd Rescue of Los Angeles is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, no-kill rescue, committed to saving all types of German Shepherd Dogs from shelters that kill animals and connecting them with loving, qualified homes. 

Robin Jampol founded the shelter in 2002. Having always been an animal lover and having a special connection with German Shepherds, she felt a need to help these beautiful animals. She started with a couple of dogs and volunteers, but since then, however, her organization has been forced to move around Los Angeles to sustain the project. Robin admits that sometimes it's hard and even heartbreaking to help and save these dogs. Nevertheless, she believes it feeds her soul to do so.

The shelter receives dogs from other shelters, owner surrenders and strays. They are very strict to whom they give the dogs to -- they do not want the dog to have to come back to the shelter once again. All they want is to find a perfect fit between the family and the dog. They even test the dogs to see how they do with cats.

With ever raising vet bills (over $20,000 a month), the shelter needs all the help they need. Donations are accepted with open arms, from food to medicine and general financial needs. Volunteers, like me, can go to the shelter everyday to walk to pups and give them some much needed love.

1) The shelter from the outside. The art on the wall was done by Debbie Wubben and Laurie Cook.

2) Robin Jampol comes almost everyday to the shelter to manage the shelter. Right now she is grooming one of their newcomer dogs.

Aspen refused to go back to the shelter, so he got some love from the volunteers instead.

Kiki (left) and Rio become friends. Many of the dogs at the shelter are friendly with each other, making it possible to adopt more than one.

On Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, the shelter hosts adoption events for families that are looking to adopt a dog. Here is Blaze, sniffing the poster, with one of Westside’s youngest volunteers, Ethan.

Volunteers are not only in charge of walking the dogs, but they also check them for fleas and ticks, possible health problems, etc.

The office at Westside -- donations are very gladly accepted, and you can always find one of their pups inside it.

Although Westside is a German Shepherd rescue, they also help other breeds on the rescue next door, Fur Baby Dog. This Pitbull mix was tied up and left outside the shelter. Westside took him in.

Barney was skin and bones when he got into the shelter, and although it takes a while for him to warm up to people, he is a very sweet guy, always looking for comfort (this time from a volunteer named Kim).

Hollywood Grooming helps the shelter by coming over once in a while to groom the dogs.

Once a month, the volunteers take the dogs on a hike in Griffith Park. Not only they get exercise, but, sometimes curious hikers ask the volunteers about the shelter and how they can get involved. Sometimes they even ask about adopting a shepherd.

Flora, Cougar and Callie having a blast at the hike.

Happy ending -- Cougar found Lily (girl on the left) and her family on the hike to Griffith. They adopted him that same day.

For more info on Westside:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WGSRescue

Website: http://www.sheprescue.org/

Address: 3016 S.Hill St, Los Angeles

Email: info@sheprescue.org

Telephone: 310-202-7283

Reach Maria Fornari here.