Jordyn Mooney (left) pets a dog accompanied along with two friends. // Courtesy of ttrrescue Instagram account

After completing an internship in California, grad student Jordyn Bucci-Mooney began her cross-country drive back home. She drove through the Navajo reservation, located in the four corners area of the country, a spot where the states of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado meet. 

Bucci-Mooney was shocked as she watched a dog run across the road in the rural desert through which she drove. After turning around, she was surprised to find about 8 to 9 stray dogs wandering around a gas station. It was in this moment she found her inspiration for creating Traveling Tails and Ragamuffin Rescue, an animal rescue nonprofit that helps rehome stray dogs and cats in the upstate New York area.

“If you’re from the northeast, this is a very odd scene to come across. It’s definitely not something we’d ever witness here,” Bucci-Mooney said. “I soon found out it was very common on the Navajo reservation for dogs to be left at gas stations because there are so few sources available for vet care and shelter access.”

She returned to California again the following year and planned to intentionally go through the Navajo reservation on her way back to New York. She picked up a mother dog and two pups at the reservation.

The bond she had with one of the puppies solidified her idea to begin the animal rescue. In November 2022, Bucci-Mooney and some friends founded Traveling Tails and Ragamuffin Rescue.

“I realized there needed to be a more formal way to go about this, both in getting vet care for the animals and screening for properly matching people with dogs or cats that are going to fit their family,” Bucci-Mooney said.

After starting the animal rescue, Bucci-Mooney wanted to take it a step further, certifying it as a nonprofit, so the rescue would be tax-exempt.

“We began the process and wrote down our visions, our goals and brought another board member on, and in July of 2023 we received our 501c3 nonprofit status,” Bucci-Mooney said.

Since the start of the animal rescue, they’ve facilitated 31 animal adoptions. The rescue looked for help with fostering the animals until their adoptions were finalized. Students from Utica took them in and have become volunteer members of the organization since. Two students are currently on the executive board for the organization as well.

Jessilyn Pereira, a junior communications major, is part of the executive board but wanted to do more. 

Pereira helped with fundraising and event coordinating which led to her becoming the treasurer of the rescue. Pereira is currently coordinating a Chipotle fundraiser on Nov. 6, where 33% of the money spent that day at Chipotle will benefit the animal rescue by covering veterinary appointments and other animal needs. 

Pereira said she loved all the animals that have been adopted since the start of the organization, especially ones that had funny stories behind how they were taken in. One of her personal favorites was how they got a cat they named Burrito.

“My friend Sam had ordered a burrito from Chipotle for delivery and heard a sound at the door, she assumed it was her food and opened the door to find a cat sitting there,” Pereira said. “Shortly after, the cat just waltzed into the house and relaxed on the floor so we got a call from Sam saying that we had a new cat at the house for the rescue.”

Anyone interested in helping the Traveling Tails and Ragamuffin Rescue should email [email protected].