Mom Loves the Dogs More

When family falls apart, love-and a few rescue dogs-hold it together.

Cindy Ojczyk's master plan seems foolproof: foster for a pet rescue. Surely a parade of rescue dogs will help her family heal after the loss of their beloved pup and end the sister-wars erupting between her teens.

What could possibly go wrong? Everything, as it turns out. The girls keep fighting. Doors keep slamming. And in the middle of all that adolescent fury come the diagnoses-both kids are struggling with anxiety and ADHD.

Suddenly Cindy isn't just managing sibling squabbles. She's juggling counseling appointments, advocating for school accommodations, and facing the painful realization that her love alone isn't enough to hold her family together.

Yet amid medications, meltdowns, and muddy paws, something unexpected is happening. By helping dogs heal, the family is learning hopeful lessons. And with every successful adoption, the family edges closer to a rescue none of them expected.