Kennebunkport dog rescue Lucky Pup recently celebrated a milestone — the organization has facilitated more than 2,300 dog adoptions in the area.

Founded in 2007 by a cohort of local women, Lucky Pup Rescue is dedicated to making the right match every time, no matter how long it takes.

The milestone of adopting out over 2,000 dogs shows the longevity of the program, founder Sue Richardson said. It also demonstrates the dedication of the program to make the right match for dogs and families.

“The important part for us is making the right match every time,” Richardson said. “Something that we’re very proud of is that we have a very low return rate.”

As a foster-based program, Lucky Pup sends each rescue to a foster home, where they can learn to live with a family, develop skills, and allow the rescue to get to know each dog’s personality.

It’s important for dogs to experience a home instead of a kennel, Richardson said, because different personalities come out at home.

“One rescue came to us recently, and we were told that he was good with cats, but when he was in a home with a cat, he was chasing it,” Richardson said. “It wasn’t safe for the cat.”

Foster homes allow the organization to place each dog in the home that will be right for them.

For Lucky Pup, adoption is not a one-day process. In fact, it can often take weeks. The organization dutifully conducts reference checks, home visits, and in-person visits with each dog, taking the time to make sure that every dog is placed in the best home for them.

“People are happy to go through the process because they know that we’re trying to aim for the best placement, not the first placement,” Richardson said.

Over the years, Lucky Pup has developed its program to be able to adopt dogs into placements like homes where a child might have a disability or an adult might be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some dogs from Lucky Pup have even gone on to become emotional support dogs. Dixon, a pit bull mix, was able to go to a woman who worked at the Maine State House. As a highly trained dog who went to work with his mom every day, Dixon became an ambassador for both the breed and adopted dogs in general.

“Rescues are a very grateful pet,” Richardson said. “They want love and attention, and they’re very grateful. It’s awesome.”

Sometimes, Lucky Pup dogs are the ones receiving the support. One of Richardson’s favorite rescue stories is of Gracie, a dog who lost a limb due to a car accident.

One day, Gracie’s soon-to-be adoptive parents went into Lucky Pup and asked Richardson which dog needed them the most. She handed over Gracie, who would go on to lead a long and healthy life.

“Her family got her a cart, and she would be all over the beaches,” Richardson said. “She was a hound dog and she had the most wonderful, joyful howl. Everyone knew Gracie. She would be running up and down the beaches chasing seagulls in her cart.”

Lucky Pup’s dogs come from all over the country, but the organization prioritizes taking in dogs and puppies from New England.

However, due to the lackluster spay and neuter and animal cruelty laws in southern states, Richardson said, many dogs are rescued from areas like Mississippi, Arkansas, and Puerto Rico.

It’s her goal that one day, Lucky Pup and other rescues won’t be needed.

“We need people to advocate with legislators, especially in the southern states,” Richardson said. “It would be great if we didn’t have to exist as an organization anymore, or if things got slower in rescues.”

New England does a “great job” of spaying and neutering dogs, Richardson said, but the colder weather is also important in keeping the number of puppies down.

Animals can’t go into heat when it’s too cold for their offspring to survive. The combination of higher temperatures and fewer spay and neuter laws in southern states results in larger numbers of puppies.

Thanks to the ever growing number of puppies in need of adoption, organizations like Lucky Pup are facing higher costs at their shelters.

“We always have significant needs in rescues, and right now, everything in the rescue world costs so much more,” Richardson said. “We’re always fundraising.”

One of the organization’s biggest fundraisers is coming up at Biddeford River Jam on Saturday, Aug. 16, where Lucky Pup plans to have a booth.

It’s also a great opportunity for potential foster families to get on board with Lucky Pup Rescue.

Fostering with Lucky Pup is unique, Richardson said, because the organization pays for all aspects of fostering, including vet visits and food.

“We just ask them to give the dog love and safety, and we provide the rest,” Richardson said.