Logan Ryan and his now-wife Ashley Bragg have both had pets in their lives.
While Ryan is at football practice, Bragg devotes most of her time to helping animals in need.
They have two rescue dogs at home: Nala the puggle and Leo the pit bull mix. Both are involved in animal rescue. The couple recently launched Ryan’s Monthly Rescue, in which the NFL player features a dog on his social media to help the pup find a home.
So, when the time came for them to marry, a stray dog managed to tug at their heartstrings and encourage them to support other animals. The couple married in an intimate ceremony on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia in April. The number of homeless animals was one of the first things they first noticed.
Bragg said that they saw stray dogs and cats everywhere from the time they left the airport until they arrived at their remote resort. And, while doing a photoshoot in one place, they came across a skinny dog named Logan. She approached Bragg and even jumped on her knee. When it was time to say good-bye, she followed them until they left for their next destination.
Seeing the plight of these dogs, the couple asked guests to forego gifts in lieu of donations to the local shelter, HelpAWS. HelpAWS is one of the few rescue groups on the island, and with minimal funding and an overabundance of dogs, the additional donations and publicity is greatly appreciated. Most of the funds were used for spaying and neutering the island’s dogs and cats.
Logan, the dog who started it all, is now doing well. She is off the streets, spayed, and is in foster care. Bragg said that when they first met Logan, they were simply two dog-loving newlyweds who couldn’t stop petting a dog. Now, that dog is bringing awareness to the problem of strays in St. Lucia and raising funds to support other dogs like her.
Credit: This Dog’s Life