LOXLEY, Ala. — No doubt about it, Sadie rules the front office at Maddie’s Pet Rescue Center. The rat terrier mix has to inspect each visitor carefully and she has a great time keeping her “roommates,” Bobby Jo, a beagle mix and Samson, a mix of basset hound and more than a few other things, in line.

Watching Sadie go through her paces is Brooke Steed, the project coordinator for Maddie’s Pet Rescue Project of Baldwin County. The shelter in Loxley will be celebrating its official first anniversary April 13

“Sadie is one of the dogs who has been here the longest,” said Steed. “We’re a small facility, so we have to be careful. Normally, we have space for two dogs and about six cats.”

However, the tiny shelter has notched some outsized successes in its first year.

“We have saved and found homes for about 100 dogs and cats,” reports Steed.

“Probably the thing I like best is going to the schools and educating the kids,” said Doreen Hyde, the shelter’s office manager in a telephone interview.

“I have been to Rosinton Elementary, and to Daphne Middle School, and we try to educate the kids and elicit some emotion out of them.”

Hyde says that the schoolchildren react the most to this: “If a female dog is not spayed and she has a litter of eight puppies twice a year, by the end of six years, and each of those puppies has a litter, she’s responsible for 67,000 puppies.”

Hyde says the children don’t “even come close” when they try to guess how many puppies an unsprayed female can produce.

“My soapbox is educating kids,” said Hyde. “This is where you have a chance to make a big difference.”

Hyde says the shelter also gets some practical help from her son, Sam, 11, and her niece, Emily Cox, 10.

Steed is quick to credit the shelter’s partners, notably the Bay Minette, Daphne and Fairhope shelters and BARC (Baldwin Animal Rescue Center), The Haven, and the Baldwin Animal Control Center for Maddie’s Rescue’s success in the first year.

“Normally, as soon as one (cat or dog) is adopted, I bring another one in from a coalition shelter,” Steed said.

Steed has somewhat … unusual selection criteria for what has to be a heart rending job.

“We consider who has been there the longest, their appearance, and we try for healthy animals,” said Steed. “People have to understand that an animal’s personality is affected when it is in a shelter.”

Being able to spot that spark and find adoptable animals is one of Steed’s biggest jobs.

But, it’s not the most important.

“The biggest thing for us is spaying and neutering,” Steed said, adding that no animal leaves the shelter without being spayed or neutered. All animals have had their health checked by a veterinarian, are up to date on their vaccinations, and come with one month of health insurance, which covers up to $500 of vet’s bills, with a $50 deductible.

“We charge an $85 adoption fees for dogs, and that does not even cover the vet bills,” Steed said.

The job can be difficult at times, but Steed, a former real estate agent, relishes the challenges

“I know I always wanted to work with animals,” Steed said. “It’s a passion of mine. Animals come here and don’t leave until they find a loving home.”

Bobby Jo is a case in point. The beagle mix has a gentle manner and soulful brown eyes.

“Bobby had been a Baldwin County shelter, he’d been picked up as a stray, and I would see him every time I went in,” said Steed. “He would come up to the fence, and look at me and wag his tail. He was just a sweet dog and I fell in love with him. He’s turned out to be a wonderful dog.”

Steed added that Bobby Jo has found a home and will be going to it as soon as he finishes a round of heartworm treatment.

Steed added that potential adopters undergo a reference check, which includes a call to a prospective owner’s veterinarian. When appropriate, a home visit is made with the potential pet.

Maddie's Fund is a national pet rescue organization, created by Dave and Cheryl Duffield to find healthy dogs and cats who would be otherwise destroyed a new home. The fund honors the Duffield's late pet miniature schnauzer, Maddie. The organization's Web site is at maddiesfund.org.

People coming to Maddie’s Rescue fill out an application, which is reviewed by a staff member.

Even when an adoption is made, Steed worries about her charges.

“It’s so hard to see some of these animals,” said Steed. “You wonder what their life has been like before they came here. It’s our job to find them a good home.”

Steed urges people to consider older animals when looking for a new family pet.

“Lots of people want puppies,” said Steed. “Puppies are cute, but many grown dogs are mostly house-trained, and a lot know how to sit, shake hands and roll over. You don’t have to go through the chewing stage. You know exactly how big the dog is going to be. You know what you are getting.”

Maddie’s Rescue Shelter is located on Highway 59 in Loxley, and is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, and is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. The shelter number is 964-8888.