Style to Rescue Success: How Mango the Chow Chow Found Her Forever Home

I started Style to Rescue in 2018, but the seed was planted a few years earlier. I had heard about a competition in the US—if I remember correctly, it was called "Rescue Rodeo" or something similar. The concept captured my heart immediately: rescue centres would bring dogs to a grooming competition, and the dogs would be pampered and styled to boost their chances of adoption. Some were even adopted the same day! The “cute factor” really worked.

I thought to myself, Wow, this is such a beautiful idea. I'd love to do something like this. That thought stayed with me.

But I didn’t act on it right away. I procrastinated for a long time, letting the idea float around in my head. Then, one day, I read Mel Robbins' book and learned about the 5-second rule—how acting quickly on inspiration can change everything. Inspired and motivated, I finally acted on my desire to create a charitable dog grooming competition that helps rescue dogs.

I dragged my friends Sam and Nicci into the process, and together, we gave birth to Style to Rescue.

In the beginning, I was so excited—maybe even a bit naive. I believed rescue organisations would love this concept, that they’d be excited and queue up to join us. After all, we were offering free grooming and fundraising support! What could go wrong?

Well… a lot, actually. There was very little interest at first. Sam and I had a list of rescues and we started calling them, one by one. All we heard was no. Maybe people were unsure about something new. Maybe they thought, Who is this crazy lady with the Eastern European accent and what does she want to do with our dog?!

But we didn’t give up. With persistence, passion, and help from my dog grooming friends, a few amazing rescue organisations finally said yes—and they’ve been coming ever since. I’ll always be grateful to them for believing in us.

Over the years, the original concept evolved. Some centres brought dogs already rehomed or in foster care. Only a few were actually awaiting adoption. But that’s okay—I reminded myself the important thing is these dogs are being pampered, loved, and seen, and we’re raising money and awareness for incredible rescue organisations.

And then came Mango the Chow Chow.

This year, at Style to Rescue, something magical happened. One of the rescue dogs got adopted. Her name is Mango, and this is her story:

Mango came from Hessa’s Homeless Hounds. Hessa shared:

“I was asked to collect a dog—a Pom, I was told—that had been roaming the streets. When I looked in the van, I was shocked to see it was actually a Chow Chow! She was filthy and matted, so the next day, I shaved off most of her coat. She didn’t fuss—she knew I was helping. Mango had a microchip, but we couldn’t reach her previous owners. I believe she was a traveller’s dog. She was a joy to foster—so sweet and gentle—and her amazing personality helped her find the perfect home. When Linda Stone groomed her at Style to Rescue, she looked incredible, and that’s when she caught the eye of her future family.”

That family was Sarah and Gavin, who’ve been volunteering at Style to Rescue for years.

Sarah said:

Mango the Chow Chow in her forever home.

“We’ve always loved spitz breeds, and we know they can be misunderstood. When Gavin saw Mango being unloaded, something clicked. We watched her all day—her tail never stopped wagging, and she just wanted cuddles from everyone. As a groomer, I know how challenging Chows can be, but Mango was a superstar. I said to Gavin, ‘She could really fit in with our dogs at home.’ His eyes lit up. We spoke to Linda, she connected us to Hessa, and two weeks later, we brought Mango home. She’s fit into our family perfectly. We’re so thankful to Hessa for rescuing her, and we feel incredibly lucky to have Mango.”

That story… it’s what keeps me going. Every time I feel like giving up because getting sponsors is hard or unexpected problems pop up, I’ll remind myself of Mango, Hessa, Sarah and Gavin—and keep moving forward.

Because Style to Rescue changes lives.

Thank you to everyone who supports this journey.

Jitka xx