About

Oh. My. Dog.
Nice to meet you.

We are Holly Kilstrom and Kara Berhow and fate slapped us together simply because the universe knew that two type A pawsonalities with a mutual love for sad-sack pups in need, were meant to join forces and change the world! We met when we both adopted dogs from the same rescue, and got drafted to be foster moms. Kara and her family spent more than 11 years fostering, and Holly has been part of the foster and rescue pack for 6 years and counting. Together, we have found homes for hundreds of dogs.

For many years we dreamt of creating a very special dog rescue to help area pups in need, and now it is a reality! Our joint experience in rehabilitating, fostering, rescuing, transporting, all the -ings that go into saving dogs, equals the perfect combination for a specialized rescue. Our hope is to help dogs that need a second, third, even a fourth chance to land in their furever homes (with a clean bill of health from the dogtor). Oh My Dog Rescue was officially established in November of 2022, taking in our first rescue in January of 2023! In our first year we rescued 200 dogs from overfull shelters, retiring breeders and owner releases. We are a foster-based rescue which means that no dogs in our care spend any time in a shelter. They learn “how to dog” in knowledgeable and loving homes.

All of this sounds great, right? Well, we can’t do it without help from our people (that’s you!) to fundraise, foster, transport, network and support this effort! Ways you can help:

We hope you agree that this work is incredibly important and we feel fortunate to have the passion to fuel the ambition it takes to help these dogs. We’d greatly appreciate any support you can offer!

Oh My Dog Rescue Named Iowa’s 2024 Award Winner of Miranda Lambert’s Mutts Across America Grant

Each year, MuttNation conducts extensive research to carefully choose the organizations that will be honored and, again this year, is recognizing some of the outstanding shelters that help seniors, special needs dogs, large dogs and pit mixes; the “Love Harder” dogs that are easy to love but hardest to get adopted. There is no application process for Mutts Across America.

IN THE NEWS: People & Pets

‘We’ll figure it out’

By Jackie Wilson, CityView Magazine

12/31/2025

Two friends, who are both dog lovers, took several steps beyond caring for their furry friends. They established a nonprofit foster rescue, host a dog “pawdcast” and installed microchip stations for lost dogs.

Kara Berhow and Holly Kilstrom began fostering rescue dogs 13 years ago. The pair established a nonprofit, Oh My Dog Rescue (OMD), in November 2022. Since then, they have rescued 720 dogs.

They obtain dogs from various situations. Abandoned dogs that need homes. Owner-surrendered pets. Dogs pulled off the euthanasia list from various animal shelters.

When they first established the nonprofit, they thought they would ease into it. Instead, they took in seven dogs from a condemned home. 

“All the dogs were severely matted. We needed to take them to be sedated and shaved at the vet,” Berhow recalls. “Yet, each dog found incredible homes. It was the launching point and our motto — we’ll figure it out.”

OMD pays costly veterinary bills before dogs are adopted out. They rely on donations and assistance through their “Mutt Mafia.” Dog lovers are contacted when a dog is brought in. The Mutt Mafia is alerted through all communication methods, via texts, social media, emails and phone calls to find a foster family. Usually, a dog spends about three weeks in foster care.

They say dogs staying with foster families is more beneficial than dogs sitting in a shelter. One way OMD differs is that the foster families decide where to place the dog for adoption. 

“Our foster home parents get to know dogs,” Kilstrom says. “They determine if they are good with kids or if they chase cats. We can figure out which home that they can thrive in. If they were in shelter, it’s hard to know.”

Because of the emotional aspect of taking in death-row, abandoned and unkempt dogs, the pair started a podcast to share their stories and answer common dog-related questions. The OMD Pawdcast is dog-related on a variety of subjects. 

“It started as an outlet. Rescue work is stressful,” Kilstrom explains. “We wanted to be real about the rescue world. We spill the truth and reveal all the little details.”

So far, they have recorded 82 Pawdcast episodes, chatting about common dog problems, nutrition, wellness and more. They featured guests from animal shelters, veterinarians, a pet psychic, a prison dog program and more.

They applied for a grant, and with the endowment, began installing microchip scanning stations. If someone finds a lost dog, they bring it to the station to see if it is chipped. This saves on community resources by keeping dogs from going to “dog jail” and out of animal control units. So far, they have installed 10 stations outside the Des Moines suburbs.

Both Berhow and Kilstrom are longtime dog lovers. They created a community through their Mutt Mafia, which consists of passionate, caring dog lovers. 

“Like-minded dog people are good humans with a common love for dogs. If we can help these creatures who love us, then we can return the favor back and give them their best life,” Berhow says.

To learn more about the OMD Pawdcast, or about fostering, adopting or sponsoring a dog chip station, visit ohmydogrescue.org. ♦