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We’re the stepping stone to forever
Rachel and Trevor’s journey in giving animals a second chance
They’ve built a life around second chances. In Rachel Conway and Trevor Ketterling’s home, every foster leaves a paw print in a special book, proof they were here, loved and mattered. For those who didn’t survive, a small heart rests beside their name.
By day, Rachel serves as assistant athletics director for mental health and performance psychology at NC State University Athletics, helping student-athletes build resilience. By night, she and her husband, Trevor, an actor, former vet assistant and full-time pet dad, run one of Raleigh’s most loving revolving doors.
The Midwest natives met in college and have lived in all four contiguous U.S. time zones. They moved to Raleigh in March 2024 with seven permanent pets, one snake, two dogs and four cats, and a commitment to fostering.
“I was always meant to be an animal mom,” Rachel says. “I want to save them all.”
Before Raleigh, they fostered in Winston-Salem while Rachel worked at Wake Forest University, partnering with the Forsyth Humane Society. After moving, she applied to foster with the Wake County Animal Center.
Then came a knock at the door.
A neighbor had found a stray dog. Rachel and Trevor helped catch him and brought him to the Animal Center. Reading the surrender paperwork was hard, especially the note that he could be euthanized. Rachel told staff they had applied to foster and would take him if allowed.
That dog was Paddington.
After completing training, they brought him home. He was later adopted by an NC State student, renamed Chief and is now learning tricks and soaking up attention.
And just like that, their Raleigh home became a revolving door.
Over four years, two in Forsyth County and two in Wake County, they’ve taken in medical and behavioral cases, rabbits and multiple litters at once. Trevor handles complex care. Rachel helps fearful animals build trust.
Their first foster, Gadget, a bold little chihuahua, was hard to let go.
“We’re not the forever,” Rachel says. “We’re the steppingstone to forever.”
Fostering means vet visits, early mornings and tough goodbyes. Their home would be quieter without it. Still, they rarely go more than two weeks without welcoming another animal.
“Animals are resilient and unconditional,” Rachel says. “They just love you.”
For as long as they can, Rachel and Trevor plan to keep saying yes, because somewhere in Raleigh, another animal is waiting for a second chance.
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