Every Dog Deserves the Right Home

At Forever Fido Puppy Rescue, we combine professional training, behavior knowledge, and rescue experience to prepare dogs for life with their new families. Our goal is simple: create lasting matches that keep dogs out of shelters and in loving homes.

Our Goals:

  • Get to Know Every Dog
    Every dog that enters our program is given time to decompress and settle into rescue life before we begin evaluating them. We complete individual behavior assessments to better understand each dog’s personality, strengths, preferences, and areas where they may need additional support. This allows us to make thoughtful, informed matches with families based on lifestyle and compatibility—not just appearance.
  • Support Beyond Adoption
    We believe adoption is just the beginning. Our adopters receive ongoing guidance and support as their new dog adjusts to life in its forever home. Whether questions come up during the first few days or months down the road, we’re here to help set both dogs and their families up for long-term success..
  • Support from Professional Trainers
    Forever Fido Puppy Rescue is operated by professional trainers with credentials in canine behavior and training who are committed to continuing their education each year. We regularly attend conferences, workshops, and continuing education events focused on shelter and rescue behavior, puppy development, and the latest science-based training methods. Because of this, our adopters don’t just receive a dog—they gain access to knowledgeable support from trainers who understand behavior and are dedicated to helping every adoption succeed.
  • Training Benefits
    Forever Fido adopters receive discounted training services through The Family Fido, including private training, Life Skills, Leash Confidence Lab, and other programs designed to help dogs and their families build a strong foundation together. Our goal is to provide adopters with the resources and support they need to build a lifelong bond with their new companion

Our Mission:

Our mission is to create lifelong, successful matches between dogs and their families through thoughtful placement, education, and ongoing support. We believe every dog deserves to be understood as an individual and given the opportunity to thrive.

Meet the Founders

Jessica Smidt CVT, KPA-CTP
Co-Founder & Trainer

Jessi Smidt is a Certified Veterinary Technician, Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, and the founder of The Family Fido in Rochester, Minnesota. She has dedicated her career to helping dogs and their families build stronger relationships through positive, science-based training and a better understanding of canine behavior.

In 2023, Jessi co-founded Forever Fido Puppy Rescue with the goal of giving vulnerable dogs—especially pregnant moms, young puppies, and dogs in need of a fresh start—a safe place to land. From whelping litters and raising puppies to helping adult dogs adjust to life in a home, she’s passionate about giving every dog the skills and confidence they need to succeed.

At The Family Fido, Jessi works with dogs of all ages and backgrounds, from puppy foundations and family pets to behavior cases involving fear, reactivity, and aggression. She believes that every dog is an individual and that successful training starts with understanding why a dog behaves the way they do, not just changing the behavior itself.

Jessi is committed to continuing her education and staying current with the latest research in animal behavior and learning. In addition to her veterinary background and Karen Pryor Academy certification, she has completed advanced coursework in aggression and behavior and regularly attends conferences and continuing education programs focused on modern, evidence-based training.

Whether she’s teaching a puppy class, helping a family through a behavior challenge, or caring for rescue dogs, Jessi’s goal is always the same—to help dogs and their people build lasting relationships based on trust, communication, and understanding.

Jessica with her rescue, Bruno.
Nicole with her rescue, Thor.

Nicole Stundzia FDM
Co-Founder & Trainer

Nicole is a professional dog trainer and Licensed Family Dog Mediator based in Rochester, Minnesota. Dogs have been a huge part of her life for as long as she can remember, and for the past 15+ years she’s been actively involved in rescue, helping more than 1,000 dogs along the way and fostering over 50 dogs and puppies.

In 2023, Nicole co-founded Forever Fido Puppy Rescue with a goal of giving vulnerable dogs—especially pregnant moms and young puppies—a safe place to land and the best possible start. She enjoys getting to know each dog’s unique personality and helping them transition successfully into family life through thoughtful socialization, enrichment, and positive, reward-based training.

In addition to her rescue work, Nicole trains alongside Jessica Smidt at The Family Fido, where she teaches puppy classes and works with dogs and handlers in AKC Scent Work. She enjoys helping families build strong foundations with their dogs while making training fun, practical, and rewarding.

Nicole’s passion for rescue and training go hand in hand. She has a special love for retired breeding dogs, under-socialized puppies, and dogs who just need someone willing to see their potential. She believes every dog deserves an individual approach and that understanding why a dog behaves the way they do is just as important as teaching new skills.

When she’s not training or working with rescue dogs, you’ll usually find her with her own crew of dogs, including her rescue Poodle, Sophie, who competes in AKC Scent Work. Nicole’s goal is simple: to help dogs and their people build lasting relationships based on trust, communication, and understanding.