The Chick With Pits was founded by Joanna Goodman in 2013 as a result of her passion for rescuing, rehabiliting, and rehoming animals of all shapes and sizes. As a child, no one was ever surprised at the "critters" she brough home. From hurt field mice to baby birds who had fallen from their nests to newborn opossums she raised and released into a wildlife reserve, Joannna's love for animals started the day she was born. Joanna spent the majority of her adult life in the pet industry working at small pet supply shops and corporate grooming salons. After following her husband during his career in the United States Air Force, the two settled in northeast Texas to begin rescuing animals in an official capacity.
The Chick With Pits is headquarted on Joanna and her husband's property in northeast Texas. Along with her 10 rescued dogs, 4 rescued cats, 4 rescued sugar gliders, and 2 rescued rabbits, Joanna and her leadership team, volunteers, and network of fosters and other supporters provide a no-kill animal rescue and sanctuary for every animal they come across.
The hope is for every animal that passes through the rescue's doors to find a loving forever home, but many animals cannot be rehomed for a variety of reasons. In those situations, The Chick With Pits provides a sanctuary for those animals to live the rest of their lives in an environment where they receive the proper attention they deserve through generous sponsorships of kennels.
Joanna considers herself "The Chick With Pits" because she has owned a variety of pit bull and pit bull mixes and treasures their loyalty, compassion, and intelligence despite the negative perception of the breed. In addition to the rescue and sanctuary, Joanna owns and operates The Chick With Pits Pet Services, which is a full-service pet services provider donating 25% of its profits to the rescue operations of its sister-company.