Meet Marla Briley

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marla Briley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marla below.

Hi Marla, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

Dog rescue is hard—especially in Texas, where over 120,000 adoptable animals are euthanized every year. It’s relentless. It’s heartbreaking. And some days it feels like we’re fighting to hold back a tide that never stops coming. The reason I can keep showing up, even when it feels overwhelming, is because of the people around me—my friends, my family, my community. They’ve been my steady ground and safety net, carrying me through some of my darkest moments. They remind me why I am in rescue, and they’ve taught me how to keep going when the weight of it all feels like too much.
I have a tattoo on my wrist that says, “Relentless pursuit of forward motion.” It’s what I used to look at during Ironman races to push through hard moments. But it means something different to me now. In this rescue life, it’s about taking the next step—no matter how small—when it seems that just saving one dog, when there are over 50 on that day’s kill list, won’t make a difference, I focus on just that one dog, that next step, and I know that (sorry to sound cliche) but for that one dog it means the world.
If there’s one thing I’d share with anyone trying to do this kind of work, it’s this: build your village. Surround yourself with people who make you stronger. You can’t do this alone.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Central Texas Ruffugees (CTR) is a small but mighty dog rescue that focuses on saving Texas shelter dogs and giving them a second chance—often far from where they started. We work primarily with overburdened shelters across Texas, where healthy, adoptable dogs are being euthanized simply due to lack of space or resources. Once we commit to a dog, we make sure they’re fully vetted, placed with a loving foster home, and then matched with an adopter—sometimes in Texas, but often in the Pacific Northwest, where we have strong rescue partnerships and a solid adopter base.

What’s special about CTR is how personal it all is. We intentionally stay small so we can stay hands-on. Every dog matters. Every foster and adopter matters. I know every single volunteer. We aren’t a big machine—we’re a passionate group of people who care deeply and work hard to make an impact, one dog at a time.

One of the things I’m most proud of is the community we’ve built—both among our Texas fosters and our growing family of adopters in the Pacific Northwest. It’s not uncommon for our adopters to stay in touch, send updates, or even adopt again. That ongoing connection is everything.
If there’s one thing I’d want folks to know about CTR, it’s that we truly believe in quality over quantity. We don’t want to do this fast—we want to do it well. Every dog we help is deeply known and fiercely loved. That’s what makes us different.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, the three things that have made the biggest impact on my journey are:

A deep love of dogs. Let’s be real—if you don’t love dogs, you’re not going to survive the day-to-day realities of rescue. There’s puke, poop, chewed furniture, sleepless nights, vet runs, heartbreak… you name it. You have to love dogs enough to push through all that and still show up every day. That love has never wavered for me.

Knowing how to stay focused on what I can do. In rescue, it’s really easy to get overwhelmed. There’s always another dog in need, always a heartbreaking story. But I’ve learned to be clear about my boundaries—I don’t pull dogs unless I have a foster lined up. If I start letting emotion take over and pulling dogs without a plan, it’s a fast track to burnout. Staying focused on what’s sustainable has helped me keep going long-term.

Being open to advice and other perspectives. I’ve been doing this a long time, but I’m still learning. I’ve had to let go of the idea that my way is the only or best way. There are always people who know more, or who have tried something I haven’t. Being able to take a step back, listen, and learn from others has made me a better rescuer and a better teammate.

Advice for someone just starting out? Love the dogs, but don’t lose yourself in it. Set boundaries, build a support system, and be open to learning. You don’t have to do everything—and you don’t have to do it alone.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

The people who have helped me the most are my friends—those people I’ve intentionally chosen to surround myself with. Each one brings something different to the table. Some are wildly smart, some are deeply grounded, some are bold and fearless, and some are the kind of steady, dependable people who just get things done without ever needing recognition.

I’ve made it a goal in my life to gather friends who are smarter, stronger, and wiser than I am. I don’t need to be the one who knows everything—I want to learn. I want to grow. Watching how these friends move through the world has taught me so much—about leadership, boundaries, emotional strength, and grace under pressure.

They challenge me, support me, and inspire me constantly. Just by being themselves, they raise the bar for how I want to show up in the world. I truly believe who you surround yourself with shapes who you become, and I’ve chosen well.

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