With every wagging tail and wet nose, Jonah Greschak lights up — his love for animals, especially dogs, is the heart of Jonah’s Ark and the reason so many lives, both human and canine, are forever changed. Photos courtesy of the Greschak family

It is an organization founded on love.

Love of a child. Love of dogs. Love of people in need.

Named after Jonah Greschak, a 27-year-old Whiting resident with a rare genetic disorder, Jonah’s Ark Animal Rescue saves dogs from kill shelters, places them with foster families and then finds forever homes for canines who might otherwise have been euthanized.

Along the way, the Greschak family has given their younger son a job, a purpose, a mission he loves. In addition to placing discarded dogs with families, they also gift trained service dogs to veterans, people with autism and others who say the dogs save their lives.

“We are truly doing this because of the love we have for Jonah, the love he has for the animals and to help veterans and other people like Jonah,’’ said Kelly Greschak, rescue director and Jonah’s mom.

The impetus for founding the non-profit began after the Greschaks had volunteered at a local shelter and saw how Jonah interacted with the dogs and how he benefited from being around them. When Jonah was turning 18 — and aging out of many of the services that filled his days — they knew he needed something to fill the void.

Jonah’s connection to animals is pure and powerful — a bond that sparked a mission of compassion through Jonah’s Ark Animal Rescue.

“We were facing many challenges as he got older,’’ Greschak said. “He needs 24/7 care and we deal with a lot of health issues. Cognitively, he is on the first-grade level. But Jonah was so good with the animals. This was something he loved.’’

And so, in 2016, Jonah’s Ark was born.

The organization partners with shelters in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Jersey and Texas, fielding requests from these shelters for rescue dogs that need a home. Most of the dogs Jonah’s Ark accepts are “working” dogs — Labrador Retrievers, Border Collies, hounds — breeds the Greschaks have owned and feel comfortable placing with other families.

Jonah has the rescue’s most important job, his mom said. He chooses which dogs the organization accepts into its rigorous program, which includes a comprehensive health and safety check of every dog it rescues.

“He’s the boss,’’ Greschak quips. “He handpicks every dog. We show Jonah a dog and he says yes or no. He says it’s in their eyes. He also names every dog that comes through the rescue. We try to help those really poor shelters that need a lot of help.’’

Before dogs are shipped to New Jersey and placed into a foster home, they have a comprehensive veterinary check that includes needed vaccinations, heartworm testing and medication and addressing any other health concerns a dog or puppy may have.

The bond between Jonah Greschak and his father, Ernie, is as strong as the mission they’ve built together — saving dogs and changing lives through Jonah’s Ark Animal Rescue.

“We follow really strict guidelines for the health and safety of our dogs,’’ Greschak explains. “We want to make sure they’re healthy and ready to go to their forever homes.’’

Once cleared, the dogs are transported to New Jersey using one of three transport services that Greschak says she trusts. The canines spend a day at the Greschak’s Whiting home, where they are bathed and checked again for health and safety and where Jonah plays with them until the foster family arrives to pick them up.

Each dog leaves with a “puppy pack” that includes food, treats and special toys that Jonah selects for each animal.

“It’s a little something he gives them,’’ Greschak said. “It’s always a surprise what he picks.’’

The rescue places between 50 to 100 dogs each year, spending an average of $400 to $500 for puppies and $750 for adult dogs — more if the dog has health issues. The rescue charges an adoption fee, but that often fails to cover the full cost of vetting, transporting and fostering the dogs. The organization does not charge for the service dogs it recruits and trains and places with veterans, special needs families and others. That can cost thousands of dollars.

So, the non-profit relies on donations to do the work that has saved hundreds of dogs, provided countless families with pets for life and helped others live fuller, happier lives with a service dog at their side.

“We do have a nice little following, but we’re small,’’ said Greschak, whose older son, Eric, is 31 with a 2-year-old son, Colt. “I’m a mom of a special needs child. I don’t have corporate connections.’’

Her husband, Ernie, is a plumber/pipe fitter and sometimes jokes about the rescue’s expenses, asking his wife: “Did Jonah’s Ark cover that or did Ernie’s Ark.’’

“A lot of times the answer is Ernie’s Ark,’’ she said. “But this is our labor of love.’’

Learn more and donate at jonahsarkanimalrescue.com. Like on Facebook/jonahsarkanimalrescue.