Hope Animal Sanctuary

Hope Animal Sanctuary Director Doll Stanley, along with volunteer Lisa Martin and staff member Lainey Mansour, left IDA’s sanctuary in Mississippi on April 23 with 108 dogs and two kittens. This is the larger of two transports scheduled for the next week to Every Creature Counts in Colorado. This transport is mostly small dogs and puppies, while the next will be mainly large dogs – some 60 of them to be exact.

This team is no stranger to transports, but two in just over a week is a lot to ask, even of seasoned transporters. Hope Animal Sanctuary fills up quickly and our rescue partners in Colorado have plenty of space and several big adoption events scheduled. It takes a lot of effort and fundraising to make these transports happen, but it makes all the difference in the world to the individual animals on the truck who will end up in loving homes. (Please click here to donate to Hope Animal Sanctuary’s extraordinary efforts.)

Transporting the animals is just the final step of many steps required to make these transports possible. Most if not all of the animals have been spayed/neutered by Dr. Bushby and his team of veterinary students from Mississippi State University. Others were vetted and cared for by Dr. Abernethy and his team at Veterinary Associates in Grenada. We were fortunate to be able to help several of our rescue partners in other parts of Mississippi and received dogs from Sherri Norquist in Cleveland, Cindy Bailey from Mississippi Animal Rescue League in Jackson, and from Winona Animal Advocacy in Winona.

Last, but certainly not least, a huge thank you to the staff at Hope Animal Sanctuary who have truly performed above and beyond – Rob Hollis, Lainey Mansour, Sarah Thomas, and Kelly Stokes. Without their dedication and commitment, none of the amazing things we accomplished would be possible.

Have you ever been so in the thick of things that the stress and emotions just silence you? You’re not depressed, but your likely maxed out. That’s probably what’s going on here.

At Hope Animal Sanctuary our team begins each morning with a bit of time together and with a plan for the day we head for the animals we are each to care for. The animals are the B12 we need to face another seemingly impossible day. Impossible? Why would a day with a plan be impossible? The phone!

At this time we are at maximum care for the animals we’ve been entrusted with. There are horses everywhere needing rescue and we do not have space, staff, or funds to take more in. Percy is our only donkey. He might as well be a large dog. Arlin, our Barbados Sheep is solo, but is inseparable from Celeste, the horse he treasures.

Our eleven pigs have told us we can rescue more, but they will have to have their own space. They stand their ground when it comes to someone new snouting in.

The emus would likely welcome friends, but the demise of the “emus market” is far enough behind us that it’s rare to receive a call on their behalf.

The cats are in harmony and those in the main cattery were exposed to leukemia when we took three young cats in last year. The youngsters tested negative for feluke when they came in and later broke with rapid symptoms and a horrendously swift decline. The other cats that were exposed are mostly semi-feral to feral and whether they’ve tested positive or not they will live their lives to the fullest extent with us. That’s what sanctuary means to us.

Dogs and puppies. Whoa! The numbers of dogs and puppies needing help is staggering. We have just exhausted our resources for their care. Between the sanctuary and foster care we are responsible for 150 dogs. The up side is they are safe, cared for, and we are planning a transport to Every Creature Counts the first week of May.

Dr. Bushby and his team came the 27^th and blessed 30 of our dogs with spays and neuters. In April the mobile clinic will be down for servicing. ECC said they would bring a second vet in when we arrive for anyone who missed out on surgery during April. I love them.

We’ve been busy with cruelty reports and we have an April 12^th hearing for Emerald and her pups. Their guardian seems to have missed his entire role as their provider. We are confident he’ll be found negligent and Emerald, Adela, Barnabas, Bess, Gideon, and Zeke will be free to live their lives with guardians worthy of them.

For now I’ll say “until then” as I have the responsibilities a guardian never neglects.

Thank you all for caring about the animals we all love and for each and everything you do as a guardian to the fellow beings of our world.

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Quigley was rescued and taken to Veterinary Associates, the vets who help IDA-HAS.  He was so adorable no one could believe he wouldn’t be sought by his guardians. In January he was neutered and the search was on for his new home.

Long time friends and supporters, Gay & Larry Evaldi had first adopted Daisy from us. Ace, Blue, and Algernon followed. Each one had issues. Daisy had been repeatedly shot with a pellet gun by a man who was trying to chase her from the Calhoun City neighborhood she’d been “dropped off in”. Ace had been in at least four trial homes as he had issues with being pushed. He was accused of being aggressive. Ace simply wanted you to ask him nicely to do something. A push, shove, or similar form of force was met with light, but clear reaction – “Push and I’ll defend myself”.

I rescued little Blue from certain hell at Ripley’s 1^st Monday, trade & sell day. I was checking out the people gravitating to the Class B animal dealer I was investigating. As I took note of sellers, vehicles, and animals I spotted a small cage on top of a pile of “stuff to sell”. I could see the tiny eyes of a pup who was clearly trying to be invisible – crouched and shivering in the back of the small crate he was stashed in.

I approached the seller asking what was in the small crate. He responded that it was a pup he was selling. I said I’d take him off his hands. “$5 bucks.” Five dollars was all that stood between this tiny soul and the “serum truck” (what we called trucks with animals bound for labs). Enough said, Blue lived a life free of suffering, adored by his guardians. Blue died recently. Larry has been heartsick.

Algernon was abandoned at a vet clinic because his guardian was unable, or unwilling to afford him surgery for a liver shunt.  Gay found out about him and his surgery was followed by a life of pampering.

In the summer Gay and Larry visited us and took our Nicolina home. She’s now Blossom. With Nicolina alone and Larry missing his Blue so badly it was time to adopt.

Quigley was who I had in mind. An exchange of photos and it was a certainty; the only snag was getting Quigley to Ocala. Larry & Gay moved to Ocala, FL five years ago to be near family.

I put the word out that Quigley needed a ride. I was flying to FL, but the airlines didn’t fly dogs and we try to avoid flying animals.  Within days Beverly Brewster responded. A few days of intense routing and connecting and Rob set out with Quigley and delivered him to the person driving the leg from Columbus, MS. The Evaldis and I met Beverly in Georgia and brought Quigley home. When I flew back Monday Quigley had totally settled in.

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Sad news from Doll at IDA’s Hope Animal Sanctuary: We got our little Sadie last Thursday. She had been found wandering. She was 4 – 5 months old and seemed to be the picture of health. Of course we’d fallen in love with her.

Evening before last she fell into seizure and was rushed to Doc. She was given medication, her temperature returned to normal, but she continued to have seizures through the night even with the medication. Sarah stayed up with her most of the night. Sadly, yesterday morning she showed signs that her brain had been affected and then fell back into seizure and she was lost. Bless her precious little heart. She was so sweet, adorable. We looked forward to caring for her for many years. There’s no predicting what will befall us, only that such tragedies are very hard to accept and live with.

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Precious Wanda and her sister were barricaded in the kitchen of their home and abandoned.  A neighbor responded to the putrid smell emitted from the house and a sighting of Wanda trying to get out of the kitchen window.  He broke into the house and discovered Wanda, starved, dehydrated, and forced to consume her dead sibling to survive.

The Grenada, Mississippi animal control officer (ACO) took Wanda to be euthanized. The vet called In Defense of Animals’ Hope Animal Sanctuary (IDA-HAS) to see if we could help.  IDA-HAS Director Doll Stanley took guardianship of Wanda and accompanied ACO Trey Waters to the scene of the investigation.  After documenting evidence of cruelty, IDA pushed for prosecution. This Tuesday, just days after Wanda’s full recovery and adoption, her abuser was convicted of animal cruelty. Nakiyeh L. Townsend was found guilty by her own testimony.

Municipal Court Judge Jimmy Vance convicted Townsend of depriving Wanda of food and water and the death of her sister. Judge Vance chastised Townsend for the woeful neglect of her animals, asked her how she’d feel if he had her jailed and the jailer forgot to feed her, and told her he would have given her a 30 day jail sentence if she had counsel. He fined her $1,109 and advised her not to keep any more animals. This was a huge verdict for this jurisdiction in which the ACO had little confidence of a conviction and hadn’t been trained to investigate, document, or file a cruelty case.

In other news, IDA’s Hope Animal Sanctuary completed another successful journey to Every Creature Counts in Ft. Lupton, Colorado. This transport was the opportunity for a lifetime in a loving home for 72 dogs and 3 cats. Sixty animals were adopted this weekend.

Among the cats was St. James, rescued in the seizure of 13 animals from a Carroll County hoarder.  Puppy, Iceman and his 7 siblings were abandoned at IDA-HAS while staff was in town for supplies.  Greta, Hamilton, and their 7 siblings were rescued from beneath a discarded slab of cement at the edge of the Carrollton, Miss. grammar school parking lot. Gillespie was accidentally run over by a truck.  His surgery and recovery were in the hands of a MSU veterinary team.  Dr. Bushby sought and delivered a fund to cover the cost of Gillespie’s recovery.

Tuesday was also a wonderful day for the 27 dogs and cats we took in since our return from Colorado Friday. The MSU student surgery team provided  spays and neuters, freeing them from the heartaches of breeding – the many puppies and kittens they may have lost to starvation, parasite infestation, and the many other horrid deaths that await homeless animals.

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Last month, Petal and Penelope were rescued from a terrible situation of neglect in Coffeeville, Mississippi. Their siblings, seen in the photo of their rescue (the girls are on right in BJ’s arms) were just babies. Because we had so many puppies, our friends with the Mississippi State University student program “Homeward Bound” accepted three of the pups into its foster and placement program. They were all set to go on our February transport to Colorado.

The five siblings arrived with fleas, Coccidia, and worm distension. Petal and Penelope were actually the healthiest of the siblings. But, tragically, we either brought Parvo home with a new pup, or picked it up in one of the many places we may have come into contact with communicable canine disease (even the animal companion section of Wal-Mart).

The girls became ill last Tuesday. Wednesday morning we rushed them to Veterinary Associates for testing and treatment. At the sanctuary we can give sub-Q fluids, but at the hospital they were given IV, and we wanted to minimize contamination of their roommates. It’s uncertain if the two other families of other pups sharing their quarters have been infected.

Our little girls lost their valiant struggle. It just hurts so bad. We saved them from neglect, freed them from parasites, medicated them, loved them, and they were heading to Colorado awaiting guardians, and now they’re gone. I’m sorry but “they knew love” or “they would have died where they were” doesn’t lessen the pain. They were happy, beautiful, and then they got horribly sick—sick enough to suffer death.

We move forward because other animals will suffer if we don’t, and caring people cannot wallow in the luxury of self-preservation or pity. We feel the whole world should know that Petal or Penelope were here and what was lost, so we will all fight to prevent the inevitable misery of animals who are not protected. Our little girls will not be forgotten.

To support our work please click here.

A few weeks ago we told you about IDA’s Hope Animal Sanctuary being granted custody of 15 starving horses and a mule in Yazoo County, Mississippi. County Justice Court Judge Pam May signed a seizure order on December 21, 2011, and the rescue of the horses began immediately. Within 3 days, all horses were in foster homes receiving much-needed nourishment and loving care.

But the mule eluded capture, earning the name Flying Wind. This past Sunday, a team from In Defense of Animals (IDA), along with a team from Have A Heart Horse Rescue (HAHHR), a Mississippi horse welfare organization, finally accomplished the safe confinement of Flying Wind. IDA would like to especially thank Sheila Horton of HAHHR.

Flying Wind’s capture brings to a close the month-long ordeal that began with IDA being granted temporary custody of 15 horses and a mule found in various stages of malnourishment. Flying Wind’s ability to jump fences not only allowed him to stay nourished with generous access to hay, it also allowed him to freely roam on 70 acres. This made capture very difficult and he was obviously enjoying his freedom and newly discovered superiority.

Once a halter was slipped over Flying Wind’s head, IDA volunteer David Gray led him to a secure confinement area.  After helping Flying Wind calm down, David was able to lead and load him into a waiting trailer and he was finally on his way to Have A Heart Horse Rescue and Sanctuary in Coila, Mississippi to join the seven Yazoo County horses being rehabilitated at HAHHR.

Flying Wind is enjoying his new ‘temporary’ home where he will receive veterinary care and be evaluated for eventual adoption.

In other Hope Animal Sanctuary news, we also rescued a donkey named Percy from a guardian who no longer wanted to care for him. IDA-HAS had previously offered sanctuary for Percy when he was held at a Mississippi shelter. Instead, he was adopted to an individual. That person grew weary of caring for him, and the Drew, MS animal control officer contacted IDA-HAS to ask if haven was still an option for Percy. Members of the IDA-HAS rescue team brought Percy home on January 20.  Percy immediately took to his new home and companions.  He’s been playing with Arlin, the Barbados sheep who barely escaped becoming a trophy intended for a regional man’s wall.

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Our report this week comes from our extraordinary volunteer Debbie Young.  It’s a tale of 15 horses and a mule who will survive because Debbie launched and maintained our efforts for their rescue and care. And a huge thanks to Have A Heart Rescue for aiding with the treatment of some of the horses.

Debbie: “I’d been watching the news about starving horses five miles from my home. I had been told a few days earlier that the local humane society was working on either a seizure order or attempting to the get the keeper of the horses to voluntarily surrender them.

As of December 15, with at least 15 horses in various stages of malnourishment and several dead horses on the property in various stages of decomposition, the Yazoo County (Mississippi) Sheriff’s Department filed cruelty charges against Alvin Ross. Mr. Ross turned himself in and immediately posted bond. He then moved the horses to unknown locations. Now the horses wouldn’t even get the extra hay that was being thrown over the fence to them by concerned people.

On December 20, I received a call from a friend who was frantic because nothing was being done to take custody of the horses and get them the rehabilitative care they so desperately needed. It turned out the local humane society had decided NOT to proceed with seizure action, and the Sheriff’s Department was unable to take responsibility for the care of the horses.

I placed an urgent call to Doll Stanley of Hope Animal Sanctuary and her response was immediate. IDA would attempt to secure a seizure order for the horses. That afternoon, with a seizure order in hand thanks to IDA, I went to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Department to request its assistance in processing the order. After some serious verbal wrangling, the investigator realized we weren’t going away. He instructed us to return early the next morning when the deputy who had been working the case would be on duty, and the Justice Court judge would be in court. After an extended wait, the deputy took us to Justice Court where a sympathetic clerk gave me the first ray of hope since this all began. Thanks to excellent television coverage regarding the case, she was aware of the condition of the horses and made sure the judge was shown all the accompanying photos. We had a signed seizure order that was served immediately.

Within hours, we took over the care of the first four horses. That night they were warm, with fresh hay, and a measured amount of senior horse feed to begin their long journey back to a healthy weight.

The Mississippi Board of Animal Health (MBAH) responded to a phone call regarding the dead horses on the property. The Board discovered five dead horses and four sets of skeletal remains. Mr. Ross had a “killing field” for horses. Mississippi law requires dead “livestock” be buried within 24 hours, so Mr. Ross was charged a $1,000 fine for each of the dead horses. He could not be fined for the skeletal remains since the time of death could not be accurately determined. He also faced fines for each horse he removed from the property without a verifiable Equine Infectious Anemia test. He was ordered to provide the location of the horses he had moved.

Thanks to the action of the MBAH, coupled with the issuing of the seizure order, Mr. Ross complied the next day with the remaining 11 horses. The lone mule is still on the property and being fed.

All of the horses suffer malnourishment ranging from moderate to severe. Their bodies are covered in thousands of blood-sucking ticks (the veteran rescuers agree they have never seen such infestation) and rain rot (bacteria) so bad it has gone through their skin. Two of the horses, both mares, suffer life-threatening conditions due to starvation and neglect but both are starting to show small signs of regaining their strength, and we are hopeful they will live to enjoy a life filled with love and comfort.

Have a Heart Horse Rescue graciously offered to take on some of the horses to help with their rehabilitation. Seven of the horses are in their care. All the others are in foster care at multiple locations and are doing as well as can be expected. Now that they are receiving life-saving nutrition, the ticks are being removed by brushing. The emaciated state of the horses makes it dangerous to use chemicals that will kill the ticks, so brushing is the safest remedy. The rain rot will be treated slowly with antibacterial shampoos as the weather allows.

I wish to thank Doll Stanley and In Defense of Animals for always being ready to take decisive action to help animals who have no voice. There are now fifteen horses in Mississippi who have food in their bellies and warmth from the cold. I am also so grateful to IDA supporters.”

Deborah L. Young

Stay tuned to IDA’s website and eNews for more news about the 15 horses as they fight their way back to health (and the mule), as well as the cruelty charges filed against Alvin Ross.

*UPDATE*

January 13, 2012 – IDA has been granted permanent custody of 15 starving horses and a mule seized after Yazoo County resident Alvin Ross was found guilty today in Yazoo County Justice Court, of nine counts of cruelty to animals. Charges were filed by the Sheriff’s Department on December 15, 2011, following the discovery of nine dead horses in varying stages of decomposition on the property. Ross was found guilty of confining the horses without sufficient quantity of wholesome food, a misdemeanor under Mississippi animal cruelty laws.  The remaining horses were seized under a court order issued by Justice Court Judge Pam May on December 21, 2011, and are now at various locations receiving much-needed rehabilitative foster care and veterinary treatment.  Judge May, who presided over the hearing today, offered to suspend the fines if Ross would surrender all rights to the seized horses.

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We are thrilled to report a very happy ending to a tragic story. Do you remember Kapone, the missing Memphis dog we first told you about in our July 21, 2011 eNews? IDA had just added $3,000 to the reward fund for info about Kapone, a family’s adored pit bull, who had been missing since he was picked up by a Memphis Animal Services (MAS) animal control officer.

Kapone disappeared on June 24, when he and the family’s other dog, Jersey, got out of their fenced yard. Neighbors witnessed both dogs being loaded onto an MAS truck. Over 3,000 IDA members sent emails complaining about MAS to Memphis city officials and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. Click here to read our news release about this from July 2011.

Well, Kapone is now back home for the holidays!

Our dear friend and animal advocate Beverly King learned that yet another dog had simply vanished without a trace of paperwork or documentation after being picked up by Memphis Animal Control. Beverly and associates alerted the media, and helped Kapone’s family push the city to prosecute Animal Control Officer Demetria Hogan for Kapone’s disappearance and the death of another dog Hogan left confined in the back of her city truck. Beverly alerted IDA and we offered a reward. PETA joined us, as did a private source, and the reward grew to $8,000.  A banner with the reward information and a photo of Kapone has hung prominently since his disappearance. Just days before Christmas, a tip that Kapone might have been seen in Senatobia, Mississippi broke the case, and, after investigation, Kapone was reunited with his family.

The case is not closed, but is solved, and very satisfying. Kapone is relishing his playtime with his family, while Hogan’s animal cruelty charges are surely to be added to a felony animal abduction charge.  We refuse to use the word theft – “theft” is what happens to property, and Kapone is nobody’s property. He is, however, back with his guardians. How awesome this is!  Oh, by the way, the tipster has asked for and received only $3,000 of the $8,000 reward.

Additional notes:

Jersey was reunited the day after she was picked up.  She was at MAS.

The cloth on Kapone’s neck is his bandana.

Hogan is charged with cruelty.  Theft, we don’t know yet.

As far as we can assume, Kapone could have been used for breeding, even at his age.  He was unneutered.  He was unharmed when found so he hadn’t fought.

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It’s hard to resist puppies and kittens wrapped up in bows, but in this season of giving it’s important to remember all the homeless animals who need loving homes.

It’s estimated that an unfathomable six to eight million dogs and cats enter shelters each year. Half of them, tragically, are euthanized. Most of us cannot even get our minds around the fact that three to four million cats and dogs are euthanized, every year, in the United States alone.

 

The biggest thing you can do to reverse this trend is to support spay and neuter efforts in your community. Find a good local program and donate your time to help. Become a messenger in your community for spay/neuter programs, by supporting them where they exist, or working to start them where they don’t. Convince your neighbors and elected representatives that funding spay/neuter is the most cost-effective way to help dogs and cats. Write letters to the editor supporting increased public funding for low-cost spay/neuter.

 

Next best thing you can do is adopt furry family members from shelters, rather than supporting pet stores and breeders. There is no good reason to ever choose a pet store or breeder when so many animals in shelters need homes.

 

A few important things to remember:

 

• Be certain you are ready to make a lifetime commitment to your new family member. If you’re a parent getting an animal mainly for your children, be sure you are willing to be the primary caregiver, as children often lose interest.

• Animals given as gifts are frequently unwanted and are returned. If you want to give an animal as a gift, first make sure the future guardian is ready to make the commitment. Give them a gift certificate for a shelter adoption, and then take them to the shelter to see who they bond with.

• About 25% of dogs and cats who enter shelters are “pure-bred,” so if you’re attached to a particular breed, odds are you can find them in a shelter. There are also a large number of breed specific rescues. But consider, instead, a mutt – if you’re looking for love and companionship, the breed is not very relevant.

• If you’re looking for smaller animals, most shelters also have rabbits, rats, guinea pigs and birds. But don’t presume that “small” equals easy to care for – learn the special needs of any species before bringing them into your home.

• Consider adopting an older cat or dog. Shelters have a harder time placing older dogs and cats and they are often the first to be euthanized. There are a great number of advantages with an older animal companion. They have generally already been trained and will be calmer. Black cats are also hard to place due to unreasonable superstition, and black dogs are often bypassed simply because it’s harder to see their facial features in a shelter setting. Tell shelter staff you’d like to meet the cat who has been there the longest, or the eldest dog. The shelter staff will love you!

• If you decide to adopt a dog please consider a vegan diet.  Dogs can be very healthy and thrive on a well-balanced vegan dog food.

• Be certain to spay or neuter the new addition to the family. Accidental breeding is one of the biggest reasons for the overpopulation problem.

 

 

 

If you go about it the right way, the holidays can be a great time to add a new family member and to give him or her all of your love!

 

 

For more tips on how you can be a great guardian and help keep animals safe, please visit our Guardian Campaign.

 

 

To support our work please click here.

 

 

Work every day of your life to right what is wrong.