Unfortunately this situation is not unusual. Backyard breeders set up shop all over Mississippi along well-traveled roads. In Jackson, there are several breeders who’ve set up shop in parking lots along the edge of County Line Road – one of the most heavily traveled roads in Jackson. None of these breeders are required to have a business license or permit. The businesses along the road, whose parking lots these breeders use, have complained about this for years. Amazingly, a local church recently wanted to hold a fundraising yard sale in a parking lot along County Line Road, the same parking lot some of these breeders use, and was denied a permit by the city.

Debbie has been battling these breeders for years and in this instance contacted Doll at Project Hope the local NBC affiliate, WLBT, for help. Doll and WLBT confronted the breeders – please see the newsclip below. Fed up with what seems to be preferential treatment these breeders receive, Debbie and Doll are working on a local ordinance that.

Linda and her dogs live in a house which is missing the entire north side, exposing every room in the house to the elements. The house is so dilapidated that Linda spends all her time on the porch wrapped in blankets to shield herself from the cold and rain. Considering the state of things, the dogs, all terriers and terrier mixes, were in relative good health.

With the direness of the situation Doll decided they had to begin moving the dogs. Since Project Hope was at capacity, the dogs would have to be boarded. Dr. Roberts and Doll loaded up 19 dogs on that initial trip. Doll made a second trip to Linda’s a few days later – this time removing 10 puppies and 7 adults. The Cleveland/Bolivar County Animal Shelter stepped up to take these dogs. They were already planning a transport and the rescue group they were working with offered to take this group of dogs.

On Thursday, February 4, Doll went back to remove the dogs that remained. The dogs previously removed had all been spayed/neutered and this group would be spayed/neutered the next morning by Mississippi Spay And Neuter (MS SPAN) using their “Big Fix” mobile clinic. MS SPAN is an organization that provides low-cost spay/neuter across the state.

This bring us up to today, where Chele and Doll are doing a transport to Every Creature Counts (ECC) in Denver. ECC has generously offered to take the remaining dogs from this case. Doll and Chele left Project Hope for Denver earlier today with a whooping 76 animals, including 68 dogs and 8 cats.

Today’s tour was very disheartening. The entire facility had gotten much worse since the last time we toured. Clearly the jail inmates who were tasked with cleaning the facility had not been doing so. I actually left unable to speak with my nose running, eyes burning, and throat swelling and irritated. The stench, thick with ammonia, permeated the entire shelter and irritated my sinuses and throat.

Overcrowded, dilapidated cages lined the walls of the rooms. Sick animals were intermingled with healthy animals. Pens held too many juveniles and puppies together. Nearly every cage held dogs with hot spots, mange or a myriad of other untreated illnesses or wounds. The cattery shared this small room and the deafening sound of dogs barking bounced off every wall.

Outside, loose dogs chewed on paws, legs, hips, and backs dotted with hot spots. Dogs were haphazardly placed in runs with many cowering in fear of their cage-mates. The uncovered runs held too many dogs and not enough shelters, leaving the most terrified dogs standing or lying in the mud, muck and feces of the run floor.

During the tour the Director plead her case for the sacrifice of her time, energy, and money for the thirteen years she’d been there. So many own the responsibility for this failed “no kill” shelter. Complaints to the city had fallen on deaf ears and community members had fostered the situation with lack of interest and support. The Director clearly gave everything of herself, as did her husband for what they believed was a noble effort, but warehousing animals with no hope of a better life is simply unacceptable.

The Director, burdened beneath the weight of a tough, thankless mission and now with public scrutiny bearing down on her, surrendered her position to the City Attorney.

We turned our attention to trying to help the animals who were languishing in the shelter. We met in the mayor’s office and hatched a plan. We contacted the Mississippi Animal Response Team and several local vets to come in and help. New volunteers from the community came in as well.

When animal loving people come together, share their resources, and give unselfishly we can move mountains. Sadly it sometimes takes a crisis for caring folks to realize their potential.

A Memphis woman embraced the orphaned and bottle fed him along with pups she was caring for. Because the woman lived in the city she was unable to keep BJ. A couple of calls around and she learned of our sanctuary.
When BJ arrived he was just a couple of months old. We already had several pigs so we knew he’d fit in.

As he grew he endeared himself more and more to us. His bright amber eyes were captivating. He loved belly rubs and wallowing in the mud. He received bananas and apples regularly, but adored watermelon and watching him eat watermelon was like watching a child dismantle wrapping from a present.

BJ shared his space with Mary Grace. He loved her, but she annoy him at times with her high pitched and prolonged demands for food. Sometimes he’d butt her with a strong, ”shut the heck up!” What he didn’t realize was Mary Grace’s disturbances got them fed first every time.

BJ determined which house was his and how it would be kept. As winter approached BJ would begin gathering dried grasses for bedding. Season after season it was me who’d have to clear BJ’s abode of packed hay as he stood by vigorously protesting.

BJ was amazingly gentle with children. Our dear friend, Debbie Young, brought her grandson, Austin, whenever her rescue and adoption efforts allowed free time. Austin and BJ were real pals. BJ willingly cooperated with Austin’s inspections of his ears. Austin and his brother, Ackerly, visited us just a few weekends ago and BJ really enjoyed their visit.

BJ’s appetite started to decline and Dr. Abernathy was called. BJ was now lying down, apparently in discomfort. Doc wasn’t able to determine what was wrong. He planned to come back out, but let us know he didn’t have the equipment to x-ray BJ. BJ began eating again so we believed he might have ingested something he’d expelled. Two nights later BJ died. BJ appeared to have gone peacefully in his sleep. He was in his house, blanketed in his hay, and there were no signs of distress.

We miss him dearly.

J.R.

From time to time we hear from families who’ve adopted dogs from our animal sanctuary in Mississippi, Project Hope. Here are a few recent updates we’ve received from happy guardians of dogs adopted from Project Hope.

J.R.’s Update:

Eddie and Robbie are the proud parents of J.R., short for Jacob Robert. They adopted J.R. from an Every Creature Counts event at  Petsmart in Denver when he was just 4 months old. J.R. was initially adopted and returned a week later by his first adopters. Eddie and Robbie stepped up and now J.R. is in his permanent forever home.
J.R. is a smart boy, having completed Intermediate Training at Petsmart – skipping over Puppy Training completely. He enjoys running like crazy at the park, playing ball with his daddies and just hanging out at home with his four cat buddies, Sophie, Galactica, Phoenix and Sugar.

Eddie, Robbie, J.R. and the rest of the gang now reside in Arizona and J.R. loves being back in a warmer climate where he can spend more time in the great outdoors year round.
Eddie sums it up best, “we couldn’t ask for a better dog, he is a very loyal and loving companion and is very much loved (and spoiled) by his family. Thank you for bringing this wonderful animal to ECC, and giving us this wonderful loving little man!”

Thanks Eddie and Robbie – we’re so happy you adopted J.R. and are giving him the life he so deserves.

Rene

Rene’s  Update

Rene was dumped on Project Hope several months ago by her previous guardian who simply couldn’t care for her any longer. Doll and the staff fell completely in love with her and the idea was tossed around to let her live out her life at Project Hope, but Doll decided to give her a chance at a good home and Rene transported her to Every Creature Counts in Denver. Her new family adopted her from a Petsmart event in September. Rene, now named Sophie has a wonderful new life and spends her days with her new family.

Sonya & Lillian

Sonya and Lillian’s Update:

Lillian was rescued after having been abandoned and starving and was with us for months, close to a year when some dear friends, who’d adopted from us previously called to say they were ready to adopt another dog. They wanted to save an older dog who was less likely to be adopted. Lillian came out to say hello and immediately latched on to the children and actually climbed into their van. They then spotted Sonya, was also rescued starving on the side of the road. I told them her story and she came out to meet them. The choice was too tough to make and the family was on the verge of tears. They left to think things over and within days called to say there was no choice to make, both girls would come home. We were ecstatic.

Ellie’s  Update:

We updated Ellie’s story back in April, but we love hearing from folks who’ve adopted dogs from Project Hope and Ellie’s mom, Susan, e-mailed us a brief update, so we thought we’d share.

Susan writes, “She is absolutely the perfect addition to our family. She is so very smart and wants to please. Ellie and our four year old yellow lab, Miles, are the very best of friends and spend most of the day chasing around the yard and chewing on their bones.  I so made the right decision that day in Petsmart when I saw her in that kennel. Thanks for rescuing her and giving us the chance to enjoy her company. She is a great dog and deserved a second chance. I have to tell you she is just on the edge of being a very spoiled puppy and she loves it.”

Thank you Susan for the update. Ellie had a rough time and we’re thrilled that she’s found such a great home.

Grady, a Mastiff mix, spent months in the Winona Animal Shelter, in Winona, Mississippi, a prisoner of a five-run outdoor facility, with one barrel in each run and constantly running water, leaving him and the rest of his kennel mates always cold and wet—a purgatory for captive dogs. He had mange, a bacterial infection, and was undernourished. Doll Stanley had seen the miserable dog on a number of occasions, but there was no room for him at the Project Hope sanctuary, and she had to stay focused on getting the mothers and puppies out so the puppies wouldn’t die. And, finally, the day came when she was able to take Grady, and then immediately boarded him at Veterinary Associates in Grenada, where the staff fell in love with him and revivified his physical state and spirit to the point where he was able to go the sanctuary. “Rescue takes time. Unlike ‘Animal Planet,’ there are months of rehab, expenses, and the search for a home worthy of them.”

After Doll started to work with the City Council in Winona, the newspaper editor founded a humane society of which she will be president and is raising money for the new shelter. In the meantime, before there is a more humane facility, Doll does the best she can to help out. In the last year, she saved dozens of dogs from that wretched place. The animal control officer, Charlie Brown—who possesses the heart and, unfortunately, bad luck of the legendary cartoon character—is required to pick up animals all over the area and he doesn’t want to kill them so Project Hope steps in. Grady is one of the chosen.

Doll called me and asked if I knew anyone who might want this well-balanced and handsome prince of a dog, with his now shiny, thick, dark brindle coat. Everyone who asked about him down South wanted to put him on a chain and make him a guard dog. One man wanted to chain him on a property he didn’t even live on to keep coyotes and burglars away. Doll says it so commonplace. “Every animal is unique. There are different circumstances. When you have chosen to help them, you go the extra mile.” And that meant Grady moving elsewhere.

An ad on Any Dog Rescue’s site led to interest from Judy Appel and Alison Bernstein, residents of Berkeley, California, who were attracted to Grady’s noble look and heart-seizing story. Until recently, the couple lived with Sharpie, a Pit Bull mix, who died a few months ago, and were ready to save another life. Plans happened quickly: Continental Airlines was selected as Grady’s ride in the sky because it boasts the best safety record—the airlines moves 110,000 animals per year, and 80 percent go though Houston, which is the connecting flight from New Orleans, Grady’s departure point. Houston operates 14 dedicated PetSafe vans with staffing/runners who specifically bid those shifts because they are animal-besotted and want to make sure everything is perfect for their guests. It is all they do—pick up, drop off, care the animals. Doll drove Grady the six hours from Project Hope to New Orleans (he pouted a little on the way—all the animals pout a little leaving Doll), where he boarded the plane for Houston, connected for his flight to San Francisco, and arrived a little after 8 PM, exhausted and groggy.  Judy and Alison brought their two kids, son Kobi, eleven, and daughter Talia, eight, for the big homecoming. Grady needed a little coaxing to emerge from his crate—the cargo facility at SFO didn’t look like the South anymore, and suddenly in the grip of a thrilling and wild elsewhere, he walked out to the rapturous joy of the family and a huge gushing of oohs and aahs. Within a few days of his arrival, he’s been to all the best East Bay parks. He’s also fallen for the kids’ stuffed animals and is particularly enamored of a gray elephant. He’s been sleeping on a bed downstairs where he can sprawl out just because he can.

Wilson prior to being rescued.

This past Friday morning Doll called me in tears, Wilson had died. He was one of the dogs Doll rescued from squalor and misery in Carroll County, Mississippi. Doll would later file charges and win custody of Wilson and 11 other dogs. Wilson was Doll’s favorite—she had come upon the black and tan hound when first arriving on the property and his sweetness and soulfulness and marvelous temperament immediately drew her to him.

Take me with you.

Wilson was chained to a stake, which allowed him only very little movement in any direction. His water was infested with mosquito larvae and his food was a sloppy mess, which consisted mostly of day-old bread. He was emaciated and laden with parasites, for which he was treated at Project Hope. He was closely monitored for weight gain, but he struggled to put on any weight at all. Last Wednesday when he started to appear sluggish he was admitted to Veterinary Associates in Grenada and placed on medication for what the vets believed were ulcers. On Friday morning he died quietly and peacefully at the hospital.

No animal ever comes into your life without making an impact – some make larger impacts than others and Wilson has left an awfully big void. We’ll miss you, buddy.

This past Saturday, Yalobusha County Deputy, Jim Bailey received a report of starving horses. When he arrived at the property he found four starving horses and one dead horse. The only horse on the property that wasn’t starving was a horse the property owner had acquired just two weeks earlier. The deputy reported the property owner told him that he had been cutting enough grass daily to feed to horses. Clearly this wasn’t the case.

Rain rot on her sides and back.

The horses arrived at Project Hope on Saturday evening. One by one as the horses were backed out of the trailer it was clear they were in dire need of immediate help. One of the horses had badly cut his left hock in a failed attempt to climb a fence to get to feed. He was unsteady on his feet and was badly banged up.

Clear starvation and leg wounds.

Each of the horses suffer from “rain rot”, a fungal infection, that occurs when the animals are subjected to too much moisture for long periods. Dr. Abernathy came and treated the horse with the wounded leg – we’re keeping the wound clean and wrapped. We also treated all the horses for parasites.

Dr. Abernathy gets to work on the leg wound.

Feeding was chaos for the first couple of days. The horses were so starved that they forced their heads in the feed buckets before we could direct them to their feeding spots. Each horse has been nearly single-handedly consuming a bale of hay per day. Yesterday morning was the first time the horses, emus, and pigs all ate in harmony in their designated feeding spots.

These horses reflect just a few of the scores of calls for help we and our partners in horse rescue are receiving. Everyone is overwhelmed and we are at capacity. Just getting to the cases is an daunting task. We are trying our best to guide law enforcement and people in the community to aid the horses they know are suffering. During an interview on “Mississippi Talks” radio on Monday, I let listeners all over the state know that it’s time for our statewide disaster response program to trickle down to community efforts to aid animals in the daily disasters of they face.

We are grateful for our supporters and fellow staff who work so hard to see that we can perform the lifesaving work that we do. We’ll keep you posted on the progress of these four horses.

Everyone resting comfortably at the Sanctuary.

Applon being seized from the property in Carroll County.

On Monday, Doll was back in a Carroll County courtroom fighting to win the freedom of 12 dogs kept in squalid conditions. This was Doll’s third trip to court for this case and the judge finally awarded Doll custody of all 12 dogs. Project Hope seized the dogs back in August with the help of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department and the dogs have been convalescing at the Sanctuary ever since. They are all doing well, despite all having been infected with numerous parasites and being way under-weight. Once healthy these dogs will be sent to Every Creature Counts in Denver to start a new life in a loving home.

Emma, still afraid, but resting comfortably at Project Hope.

from the press release on this case:

Carroll County Court awards In Defense of Animals (IDA) custody of seized dogs

Carroll County, Miss. – On September 15, In Defense of Animals (IDA) was awarded custody of 12 severely neglected dogs. Carroll County Justice Court Judge Jimmy Avant ruled against a claim that the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department and IDA had gone beyond the scope of their seizure order when confiscating the dogs. The court ruled the dogs were lawfully seized.

The investigation was prompted by three complaints concerning the condition of the dogs. On June 26, IDA’s Project Hope sanctuary in Carroll County received two of the calls. Doll Stanley, IDA’s Director of Investigations and the Project Hope sanctuary, responded.

“I saw emaciated dogs chained without proper shelter, their water blackened with filth, debris, and mosquito larvae. A few had dried bread and slop in their pans, two had molded slop in theirs. A hound was confined in a travel dog box for beagles and terriers. She could not sit or stand and the box was laden with filth. Another dog was confined in a feces-laden cage infested with maggots. The dogs had sores, matted eyes, and most suffered skin disorders,” reported Stanley.

Initially, Judge Avant gave a warning and time to the “owner” of the dogs to correct their conditions. IDA’s Project Hope and veterinarians sent letters urging immediate action. On August 6, the judge asked Deputy Brad Carver to see if conditions for the dogs had improved. They hadn’t, so a seizure order was issued, and IDA, acting as agent for the CCSO, removed the dogs on August 7. The seizure took place on Carroll County Road 129.

According to IDA’s Stanley, “When we returned the 7th to remove the dogs, some had been loosed and others had been moved. We enticed and trapped the loose dogs with food. Then, learning the other dogs were moved beyond the residence we went for them. Two were chained in the midst of debris – one was the dog who’d been held in the transport box. The others were confined in what could only be described as pig wallow. Water, feces, and earth had combined to create a horrid confinement of black muck. Two of the rescuers became ill from the stench.”

The “owner” of the dog failed to seek a hearing for their custody, and his son petitioned that the dogs were wrongly taken from the adjoining property. Judge Avant found no credence to the property issue.