IDA Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Dogs’

This is Nicholas – One of Eric's new friends!

I spent nearly the entire month of October in Mississippi filling in for Doll at Hope Animal Sanctuary (HAS). Doll was on much deserved and much needed vacation and they needed an extra pair of hands, so I offered to help. This was not my first time at the Sanctuary, I’ve been down several times and spent almost three months there at the end of 2007.

I was grateful on this trip to be joined by my nephew, Zach, who helped me immensely with the day-to-day operations and afforded me the ability to give the three employees, William, Lisa and Elizabeth, some much needed extra time off. I was impressed with the efforts of this team and I admire very much the work they do for animals, both in and out of the Sanctuary.

To me, there is no better way to remind yourself of what truly matters than working hands-on with animals. Animals who in most instances are coming from situations of abuse, neglect and violence that most of us cannot imagine. Had a rough day at the office? At least no one dumped you and your siblings along 70 mile per hour Interstate 55, like what happened to a group of weeks-old puppies who were recently through the Sanctuary – all had been hit by cars and despite receiving immediate medical care, none survived their injuries. Or Nicholas, a dog I took in while I was there. Nicholas had finally broken through the collar that chained him likely in someone’s backyard. More a lawn ornament than and living, breathing, feeling animal, Nicholas’ collar had become partially embedded in his neck, undoubtedly bringing him agony for only he knows how long.

These are just a couple of recent stories from Hope Animal Sanctuary. Sadly, not every story is a victory, but had HAS not been there to ease the suffering of animals who would ultimately succumbed to their injuries, they would have had to suffer for much longer. And had HAS not been there to rescue the ones who survived and thrived, they never would have gotten out of their hopeless situations.

One of the lucky fellas.

On Tuesday, October 5 Dr. Bushby and his team of veterinary students and technicians from Mississippi State University (MSU) rolled into Hope Animal Sanctuary (HAS) with their mobile veterinary clinic for another busy spay/neuter day. On this day the team from MSU would alter six cats and twenty dogs, most of whom were from HAS, although MSU was able to help the Cleveland, Ms. animal shelter by including seven of their dogs. They also neutered a kitten who was brought in by HAS volunteer Billy Halfacre – a kitten he’d found abandoned.

The MSU team has been coming to Hope Animal Sanctuary once a month for the past couple of years. However, Dr. Bushby just informed us that the team would now come every three weeks instead, because of our extremely high animal save rate.

We are truly grateful to Dr. Bushby and his team from MSU. Without their help and support we wouldn’t be able to save nearly as many animals as we do.

Lisa from ECC and Doll celebrate another successful transport

Just a few days ago Doll and volunteer Debbie McCool (awesome real name) transported 65 dogs and 5 cats from IDA’s Hope Animal Sanctuary to Every Creature Counts in Ft. Lupton, Colorado.

This was our second trip to ECC in as many months. The last transport brought nearly 60 dogs to ECC – all but one of whom has since been adopted.

The majority of the dogs transported came from Hope Animal Sanctuary, but we were also able to help out another couple of shelters in the region. We pulled animals from the Clarksdale Shelter, the Bolivar County Humane Society (BCHS) in Cleveland, Ms. and from the Mississippi Animal Rescue League in Jackson, Ms. We also brought dogs from a couple of our rescue partners and former IDA staffers Debbie Young and Lisa Martin in Jackson. Clarksdale and BCHS helped us with the cost of the transport.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this trip to Colorado a success. It means everything for the individual animals who were on this transport and who will soon celebrate in new loving adoptive homes.

This past Monday, August 30, early in the morning, IDA staff spotted on the internet a deeply disturbing video – a young girl had been filmed tossing live newborn puppies into a fast moving river. There was no indication of where or when the act had occurred. We called an emergency staff meeting and decided to do whatever we could to help catch the killer.

IDA’s Communications Team and Investigative Team that included a staff cruelty investigator, a linguist and a private detective, got to work researching and working our international contacts, including activists in neighboring Croatia, and we offered a reward for information leading to her arrest, prosecution, and conviction. We immediately reposted the video and circulated it around the world – it received over 60,000 views in four days. We issued a news release and spread it across Europe, since various elements of the video gave it a “European feel” and an earlier poster of the video felt he had identified the river as one in Bosnia.

We received dozens of tips through our Twitter and Facebook accounts and via e-mail.

We’re happy to report that a girl believed to be the perpetrator was caught today by police in Bosnia. The suspect is from the central Bosnian town of Bugojno. We’ll continue to follow this story and do whatever we can to ensure this individual, if she is indeed guilty, receives the maximum punishment allowed under Bosnian law. It appears that, under Bosnian law, she faces a fine of from $19 (US) to $6,400.

Many thanks to all of you who assisted in the search!

Yesterday I shared with you some of my experiences in New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina rescue.  It will never be easy for me to revisit these memories. Since Hurricane Katrina, I have been translating some of the most painful and searing memories of my New Orleans experience into paintings. While most of these pieces depict animals I rescued, this anniversary painting is different. The painting above is my reflection on the devastation of the storm, and the region’s efforts to revive its way of life.

It is a reference to the very core of Katrina. The frame is built from wooden boards I salvaged from a dilapidated building in New Orleans and then wrapped in distressed linen. I created an oxidized copper background and affixed a tattered American flag I retrieved from the flood waters of the ninth ward. I then layered the flag with news clippings and pigment mixed with actual Katrina flood water. The flag, like the region itself, is still distressed and rough around the edges but waving proudly. This flag is a survivor.

But what truly lives in my heart can be found in the lower right hand section. This sign represents one gut-wrenching rescue my team performed in the ninth ward.  It was 3 a.m. on September 12^th – nearly two weeks after the storm, and our rescue vehicle was flagged over by an NOPD officer. I thought he might ask for our credentials or force us to turn back to the emergency shelter, but instead he begged us to go into the most devastated area in the city in search of his dogs.  While he was sworn to protect the public during this time of disaster, we were the only people who could help reunite his family.

As I neared the address scribbled on the scrap of paper, the dirty water rose to my chest. When our team finally found his house our hearts sank – it was obvious that water had nearly submerged the entire structure at one point. As we broke down the door we braced ourselves for a grim scene.  Sadly, we found the remains of two dogs floating inside the home. I began searching for a third body when to my surprise I saw a large Shepherd mix balancing precariously on the two-inch ledge of a sealed window. He had obviously been perched there above the water for some time.  A wash of pure joy spread over his face when this canine survivor saw our team and the salvation we represented. Reuniting this dog with his human guardians was a proud moment that will remain with me for the rest of my life.

Through these elements this painting represents both the past, present and hopeful future of a truly remarkable place and the people and animals who survived when the levees broke.

When we look back at Hurricane Katrina, I hope we will remember this German Shepherd and those who never gave up hope that someone would come for them. There are still countless animals out there who need our help. Please think of them and support our IDA Rescue Team today.

Every year around this time I receive calls and emails from individuals I worked alongside or families I reunited in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.  Although it has been five years, the bonds that were cemented during our rescue work in New Orleans will last a lifetime. We will never forget the horrors we witnessed there, and the thousands of animals we pulled from the wreckage of the submerged crescent city.  I can scarcely believe half a decade has passed since I stepped into the worst natural disaster our country has ever known.

At that time I was the Executive Director of the Washington Animal Rescue League. As soon as Katrina hit the Gulf Coast I assembled a rescue team, and was one of the first responders on the ground. I knew we were entering uncharted territory when we passed the first city checkpoint and a crowd of desperate-looking people charged our vehicle and threw their keys through our open windows. The keys were wrapped in paper with the people’s names, telephone numbers, addresses and the description of the animals who were trapped in their homes. When I saw the horde of individuals on their knees, tears streaming down their faces, begging us to rescue their animals, I knew this mission would change my life forever.

During our six weeks in New Orleans our team rescued nearly 1,000 animals who had lost all hope of surviving the grim disaster. We scaled dilapidated buildings to pluck emaciated animals from rooftops, pulled cats out of putrid, debris-laden waters and found dogs who had been left to die, stranded for weeks in flooded homes. Each rescue was unique, but every animal shared an initial look of wild desperation, which melted into trust and gratitude once we held them tightly in our arms of compassion.

Our team was the first inside these houses for days or weeks after the storm. We were the only lifeline for people clinging to the hope that their companions would be found alive. It was heartbreaking to tell someone who had lost everything that their cherished friend didn’t make it, but an honor to deliver the news to others that their animals had survived.

As soon as we plucked one animal from death’s door we were off to respond to another plea for help.  The calls never stopped, our rescue vehicles seemed constantly full, as we  perpetually raced the clock in a desperate fight against time. Inevitably, we were too late to save some – it is these lost souls who push me on a daily basis to continue my life’s work.

In the five years since, animal guardians have made huge strides in efforts to include pets in disaster preparedness. President Bush signed the PETS Act into law in 2006, allowing communities to receive funds for including companion animals in disaster preparedness plans. Communities and individuals are much better prepared to ensure their pets’ safety in the wake of nature’s unpredictable fury.

IDA played a crucial role in the post-Katrina response efforts. We delivered supplies to Gulf Coast emergency shelters and transported hundreds of displaced animals to shelters in the north. Today IDA’s rescue team is poised and ready to save animals from both man-made and natural catastrophes. Click here to support our life-saving efforts.

It never gets less painful to witness the horrific suffering that animal abuse inflicts on the helpless victims – this truth I know, having personally rescued thousands of miserable animals leading excruciating lives during the more than twenty years I have been in the field of animal protection.  I was reminded of this fact again days ago in the sweltering summer heat of Mississippi, where we rescued a number of dogs from very dire conditions in three separate seizures.

That feeling of being lucky enough to offer the first gentle touch, the first trustworthy embrace to an animal who has endured years of abuse and neglect is indescribable.  I can tell you that it never diminishes and that it’s this feeling which drives me and all of us in animal protection work to do what we do with our lives.  Again last week in Mississippi, I was filled with that feeling of gratitude and awe as we rescued severely starved and abused dogs, embracing them with kindness for perhaps the first time in their lives.  I would like to share with you my experience from just one of the recent rescues.

In Charleston, Mississippi, I went with the director of our Hope Animal Sanctuary, Doll Stanley, to help Animal Control Officer (ACO) Kevin Hodges respond to a report of a suspected dogfighter.  I had no idea what we were going to find when we walked up on this sad, neglected property in search of dogs bred to fight.  What we encountered was a sight of such profound misery it is difficult to describe – dogs that may have originally been intended to fight were clinging to life.  Chained to tiny six-foot enclosures in collars so tight they had to be cut off, they were emaciated and dehydrated to the point that they could barely stand, their skeletons entirely visible.  Some had fresh wounds, all had visible scars, and their hair was partially worn off, either from being chained or caged in despicable conditions or eroded away by mange.

Approaching these dogs, who had clearly never been shown kindness nor mercy was a testament to the inherent innocence and beauty of animals. While chained, they were terrified, barking and lunging. Aware perhaps that they could not escape whatever inhumane treatment they had endured, they desperately tried to protect their six-foot-in-diameter world. Once the chains were cut, these dogs relaxed, curled up, and accepted help – immediately forgiving the abuse they had suffered.

One unchained dog, a little white-haired sweetheart we later named Esmeralda, regarded me with extreme trepidation.   As I gently called to her, she came towards me shyly, stopping to lie meekly ten feet away. She looked at me with both apprehension and hope. I slipped a collar around her neck, but when I encouraged her to walk with me, she simple could not.  Instead, I scooped her up in my arms and she rested against me as I carried her to safety and a new life.

All the dogs were confiscated and taken for immediate vet care – tragically, even with the very best care, two of the most severely neglected dogs died that night, and a third, the sweet Mona Lisa, is clinging to life as I write this.  All of the surviving dogs are being held at a confidential location, away from the vet clinic and sanctuary, for their security.

That was only one of the rescues on July 28^th. After these dogs, and the others rescued that day receive veterinary care, my promise to them is a better life.  We will seek assistance from partner shelters in order to place them in loving, forever homes, and we will make sure their lives are never again so tortured and hopeless. Please take a minute to watch this rescue for yourself in this video.

My promise to you, as president of In Defense of Animals, is that we will continue to build the most effective and comprehensive Companion Animal Campaign possible.  Together, with your help, we will be there to open the cage doors and stop cruel puppy mills from profiting on misery.  We will continue to seize and rehabilitate dogs from dog-fighting rings and cases of abuse and neglect.  We will continue to work to clear animals from hoarders and over-burdened shelters and we will expand our work to address the underlying problems leading to pet overpopulation.  Together, I know we can accomplish a great deal and save many lives.

That feeling of giving the first touch of compassion to an abused and neglected animal, the first embrace of kindness, is euphoric and profound. I know that everyone of you can feel it too.  By acting on your own innate compassion and through your continuing support, I know you’ll feel the thrill I do on each and every rescue of which I am blessed to be a part.

Edwin says "Thank You"

In the early morning hours of Thursday, July 22, Doll Stanley along with the rest of the Project Hope staff and with help from Lisa Martin, began loading a truck with 57 dogs and 12 kittens for another transport to Every Creature Counts (ECC) in Denver. Doll and Lisa would shoulder the responsibility of safely transporting these animals to Denver, but the additional help in loading everyone up was welcomed.

This transfer of the animals to our adoption partners in Denver couldn’t happen soon enough. The spring and summer months have hit Mississippi shelters hard with record numbers of animals being abandoned and surrendered.

Despite the heat and a few glitches with the truck, the trip to Denver went well. Upon arrival, Every Creature Counts staff was waiting to help off-load. Many of the animals from this trip were in adoption centers this past weekend and ECC reports that several have already been placed into loving homes.

These transports are always special, but this one was made even more special because of several notable animals and their stories that were aboard this transport:

Sarah Louise found her way to Project Hope just two short months ago. Her face was horribly disfigured – all the skin had been eaten away by demodectic mange. Coal, the nearly hairless, starving puppy rescued on a dirt road near Union, MS. Queen, rescued and cared for by our friend and colleague Debbie Young. Will was one of nine dogs transferred from the Bolivar Cleveland Animal Shelter in cleveland, MS. Scores of dogs from this shelter have been adopted through these efforts. Edwin was rescued by a friend and volunteer Billy Halfacre. Edwin suffered a mangled front leg that had to be amputated. Ottie, Miss Priss, and Blue knew only deprivation in the clutches of the hoarder who keep them. The world of compassion they now know wasn’t even conceivable a few months ago.

Our work is a team effort and we want to thank everyone who helped us with not only these animals, but all the animals we’ve had a hand in rescuing over the years.

As you read these words, I am at a toxicology laboratory in New Jersey leading the In Defense of Animals Rescue Team in an operation that defines my vision of a world with no cages. Recently 55 macaque monkeys and 118 beagles became “seized assets” when the lab went out of business and their fates changed forever. These animals were facing a life in prison-like cells and days full of unspeakable cruelty and isolation. That was until the moment I heard of this dismal situation – I made a promise to each of these innocent animals that IDA would shepherd them out of confinement and misery and into a new world of comfort and love.

I am happy to report to you all that the 118 beagles have already been relocated and today the 55 monkeys will begin their journey to four safe havens in Oklahoma and Texas. The future for these monkeys will be filled with fresh air, friends, and freedom from harm.

You only need to watch this video to see how important this mission is. (no graphic content)

This is long journey. We will post more videos and photos in coming days. They will travel about 1,700 miles to reach the sanctuaries where they will begin their new lives. We hope you will join us as we take these monkeys to their new homes and forever out of the reach of those who would exploit and torture them. Through your generous donations we will not only meet our commitment to these monkeys, but I believe we can free an unprecedented number of animals awaiting rescue from labs and other abusive environments and the misery and exploitation inflicted upon them. It is my hope that this will be just one more step in making a world without cages and one more victory for compassion over cruelty.

Doll Stanley has been rescuing animals in Mississippi since 1992.

On July 10, 2010, Debbie Young, a friend of IDA-Project Hope, and three volunteers went to a Mississippi residence we had inspected on July 4. Debbie had discovered that one of our fellow rescuers was actually a hoarder. She’d tried the gentle approach to convince the individual that the animals she was keeping were in need of intervention. Animals were everywhere – at her residence, the residence of her former husband, and at his office. She seemed content to keep them in horrid conditions. She was respected by many of her colleagues and had managed to shield her scandalous neglect of animals from everyone.

Debbie and I learned that dogs this “rescuer” had taken in after hurricanes Katrina and Rita were still at a boarding facility. I encountered some of them when we boarded dogs from another hoarder.

There were no plans for the adoption of these dogs and several needed immediate attention. One had a huge growth on his side, and a blind Border Collie ran continuous circles in his tormentingly narrow run. His companion had become ill and died a few months earlier. This so-called rescuer had been notified that he was ill and had not acted. An elderly crippled dog suffered the winter on the cold concrete of the run where she was confined.

Debbie got a call from Mississippi Animal Rescue League (MARL) after a deputy reported that animals at the hoarder’s residence were being neglected. MARL asked Debbie to look into the allegations, as she had known the resident for some time. Debbie was horrified and emotionally devastated when she saw the putrid, filthy conditions. Most were in cages laden with feces and soaked with urine.

Debbie advised that great embarrassment and legal ramifications could be avoided if the woman we’d known as a friend would release the majority of the animals for adoption, care for those remaining as they should be cared for, and allow home inspections.

Debbie contacted the organization with which the woman was affiliated. The director was shocked that the individual she’d entrusted with animals was unequivocally a hoarder. The organization sent a rescue team to retrieve the animals.

Nearly 100 have been freed from their nightmarish conditions, and there are still more to rescue. We thank MARL, another group that wishes to remain anonymous, and everyone involved in unveiling this tragic situation and stepping up with a resolution to rehabilitate and place every animal who has any hope of adoption. For those who suffered and were humanely released from their misery, we can only say how very vigilant we all need to be when entrusting animals to anyone’s care.

The hoarder has been advised that charges will not be filed if she immediately seeks therapy, agrees to inspections of the sites where the animals were held, and does not increase the number of animals in her care.

This blog was contributed by Doll Stanely, Director for In Defense of Animals / Project Hope.