IDA Blog

Posts Tagged ‘rescue’

Hope Animal Sanctuary's Doll Stanley at work giving these guys another chance.

It’s so exciting to share the news of the transport finale. Seventy dogs and a cat arrived at our friends at Every Creature Counts in Ft. Lupton, Colo. Over the past year, ECC received nearly a thousand animals from us. Wow! A thousand animals who didn’t die on roads, in the woods, in dismal backyards, in shelters.

I’d like to say that without Every Creature Counts placing these animals would be nearly impossible. Without MSU’s student surgery program the cost of providing spays and neuters would break us. Without Debbie Young, Sheri Norquist, and Loretta Ford I would have been up all night preparing paperwork for the transport, and then ECC would still have had to put the data in its PetPoint system.

Lisa and Mike Martin not only fostered pups and bottle-fed them for us, they made the journey with me. Mike insulates and readies our rental truck for the trips and then he and Lisa put the crates on and tag them. The morning of the transport Mike, Lisa, and our Hope Animal Sanctuary Team load our precious animals.

On this transport many of the animals were fostered by Deedra Booker and Loretta Ford, who performed miracles, even bringing their fosters for S/N day and then making the trip to pick them up.

Sherri Norquist’s niece, Rebecca, cared for Sugar and Lady Bug (from the Wyatte hoarding case) up until they were altered. Loretta then added them to her fostered babies to make it easier for us to hook up on transport day.

Fay Welch of the Winona Animal Advocacy Group made certain the dogs rescued from the Winona Pound were cared for until we got them to our sanctuary for S/N day and she kept up with their shots, worming, among other necessities. Melissa Weed Greenlee, of WAAG, aided with transport, and her mother and the Mortimer’s aided with the cost of caring for and moving the dogs. The Weeds have sponsored the heartworm treatment of Speck, who will very likely be on our next transport.

Dr. Abernethy, Dr. Reece, and staff (of Veterinary Associates) assisted with the care of many of the animals as they recovered from the neglect and abuse they experienced before we rescued them. A few of the dogs came from the Winona Pound, others from the Winona region so they wouldn’t end up at there. We worked with the Bolivar County/Cleveland Animal Shelter to take 12 of its dogs, along with the four puppies from a rescuer from Carthage, four from a woman in Kilmichael, Miss., and five abandoned pups from the amazing Anita Tribble, of Yalobusha County, who found these sweet babies on her property. Hope Animal Sanctuary rescued all the other dogs we transported from the hoarding case in Wyatte, Miss., and the ten puppies and Maury, a chihuahua/miniature pinscher, who were saved after a Tallahatchie County Supervisor packed up and moved on, deserting them. (I sobbed when I left Maury at ECC. He was my constant companion after I saved him, begging me to get him away from the puppies who adored him.) Even William of HAS brought four puppies—Rita, Katlin, Antoinette, and Lindy—who were dumped at his house in Daiden, Miss. We’re still working the Wyatte hoarding case, where the remaining animals have a big barn to sleep in and a lovely Tate County resident, Tricia, who is feeding and overseeing them until we can fit them into our program.

One of our passengers, Boy, a rottweiler mix, was a favorite of the man squatting in the school bus (the story was covered previously on our blogs about the hoarder in his eighties who had at least 30 dogs where he lived in community of Wyatte, Miss.). While I was working the case, the hoarder refused to allow me to get Boy neutered (he said it wasn’t natural), and I discovered that Boy had an ear infection, so I packed him up and drove him away as the man was screaming at me. I knew at that moment I was not bringing him back, even temporarily, where he wouldn’t get the care he needed. The other dogs had been fighting amongst themselves, and, Boy, smaller than the rest, was terrified, and I would not have him ruined for life. He’s gone to Every Creature Counts, where on adoption day, someone will meet him and determine that this endearing, shy young man deserves a guardian to protect him forever.

Hats off to the wonderful people who joined us in saving these extraordinary individuals—abandoned, hurting, in need—and to all of you who have participated in sponsoring our efforts in making these fantastic events a reality.

Stayed tuned: In just a few days you’ll hear more about the activities at Hope Animal Sanctuary.

Please support our Animal Rescue Fund – So next year we can save even more!

On Thursday, November 18, Hope Animal Sanctuary Director Doll Stanley responded to a plea for help from Theresa, a Wyatt, Mississippi resident. Theresa was seeking help for an 86 year old neighbor, John, who had several momma dogs and litters of puppies. John lives in the rusted-out shell of an old school bus and is barely able to take care of himself, let alone his ever-expanding pack of dogs, so experienced help was desperately needed.

Doll met Theresa and her son at John’s property that afternoon. Theresa and her son had been helping to feed and care for both the dogs and John. They gave Doll the lay of the property and filled her in on the personality traits of each dog and pup. As this was happening, John arrived. He said he was happy for the help, but didn’t believe in spaying/neutering animals – that it was “unnatural.” Clearly in over his head because of this belief, he relented after speaking with Doll and agreed to let us spay/neuter all the adults and take all the pups for adoption.

Doll left with ten puppies initially and went back a few days later for another litter of three. All of these puppies will be altered by Mississippi State University’s mobile vet team in the coming weeks, then transported to our adoption partners, Every Creature Counts, in Denver for adoption.

Hope Animal Sanctuary Director Doll Stanley and volunteer Lisa Martin departed the sanctuary this past Sunday afternoon and proceeded to pick up animals from all over northern Mississippi. In addition to the animals on this transport from Hope Animal Sanctuary and the Winona, Mississippi city shelter, animals were pulled from shelters and individual rescuers from Carthage, Clarksdale, Cleveland and Indianola. The final tally of animals on this transport was a mind-blowing 85 dogs and 11 cats. By far our biggest and most ambitious transport to date.

Everything went smoothly, including the unexpected roadside rescue of a dog found wandering alongside a busy highway in north Mississippi. Delta Dawn, as she’s now named, joined the transport and was welcomed with open arms by the good folks at Every Creature Counts. Many of the animals from this transport will be adopted this weekend at a adoption events held in and around the Denver area.

We’re so grateful to our rescue partners, Every Creature Counts, for their continued support in helping us find homes for dogs and cats who otherwise would have no hope of finding a good home. We want to thank Dr. Phil Bushby and his team from Mississippi State University’s vet program who spayed/neutered most of the animals on this transport. Finally, thanks to HAS volunteers Debbie Young and Sherri Norquist for hours of data entry work that made this transport go so smoothly.

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.

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.

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.