Three dogs, Truvy, Disco, and Shelby, were abandoned to a kill shelter in Laurens County, SC without any hope for rescue and no chances of adoption. Our friends at Sanctuary Rescue notified us that Truvy was pregnant and said they would be able to rescue her, Disco, and Shelby with the help of City Dogs Rescue. These owner surrenders were clearly traumatized by what was probably a life of abuse and neglect. This is the same shelter where recent CDR dog, Katie, came from as well.
Shortly after being rescued, Truvy gave birth to a healthy litter of 6 beautiful puppies. A foster for Sanctuary Rescue cared for her and her pups in Virginia. The puppies nursed with Truvy and shortly thereafter all of them found homes! Once the puppies were weaned, City Dogs Rescue brought Truvy and Disco to Washington, DC to find homes of their own. We're not sure how Truvy, Disco and Shelby are all related but it seems likely that Truvy is the mother of Disco who seems about 3 to 5 years old and Shelby who is less than year old. Truvy is also about 35 lbs and 3 to 5 years old. We have learned that they are the gentlest, sweetest dogs despite an obviously hard past. Lindsey, foster of Disco, and her roommates have really helped him learn about the good things the world has to offer. Lindsey notes that she was so sad to see him cower when she went to put on her shoes. He is clearly much more frightened of men, but he is slowly learning how to trust again. Disco takes a few minutes to warm up to new people, but he is completely docile and really enjoys meeting new dogs. Disco loves the dog park and is learning how to play. It's clear he never had toys or treats in his past life, but we've learned Disco really likes cheese. This week, Disco has been working in the Capitol buildings and sitting in on meetings with the Congressman. "Working" on the Hill has really helped Disco become more socialized around new people. He was even lucky enough to meet "his" SC Congressman! Lots of Members of Congress and staffers on the Hill bring dogs to work, but it's especially nice to see a shelter dog who's come from such dire straits make it all the way to Washington! Truvy is also doing fantastic in her foster home with CDR photographer Rebekah Feng. Rebekah recently adopted Molly the beagle and has recently opened her home to foster dogs. Truvy and Disco are low-riders so we think there must be some basset or corgi in them because they are close to the ground. You will not find sweeter dogs and we are so amazed at how far they've come over the past two months. We can't wait till they find their forever homes.
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by Meredith, CDR Director Earlier this year, I came across Rex’s photo online. Rex had stunning eyes with a warm soul that stayed with me. This was in January of 2013 and I emailed Deanna an advocate for Rex at the Pocahontas County, WV shelter. Deanna told me Rex had been waiting ages to get out and he had been given many reprieves because of his great personality. Deanna works with a group called Coonhound Companions, which aims to promote hounds. As you may know, hounds have a hard time finding homes and there is an abundance of these loving dogs in shelters, especially after hunting season. Rex arrived to the shelter in October 2012 starving and barely alive. The wonderful people there fell in love with Rex and nursed him back to health. His charm saved him from euthanasia as everyone held out hope that Rex would be rescued or adopted. After many months in the shelter, many dogs become depressed and despondent, but it was clear that Rex never gave up. He continued to trust and love humans and canines. City Dogs Rescue committed to rescue Rex if a foster could be found. We posted online for a foster, but none worked out. Deanna emailed every few weeks to see if anyone had volunteered to foster Rex. Four months later, Tanya of Silver Spring, Maryland saw the call for a foster and stepped up to save him! We couldn’t be more thrilled that Rex was one step closer to finding his forever home. The volunteers in WV prepped Rex for his journey to Washington, DC and they noticed an extra spring in his step. Tanya’s family eagerly awaited his arrival. Rex was all of the great things everyone said and more! Rex is truly a gentle, loving dog with the typical goofy hound personality. Within one week of arrival to Washington, DC, Rex was adopted by the Redpath’s, a great family in Maryland who felt the same connection many of us did when we saw his photos and videos. This is yet another example of why we rescue. Congratulations Rex! Top Row: 1-3. Rex upon arrival to the shelter
Middle Row: 4. Rex at the shelter, 5. Rex at the vet, 6. Rex on his way to DC Bottom Row: 5. Rex meets Tanya at the transport, 6. Rex explores DC, 7. Rex gets adopted! CDR supporters raised $3,000 for vaccinations for Cleveland County shelter animals. A huge thank you to all of our supporters!
Last Summer, City Dogs Rescue, joined with several other organizations to encourage Cleveland County Animal Control to drastically change its adoption policies and practices and to end the gassing of unwanted pets. City Dogs Rescue experienced a number of difficulties with working with CCAC at the time, including one particular incident involving CDR's unsuccessful attempts to rescue a sweet dog named Luna. After this incident, CDR submitted a presentation to the County Commissioners outlining our concerns and suggested actions (see Blog Post). After reviewing the presentation, County Commissioner Susan Allen reached out to us and has been very responsive to our concerns. Based upon Commissioner Allen's review of the situation with Luna and similar situations involving other rescues, the Commissioners determined that changes were needed at the shelter. Commissioner Allen expressed a sincere interest in having the shelter be more accessible to rescue and in reducing the shelter's euthanasia rate.
A number of changes were implemented immediately: 1. CCAC hired an internal rescue coordinator. 2. CCAC implemented several safeguards to try to prevent breakdowns in communication from occurring. As a result of these changes, CDR continued to rescue dogs from CCAC but at an increased rate. Since May 2013, CDR rescued over 80 dogs from CCAC, including the sweet Dixie pictured above (who is still available for adoption at http://www.citydogsrescuedc.org/dogs.html#.U0sdPcdqnv4). Many other rescues worked to get dogs as well. (Since CCAC is a rural county, it must rely on rescues rather than internal adoptions for the bulk of its animals to be saved). CCAC just released its euthanasia statistics, and boy what a change one year makes! Animal shelter statistics in 2012 vs. 2013 Animals adopted: 6%, 8% Animals rescued: 8%, 46% Total cats saved: 3.5%, 37.5% Total dogs saved: 31%, 80% Total animals saved: 18%, 59% Total animals euthanized: 79%, 37% (a 42% decrease) Animals euthanized by carbon monoxide: 64%, 36% Animals euthanized by injection: 36%, 64% Now, with even more exciting news, CCAC has agreed to remove the gas chamber by June 30, 2014 and increase adoption hours! This is absolutely huge and we could not be more thrilled to see the end to this inhumane method of killing unwanted animals. See Shelby Star Article and the video below. But CCAC has not stopped there! It also wants to adopt a program to vaccinate dogs and cats upon intake. By doing so, it can potentially eliminate the unnecessary suffering and death of animals from Parvo, Distempter, and other easily preventable diseases. CCAC estimates that the cost to provide these vaccinations is $44,970.26 on an annual basis (see breakdown of costs under "Photos Section"), but it does not have these expenses in its budget. As a THANK YOU to CCAC for implementing these wonderful changes and to prevent unnecessary suffering and death, CDR wants to raise at least $2500 so we can to help these animals get vaccinated. Vaccinations for Rabies, Parvo, and Distemper that are administered at the shelter can prevent unnecessary suffering and death. Sadly, City Dogs Rescue has had several of our dogs, including Jett, Sunshine, Octavio, Shotgun, Woodstock, and Vince, succumb to diseases that could have been prevented if vaccinations were available at the shelter. Remember Finnegan the injured lab found in NC? Finnegan was found lying in a rural pasture in North Carolina by Clifford's Army Rescue Extravaganza (C.A.R.E). volunteer Nancy C. Without any knowledge of how long he'd been there, it was clear he was starving and suffering severe injuries. Despite obvious discomfort, Finnegan never once showed any aggression. This gentle boy just looked up at Nancy with his big black eyes begging for help. It looked like he had been hit by a car and had something wrong with his pelvis. Nancy knew that if she didn't bring him to the vet right away, he wouldn't live through the impending snowstorm that came just hours later. Nancy paid for his initial vetting and x-rays to find out what was wrong with him in hopes he could be saved. Volunteer Deb H tried to find his family before he inevitability ended up in the shelter and Jan T stepped up to foster him locally in NC until rescue was found. After seeing this beautiful dog and hearing his story, City Dogs Rescue felt compelled to step in and help. We closely work with the local gassing shelter Cleveland County Animal Control in North Carolina and know what commonly happens to injured new intakes to the shelter. There's no money or care available to help them so many injured animals are often euthanized on arrival to many shelters. We shared his photo in hopes of finding a foster and raising funds. Several of our loyal followers offered to help by donating and we received a solid foster offer from Sarah and Josh who recently adopted another black lab from CDR named Wrangler. We sent all of his medical information to our vet partners to determine his prognosis. It became clear that Finnegan was in great pain that would require pelvic surgery and amputation of his leg. Sarah and Josh committed to doing whatever they could when he came to Washington, DC so we could get him healthy. After Finnegan went to a local specialist here, we were surprised to hear that he had shown amazing resilience. With just two physical therapy sessions, Finnegan's range of motion has improved dramatically. The specialist was pleased to share with us that Finnegan demonstrated that he could possibly regain the normal use of his pelvis and keep his leg with physical therapy alone! The roller coaster of emotions has had many of us reeling, so we were in tears of pure joy when Sarah sent us the video of him walking on all four legs and using the stairs. Yet again, we are truly astonished that a dog with such a dismal fate can make such a huge turnaround to a possible full recovery. Finnegan enjoyed the recent DC snowstorm and is even enjoying playing fetch in the yard. Finnegan is one is a sweet, dear and happy boy. So many people played a role in saving this amazing boy and we can't thank them enough! He has been so brave and calm throughout his ordeal and is now looking for his forever home to finish his physical therapy with a lifetime of love as the happy, healthy lab he was always meant to be. Apply to meet Finnegan and adopt him: http://www.citydogsrescuedc.org/adoption-application.html "[Fall] if you but will, rise you must" Several months ago an abandoned dog named June happened upon the home of Claudia and Carl Thomas in rural West Virginia. Claudia and Carl spent several weeks trying to find this beautiful dog's family. Without success, she reached out to Shannon Gandee who contacted CDR to see if we could help. Knowing the fate of shelter dogs, we agreed to post for a foster and help this dog find a forever home in Washington, DC. When June went to the vet to be spayed we learned that she was just days away from giving birth, so we decided to keep the puppies. We are confident we made the right decision by allowing her to come to term. On Halloween of 2013, her litter of 14 coonhound puppies were born. CDR supporters came together and sent supplies and food to help the puppies and their mother. Claudia took great care of these dogs and every single one survived. Shannon's expertise in whelping puppies was instrumental to their success. While we hadn't heard of a litter of 14 puppies before, we knew we had a commitment and needed to find a foster home for them in Washington, DC. Our heroes Carlyn and Pat agreed to take on this mighty challenge. (Earlier in 2013, they adopted the infamous coonhound Maddie who has an adventurous tale of her own.) Just after Christmas, Shannon and Claudia took the puppies from West Virginia to their new foster moms. One puppy stayed behind because he was adopted by Claudia's nephew, and Claudia and her husband Carl decided that June was staying with them forever too. We were so happy for June! Everyone at CDR came together and pitched in to help these puppies find homes. We had multiple volunteer photographers (and amateurs on their smartphones "helping") visit the house and many of our supporters shared their pictures so we could find them homes. Volunteers went to their home bringing supplies and enjoying some puppy time for themselves as well. Without a doubt, they were very well socialized! With 13 puppies to go, there were a lot of applications to be processed and Amy McLean handled them with ease and efficiency. Our foster and alumni volunteers helped by going to 13 homes to do home visits and they continued to spread the word. Yesterday the last two puppies, Max and Reed went to their forever homes. By the end, even Maddie had really taken to them and enjoyed daily playtime showing them the ropes. This has been an amazing journey and learning experience for all of us at CDR. We couldn't be more grateful for all the support and love that people have shown these beautiful dogs. We look forward to continuing to follow their stories and watch them grow. While we are sure it was very challenging at times, the Thomas family and Pat and Carlyn never gave up. There is no way we could have done it without these two amazing foster families. Thank you to everyone who helped along the way and made this a real fairytale ending for all involved. We leave you with a note from Claudia: "Today, the last two pups were adopted. Max and Reed went to their forever homes. I want to thank City Dogs Rescue and all the many volunteers for helping me in finding homes for June Bug's 14 pups." "Without CDR, I don't know what I would have done. As most of you know, June showed up at my house and I had no idea that in a months time I would have a house with 15 dogs, especially since I didn't even want a dog and was hoping that CDR would find June a wonderful home." (Editor's note: It looks like June found her home all by herself..) "I want to especially thank Shannon Gandee who spent countless hours getting me supplies and sharing her knowledge on raising 14 pups." "Carlyn Kuder and Pat Rakers who took over the care of 13 of the 14 pups, Meredith and the many volunteers who helped by supplying supplies, training, finding homes, taking pictures, and the countless hours of playtime. If I didn't mention your name I apologize but know that I appreciate all you did." "I want to especially thank all the wonderful families that have adopted June's puppies. I hope that like me ...I kept June. ...you find that coonhounds are so full of love and such cute dogs that your heart melts when you look at them. I look forward to seeing pictures of the pups as they grow and hearing how they enrich you and your families life. I look forward to a possible reunion and pray that you enjoy and grow old with your new best friend. Many Blessings To All!" Thank you again to everyone who played a part in this great story. Follow their journey on our Facebook page. We have created a special album to post their new photos and updates here
Local DC resident and CDR supporter Elizabeth Theran had an opportunity to volunteer with a Dog Rescue in Bali for two weeks. She was kind enough to share her experiences with the CDR blog. “Nothing prepares you for this.” Back in the fall of 2013, I needed to escape. When I saw an ad for a two-week yoga program in Bali, I thought, “perfect!” Because I donate to WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals), I was aware of their “Collars Not Cruelty” program that operates rabies vaccination programs around the world, and I had heard of their work in Bali. I also knew that there were some local nonprofits working with Balinese street dogs, and I figured a trip to Bali would be the perfect opportunity to practice some yoga and get in some volunteer work with the dogs while I was at it. I quickly learned that Bali is, in short, a tough place to be a dog. The reasons are many:
My Volunteer Experience I had been planning to volunteer with BAWA, but their clinic was shut down about two months before I arrived in Bali. As a result, I brought donations for BAWA (their work is ongoing and desperately needed, but is more decentralized without the clinic), but I decided to volunteer with BARC at their Good Karma clinic in Ubud. BARC requires that all volunteers who will have contact with dogs receive the preventative series of rabies shots before arrival, and I had duly had all three shots before I left the U.S. When BAWA operated its clinic, it had the same requirement. I was not the typical BARC volunteer: for one, most of their volunteers are able to commit more time than I could, usually volunteering all day for weeks at a time. (It helps if you’re Australian or European and get loads of vacation time, so you can spend a month or more there!) I was only in Ubud for nine days, and I had my yoga classes to attend, so I could only show up around lunchtime most days. By then, most of the “dirty work” of feeding breakfast, cleaning cages, and so forth was already done. (I felt extremely guilty about this.) That said, there was plenty for me to do. The dogs at the clinic are in desperate need of positive human contact, since many of them arrive either feral or having had very bad experiences with humans. I would spend hours out on the back verandah with dozens of dogs running around me playing with each other, getting into trouble, and jostling me for pats and attention once they realized there was a sucker in their midst. I also helped give medication to some of the dogs, including coconut-oil massages for the dogs who had lost their fur to parasites to help their skin recover. One day I volunteered in the stockroom, sorting donations and other supplies. (I will confess that the air conditioning in the stockroom was a welcome respite, given that the rest of Ubud pretty much has little to no air conditioning. This was rainy season, so it was at least 90 degrees and 99 percent humidity most days if it wasn’t actually pouring.) I also walked a couple of dogs, not an easy feat in Ubud where the sidewalks are in terrible condition and the traffic murderous. As the folks at BARC make clear to potential volunteers, volunteering with an animal rescue in Bali (or any non-Western country) is significantly different from volunteering back at home. They do their level best to keep conditions clean and sterile (where necessary), but there are some days where BARC’s clinic has little or no running water, and supplies are always short. Particularly in rainy season, when there is mud everywhere, this can be a real challenge. Rescues are frequently and chronically understaffed, so everyone “pitches in” wherever the need is greatest. Also, some dogs arrive in heartbreakingly poor shape, with conditions that mostly do not exist in the West anymore, and not all of them can be saved. When my friends and family found out I was going to be volunteering with dogs in Bali, their first response was, “uh oh, you’re bound to be coming back with a dog.” They need not have worried, as the Balinese government has banned all animals from coming into or, more stringently, leaving Bali, ostensibly due to rabies prevention. I did fantasize about slipping one or more into my suitcase, though! There was Pinkie, who never failed to stick her snout under my arm for more pats; sweet Muzzie, who was incontinent and missing a hind leg due to a bad traffic accident, but loved people and was always in search of attention; shy Yogi, so named for walking around on her two front legs in a perpetual yogic arm-balance (she had also been hit by a car--you can see her amazing “walk” here; big Willie, who had been hit on the head with a hammer and was dog-aggressive but constantly wanting human interaction, and so many more.
One day toward the end of my stay, I was there when Ebony came back from a day in the field, bringing with her two new arrivals. One was a filthy little terrier who was basically feral and had to be tranquilized in order to treat him. The other was a little bald puppy who yelped with terror when she was transferred from her transportation kennel to her crate in the clinic. She was dirty and exhausted, and almost immediately fell asleep with her rump hanging into her full food bowl. I got to name her, and I picked “Wendy” in honor of my own beloved vet, Dr. Wendy Knight at City Paws Animal Hospital, who generously sent a large number of medical donations with me to take to Bali. By the time I left about three days later, Wendy was perking up and already looked much better. It was hard to leave her, but I knew she was in the best of hands. Dog-loving friends of mine here at home asked me how I could possibly stand being surrounded by all the canine suffering in Bali. My answer is that it was very hard in some ways, but volunteering at BARC helped tremendously. Seeing how dedicated they are to caring for these dogs, and their amazing before and after pictures of the dogs they’ve rescued, made it all worth it. How to Help As with any rescue group, all of the Bali-based nonprofits rely on donations, and financial donations are always welcome. These groups have other needs too, though, and regularly post “wish lists” for tourists coming to Bali. BAWA wish list; BARC wish list. What they suggest is that tourists make use of the extra-generous luggage allowances for long-haul flights (mine was two 50-lb checked suitcases for free), fill as much available space as they have with donations, and then have plenty of room in their luggage to bring back purchases from the trip. This worked out really well for me. If you’re going to Bali, or know someone who is, I suggest doing the same. (It’s really cost-prohibitive to ship in-kind donations to Bali, especially from the U.S.) One specific need I discovered—for some reason it’s not listed on any of the “wish lists,” but it’s very real—is for digital cameras. The rescue groups frequently need to document conditions they see, and they also do field work in areas outside of Bali, such as Lombok and the Gili Islands, where they need to show folks back in Ubud what they’re dealing with. If you have a used digital camera, no matter how simple or “obsolete,” BARC and BAWA could really use it! CDR is now running a used camera drive to benefit BAWA, so you can bring your used camera to City Dogs Daycare at 1832 18th St. NW. CDR will forward all donations to BAWA’s administrative office in NYC, which will then send them on to Bali. These groups are also in desperate need of fosters in Bali for the animals they rescue. This was always the case, but since the closure of BAWA’s clinic the situation has become acute. Obviously, this won’t be an option if you’re coming very short-term or staying in a hotel, but if you (or anyone you know) live in Bali or are planning to stay longer (even as little as a month), you could really help out and save a life by agreeing to provide a home to one or more dogs until they can be adopted out. Elizabeth can be reached at eetheran@ gmail.com UPDATE: Digital Camera Drive to Benefit Bali Dog Rescues
As you may remember, CDR launched a used digital camera drive this winter to benefit dog rescue groups working in Bali, where many dogs suffer tremendously on a daily basis and the need is really critical. CDR sent the first shipments of digital cameras to BAWA and BARC this past month, along with a donation of spare collars and leashes for BAWA (also desperately needed). Today, CDR received the following e-mail update from BAWA: Our US office received the cameras and leads, collars and so on and is sending them on to us in Bali gradually to avoid Customs problems. We received the first camera last week and it was such an exciting day at the office with our people being genuinely amazed and so very grateful for your generosity and thoughtfulness. Now, everyone wants to be a photographer ... and that's great! Apart from the very practical use to which we can put the cameras, just the first one has been an incredible boost to morale with people saying: Someone in the US sent this to BAWA ... Wow! I really can't describe the impact. The leads etc are also wonderful for our needs right now. We were unbelievably touched. Your donations do make a BIG difference! Please continue to bring or send in any unused digital cameras you have lying around the house, and we will continue to send them to Bali. Thanks for your support! By Amy McLean, CDR volunteer
"Can you make a phone call for me?" The chat window from Meredith Raimondi, a director of City Dogs Rescue (CDR), popped up on my screen one January day. A few months prior I had adopted two dogs through CDR and I was hoping to get more involved with the organization. I’ve always had a soft spot for animals. I had tried to volunteer at other animal welfare organizations in the past, but things got in the way or I didn't feel like I was doing anything substantial. CDR was a newer rescue group on the DC scene. I liked their story and the way they embraced social media to help network and rescue dogs at risk of being euthanized in high-kill shelters. I always knew the plight of shelter dogs in America was a major problem. I’d encouraged friends and family members to adopt from shelters instead of buying dogs. But as I followed CDR more closely, I really started to learn the extent of the problem. A staggering number of animals are dying unnecessary deaths every single day in overcrowded and underfunded animal shelters across the country. So, I decided to do something about it. Little did I know when I picked up the phone that January day to call the Smyth County Animal Shelter about a beautiful redtick coonhound named Missy that I was starting on an amazing journey to help change the lives of so many animals, fall in love with the spirit of a community that refuses to give up hope for the well being of their local animals, and find a purpose that fulfilled me in a way that I desperately needed. Smyth County, Virginia is located in the southwestern part of the state, about six hours away from Washington, D.C. It is a beautiful, rural part of the country that has mountains, forests, and a tight-knit community. Unfortunately, it also has a pet overpopulation problem. Too many dogs and cats run free without being spayed or neutered. The stray animal population multiplies exponentially with every new litter, and many strays end up in the local shelter. The animals that are taken in or dropped off are typically unvaccinated and full of viruses, fleas and intestinal parasites that spread like wildfire in the enclosed shelter environment. People drop off loads of un-wanted puppies at the shelter door. Some even ask if they can take other, “cuter” puppies on their way out to which they will quickly get their answer, "We don't have an exchange program!" For years this shelter was a hopeless place. Animals that are brought into the shelter only have a little over a week to be reclaimed, sometimes less if they aren’t wearing a collar. If no one comes to claim them, they are euthanized to make space for the never-ending stream of incoming dogs. Animals that are surrendered to the shelter aren’t required to be held for any period of time. That’s the dirty little secret that anyone considering dumping their dog at the shelter needs to know: they are often killed first simply because the shelter needs to make room and they know no one is out there looking for that dog. That needs to be said to everyone who drops their animal at a shelter and seriously thinks, “Oh, our Fido will definitely be adopted…he’s cute and such a good dog.” Dogs of all breeds, every mix imaginable, and all sizes are killed to make room for more. Around the time we began contacting the Smyth County Animal Shelter to see if CDR could work with them on rescuing some of their dogs, a change was happening in the local community. Animal Control Officer Kristy Moore and her friend, Jenny Lewis, began photographing the animals and posting them on a Facebook page they created. Local volunteer Jennifer Reedy began showing up at the shelter on a regular basis and snapping photos and videos from her smartphone and posting them on the Smyth Shelter Friends Facebook page. And a community both local and virtual began sharing the dogs. Inquiring. Networking. Calling. Boostrap pulling and Facebook networking. Adopting. Rescuing. It started slowly at first, but the seed had been planted, and hope started to grow. The shelter staff was eager and willing to work with our rescue…unfortunately that’s not always the case with other shelters we’ve encountered. I began talking to Sherri Henderson, a shelter attendant, basically every day. She and the kind-hearted Linda Bridgeman keep us posted on who is new, who is urgent and who would be good for our organization to take. And they care for the dogs and give them love while they are in that scary, scary place. We also began working with dedicated members of the Smyth County Humane Society. Volunteers Pam Howell and Julie Reimer helped me get dogs from the animal shelter (who does not have an in-house vet) to the Smyth County Animal Hospital nearby. Together we stared a fledgling foster program that has now grown from one or two people to a handful of homes that are willing to foster dogs for a few weeks until we are able to transport them to the DC area. “Fostering” for members of the community in the past had typically involved saving a dog from the shelter and being stuck with it due the lack of demand for local adoptions. Many foster dogs just never left and became permanent members of the family. We have a plan for the dogs, we won’t take a dog without one, and we pay for vetting and loan fosters supplies (like leashes, collars and crates). Dedicated fosters such as Robin and Brady Meadows and Scott and Angi Burnop have fostered dog after dog for us since we got involved in the community. Local businesses, such as Rufflections Pet Grooming, have even taken in dogs for a few weeks until our next transport date. And more amazing fosters have recently joined our foster program, like Rhonda Snider and Liz Makosky. We hope it continues to grow. Our dogs are transported to DC every few weeks, more often than not, by the amazing Julie Tankersley and her 86-year-old Dad, Bob. Our partnership with the Smyth County Animal Hospital has also been essential. We couldn’t do without the quality of medical care and support they give our organization. Dr. Halsey, his wife, Autumn, their veterinary assistant, Sonya Sauls, and many others are constantly running over to the shelter for us to pick up dogs that we are able to rescue. They have sponsored the vetting and boarding for a number of our dogs. And they’ve helped us through some very difficult medical cases that have popped up along the way. Since we began working with the Smyth County Animal Shelter, (along with other rescues) we’ve helped significantly reduce the euthanasia rate. We alone have pulled more than 80 dogs from the shelter this year. And as I was thinking about what I would say in this blog post last week, I received one of the best emails I’ve ever gotten in my life. It was from the Chief Animal Control Officer, Bill Turman, and it said: “Hope you’re doing well and I really appreciate what you’re doing for my shelter. I came in today to do my monthly report early while I could be left alone to do it. When I got to the euthanasia log sheets for the dogs I couldn't find any! That’s because we didn't euthanize any dogs and I just didn't realize it. That really stunned me as that has never happened in 27 years. Thanks to your rescue and all the others. Thank you.” A miracle. One time, for one whole month, no dogs died unnecessary deaths at this one shelter. But the work is far from over. If we turn our backs for a second — if we stop rolling up our sleeves and rolling out our social media campaigns to raise funds and find fosters and adopters — we’re back to square one. So we will keep working in honor of all the dogs we’ve saved, and for all the ones who will need us in the future. If you think the problem is too big for any one person or one organization to make a difference, I hope we changed your mind. We hope you enjoyed the video and the story behind our relationship with the good people of Smyth County. If you’d like to help our efforts in any way, please consider volunteering by contacting CDR or donating to our efforts. A sizeable part of rescuing dogs is placing them in warm, loving homes. Outreach on Facebook and the main City Dogs Rescue website are critical to enriching lives of both, the dogs we rescue and the families we adopt to. A giant step in that process is making sure our dogs have good photos to attract the attention they deserve. And our volunteer photographers do a smashing job of helping us see these pups in all their adorable-ness. From photographing intakes, adoption events, and individual photo shoots at foster homes, our volunteer photographers add tremendous value to the work we do. Not all of our photographers have made their careers in taking photos. We have graphic designers, professors, and even marketing executives. What they all have in common is a passion for helping rescue animals. Volunteer photographer, Hannele Lahti says, “I think a dog knows when they’ve been rescued. They just do. My goal as a photographer is to help find them good, loving homes as quickly as possible.” Rescue dogs, as you can imagine, have not had the easiest lives and when a simple photograph shows them to be optimistic, engaging and ready to love again, it makes any adopter eager to take a rescue dog home. Volunteer photographer Metta Chaphiv says that rescue dogs are one of her favorite subjects to photograph because there are always a wide range of personalities to capture, especially at adoption events. “It’s a joy of mine to see meaningful interactions between potential adopters and these pups because they’ve been through so much.” What keeps these photographers coming back for more is, of course, the sheer amount of FUN that each photo shoot offers. Some photographers may not be allowed to have dogs where they live and in doing service to City Dogs Rescue, they get their canine fix. Others find joy in meeting foster parents and listening to their stories of their foster dog. Volunteer photographer Kristin Horgen says, “If I’m photographing a dog in a foster home, I meet the dog at the foster’s house. It’s always something different! After we’re done, they will thank me for taking the pictures. In my mind, however, they are the ones putting in the hard work.” Each dog has his or her quirks and it’s always fun for a photographer to identify them and capture them. Kristin says, “Some dogs are really timid, some are immediate love bugs. It’s an exciting challenge to figure out how to best photograph a dog and make sure that their bright personalities shine through.” Volunteer photographer Emily Chow says her favorite part of her average photo shoot with a rescue dog is simply getting to hang out with the cutest dogs around. An interesting part of the photo shoot is how a dog might respond to a camera. Some stick their noses right in, others ignore it, and some even shy away. Hannele says her favorite part of photographing rescue dogs is that moment when the dog decides it’s okay to trust her by putting his/her head on her lap, shoulder, or even camera. Another interesting part of photographing rescue dogs, especially knowing them immediately after rescuing, is seeing how far they’ve come after being adopted. Kristin recently had that opportunity with a litter of terrier puppies. She went to their foster’s house to take photos while they were still puppies and adoptable. A few months later, she photographed their reunion. “I think they were 6-8 weeks old when I first saw them. It was non-stop puppy cuteness. And it was so sweet to see their personalities already developing. A few months later, I got to photograph their litter reunion, their mom included. It was wild to see them as little adults with even bigger personalities!” Each photographer has that one unforgettable photo shoot. For Kristin, it was her very first shoot with the Rescue. She had never photographed a rescue dog before and her first pup was a plot hound who was “unbelievably shy and timid. She had such a worried look on her face, she’d just come to the big city after all. She was all sweetness, I felt really privileged to play some small part in the process of her being adopted.” Metta’s most memorable photo shoot was of Baloo, formerly known as Brock. Baloo is a three-legged boxer mix who Metta met at an adoption event. “Despite having only three legs, that didn’t seem to deter his spirit and overall playfulness. When I volunteer to photograph these pups, I think of my own dog, Henry, and how these photos may help a CDR pup find their way into a loving home.” Emily too, has photographed many sweet dogs but one in particular sticks out for her. “Adele (fka Sonic) takes the cake. I knelt down to start taking photos of her and she ran towards the lens like most of the dogs usually do, but she didn’t stop there. She leaned into me and started to nuzzle until I lost my balance. It made my day.” Hannele recently photographed our holiday cards for us and she says that her photo shoot with Maddie is her favorite. “I had followed Maddie’s story last spring so I was excited to meet her and her family, Carlyn and Pat. The photo shoot went really well as dog shoots go. I call it controlled chaos. Pat and Carlyn worked really hard at keeping her attention with cheese treats and toys. Ultimately though, Maddie decided when Maddie was done. In mid-shoot, she walked over to my dog’s bed with her stuffed crocodile and my dog’s bumble bee. It was over. Modeling is hard work, they say. I think Maddie would agree.”
City Dogs Rescue (CDR) in Washington, DC was incorporated as a nonprofit just barely 2 years ago in September 2011. The past month has been a whirlwind of dog rescuing activity. With your help, we have rescued over 500 dogs from over-crowded shelters since 2011. As an all volunteer organization, everyone’s role is critical to our success. Nearly everyone who volunteers with CDR works a full time job outside of the countless hours they dedicate to rescuing dogs. We'd like to share with you some of the highlights from this amazing month! June and 14 Puppies are RescuedJune the beautiful hound was abandoned in WV. A kind foster took her in for CDR and while she noted that she was very sweet, something did not seem right. We scheduled her spay and learned that June was very pregnant. We made the decision to keep the puppies. On Halloween, June gave birth. 14 puppies later, here we are! Thank you Carlyn and Pat who will foster when they come to DC! Thanks to Shannon and Claudia of WV who are taking good care of them until they are ready to come to Washington. Toby is AdoptedLong timer Toby was adopted by his foster mom Lyn. After coming from the shelter terrified of all people, he now has a life of chihuahua sibling love ahead of him. Toby seemed to have a shell that would not break, but Lyn's commitment slowly brought him out and he is finally starting to begin to trust humans again. CDR's First Dog of FlightThank you to the Davies Family for flying our dogs Cassie, Caleb, and Maxine to DC from Smyth County, VA! Scott also flew down to North Carolina the same week to bring back two other dogs for CDR. 50 Adoption vests for 500 AdoptionsThanks to many generous donors, we completed our order of 50 customized "Adopt Me" vests! The vests should arrive in 2 weeks. Due to the expansion of the number of dogs we have taken in, we had run out of vests. We will now have replenished stock. These vests help our dogs get adopted quickly. Baci is AdoptedOn Pitbull Awareness Day, the ever-charming Baci was adopted! She is a DC girl and very happy to be an ambassador for pit bulls everywhere. All 8 Floyd Hound Puppies are ReunitedEarly in 2013, 8 hound puppies were saved from Floyd County, VA. All 8 of them have found wonderful homes and enjoyed a play date! The Brady Logan Bunch of WV are RescuedCarol, a recent mother, and a Treeing Walker Coonhound, was dumped at the shelter because she was too quiet to hunt. The female pups were left at the shelter with their mom because it was assumed they wouldn't be great hunters either. The Jarrett family of Maryland took them all in as fosters and now they are looking for their forever homes in Washington, DC. Joe and Libi are AdoptedTwo Senior Owner Surrenders RescuedLucky the Cocker Spaniel and Ursa the Chocolate Lab/Retriever mix were dropped off at the shelter this week. Both are 9 years old and they could have been put to sleep at any time. November is "Adopt a Senior" month and instead they were ditched and left to die. They are both reported to be house-broken. They are good with kids, people and other dogs. They are friendly, affectionate, treat motivated and love to play. They were kept both indoors and outdoors -- usually tied up when outside. The owners said their landlord wouldn't allow pets so, sadly, they were abandoned at the shelter. Both come to DC on the 22nd of November to find their forever homes. Lucky will be fostered by Amy McLean. Ursa still needs a foster. CDR Joins the Combined Federal CampaignThis year City Dogs Rescue (#22223) is a participating charity under the Combined Federal Campaign and employees of the agencies below can contribute to CDR right through their paychecks. If you are a federal employee who is interested in helping us spread the word about CDR's participation, please join our Facebook group. We have over $5,000 pledged to help CDR in 2014! Teddy is AdoptedOur sweet pal and senior dog Teddy was adopted by Amanda, friend of CDR supporters Gaby and Julie. Karin was a great foster for this happy guy who loves his car rides! Lucy Goosey FKA Leigh is AdoptedLucy Goosey FKA Leigha is one happy girl! Julie and Brandon who adopted Stella had been fostering Lucy from the same litter. They decided to officially keep the sisters together forever. Congratulations Lucy, Stella, Brandon and Julie! This is one very happy foster fail story. CDR Earns Over $4,000 in Vet Care at Friendship Hospital for Animals from Pies!Buying a pie can help dogs and people. Really. How, you ask? Buy your pie here: http://bit.ly/pies4pups and for every pie City Dogs Rescue sells for Food & Friends, it will receive over $20 in free vet services at Friendship Hospital for Animals! You can help 2 local charities at once - City Dogs Rescue and Food & Friends. Pies can be picked up at various locations throughout metro DC. Dieting? Live out-of-town? Don't like pie? No problem - you can have your pie donated to a Food & Friends client for their Thanksgiving meal. Who knew so much good could come from pies? Thank you to everyone who bought a pie! Over 70 Dogs Attend City Dogs Rescue's 2nd Annual Alumni ReunionBarktoberfest Raises $4,000 for Rescue Dogs to help pay for medical care.Thank you for making this PossibleCDR is a family and everyone has helped make all of these amazing success stories possible. There are so many people behind the scenes working hard everyday. We are so proud to have such a wonderful network and no challenge seems too big. To all of you have donated, fostered, or even shared a photo on your Facebook page, you have made a difference. There are so many people that each play an integral role in the process. So many names come to mind and this post doesn't begin to unearth the successes of the last month let alone the past two years. These are just some of the many reasons everyday we are reminded why we rescue and why we never give up. This November, on behalf of CDR, we would like to give thanks to all of you who have volunteered to help rescue and improve the lives of hundreds of deserving dogs. |
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November 2023
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