More and more animals need help
Dear friends – it’s been an especially difficult year for all of us. As we do our best to get back to some semblance of normalcy what I’m seeing in shelters across rural NC is truly heartbreaking. These small rural shelters, most of which struggle with resources to help animals in need during normal times, are literally overrun with dogs and cats being surrendered or picked up by animal control. I’m seeing more animals than ever that need help, and the grim truth is that more dogs and cats are being euthanized than any of us would ever want. I know this is very hard to think about and the local shelter and animal control resources are doing all they can to help, but they are fighting an uphill battle given the overpopulation issues we are experiencing, and the lack of resources we have all struggled with due to the pandemic.
We are just starting to be able to do some events that we hope will help in the future, but the truth is that our financial resources are not meeting the demand. Due to the pandemic, and not being able to fundraise as we normally would, has meant that we have been hit harder with fewer donations. This, combined with having more dogs than ever needing our help, means that we must make really tough decisions every single week about dogs we can and can’t take in.Â
The good news, and yes there is good news, is that we have a lot of people who are stepping up to foster, an incredibly dedicated team of volunteers and adoption counselors and a lot of help from veterinarians and others in the animal community willing to help. What we need are the funds to cover the medications, heartworm treatments, dentals, and surgical procedures that all the dogs we have, and want to bring in, will need.
Cruelty Case Rescues – the Chihuahuas
Just last week we were asked to help with a cruelty case situation in Wayne County and on Friday we took in 27 chihuahuas that were thankfully relinquished by their previous owner.
These sweet little dogs have lived outside their whole lives and never had vet care. It will cost a minimum of $500 for each dog ($13k+ in total) for their basic care, and that’s before heartworm treatments, dentals, or any other medical care they may need after their vet evaluations.
Meet Mini – another cruelty case
Mini is another example of a dog we took in recently that desperately needed our help.
Mini was found on a chain, emaciated and trying to protect her babies from vultures that were way too close for comfort. We will spare you the picture as it’s horrible to even think about, let alone see it, but thankfully we were able to get her out of that situation as quickly as we could.
Mini is now in our program, has gained weight and is doing better overall but she is likely heartworm positive and will need a sponsor for her spay once she has weened her puppies. The cost for her initial medical care will be a minimum of $1,000 but could be more.
Sincerely, no donation amount is too small right now!
$5, $25 or $500 we need it all!
