Noah’s Hope: Mission Accomplished
This week we’re celebrating the finish of a big rescue that has taken us months to complete. On December 2 of last year, we received a call from a FedEx driver. He had delivered a package to a small town near Sioux City, and he couldn’t believe what he saw in the yard. Eleven adult dogs were all living outside in the cold with only one small doghouse for shelter. To make matters even worse, two of the females had newborn puppies that they were trying to keep safe in holes they dug. One pup was dead, and an adult dog was carrying another pup away.
We visited the home the next morning and found that the dogs’ owners were very cooperative. They hadn’t intended to end up with so many dogs. They had neglected to spay and neuter the first two, and the problem snowballed. Counting the live pups, we found 20 dogs on the property.
The owners wanted us to gather all of them up and take them to safety, but we are a small, foster-based rescue. We didn’t have homes for this many dogs all at once, and so we were forced to do triage, taking the puppies, the mama dog, and the weakest adults first.
We reached out to our partner rescues in neighboring states and they were able to take about half of the dogs. The others went into our foster homes as space became available. Because these dogs had lived for the most part without human contact, they were unsocialized and untrained. Some were worse than others, merely based on the personality of the dog, but all of the foster homes that took them have definite behavioral problems to work through. With patience and love, they are turning these wild creatures into well-adjusted pets.
We’re happy to report that after multiple trips to this residence, all of the dogs have gone on to happier lives. Twelve have been adopted, and the rest are being rehabilitated.
If there’s a lesson to be learned in all of this, it’s the importance of spaying and neutering pets. When money is in short supply, it’s an expense that is easy to put off, but if you do, this is an extreme example of what can happen. Check around for low-cost spay-neuter programs. Based on your income, Noah’s Hope and the other shelters in town often have funds to help with the cost. We raise money every year at our Spay-ghetti Dinner to help people sterilize their pets. Call us!
Noah’s Hope Animal Rescue (and Thrift Store)
2601 Myrtle St.
Sioux City, IA 51103
712-253-8394
Visit our Facebook page or website for more information:
https://www.facebook.com/NoahsHopeAnimalRescue
Noah’s Hope Animal Rescue is an all-volunteer, 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. We rescue the underdogs: the old, the sick and injured, the used-up by breeders, the forsaken and misunderstood. We nurse them, bring them back from the brink, and give them another chance. We believe they make the very best pets because somehow, they understand and are grateful.
About the Author
Noah's Hope -- Barbara Gross Barbara Gross is a writer, filmmaker, and volunteer for Noah's Hope Animal Rescue.
Related Posts
Animal rescuers follow their hearts to help furry friends →
Noah’s Hope Featured Pets: Still Available for Adoption →
Noah’s Hope Featured Pet: Nacho – ADOPTED! →
