On July 9th, 2016 dozens of dogs and a handful of cats completed the first step in their journey out of high kill animal shelters and into loving homes.
Starfish Animal Rescue has been collaborating with a high kill shelter in rural Kentucky since 2006, rescuing an average of 1,500 puppies and adult dogs a year. The Kentucky shelter admits on averages 200 dogs and puppies a month. This massive intake overwhelms the shelter and leads to most of the animals being euthanized when their hold period is up. This happens not because the animals are aggressive or unadoptable, but simply because there is no room or resources to keep them.
These Kentucky dogs and cats of all ages are loaded in a cargo van and prepared for the long drive to Illinois. Large crates line the floor of the van and small crates stack up from there. Long temperature control vents run from the front of the van to the back to keep the animals as comfortable as possible on this long drive. When they arrive in Batavia, IL a large group of volunteers are waiting for them.
The animals are unloaded from the van in their crates and sorted into groups by the various rescue organizations that will be picking them up. Each animal is taken out of the crate and outside to go to the bathroom and receive food and water. The volunteer assigned to that animal walks them and waits with them until the animals crate is cleaned and they are ready to be picked up by their rescue group. Many of the animals, scared and tired from the transport, are just ecstatic to see grass and feel it under their paws.
On this particular transport there was a mom dog and her puppies brought together. Most of the time puppies are surrender by themselves without either mom or dad. After being taken outside to walk around and eat the doting mom was reunited with her puppies. She looked over each pup, giving gentle nudges and kisses, making sure they where all accounted for and taken care of. This is a rare opportunity for the rescue group to show first hand the importance of spaying and neutering pets. Even though she is very caring mother and did a great job caring for her pups, we do not need her to bring even more pups into the world in the future. The most effective long term solution to the large number of animals being euthanized every year is responsible pet ownership and spay/neuter education.
Starfish and so many other rescue groups like them are working tirelessly to save these animals that have been abandoned and forgotten. For every animal that they save a live is changed forever. Not just the lives of the animals saved from the brink of death, but the lives of the families that adopt these animals and enjoy the unconditional love of a companion animal, a new member of the family.
