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!