We have added a VIDEOS page to our website... it contains graphic videos detailing the reasons that we do what we do. There are videos about gassing, and about puppy mills and puppy auctions. We have recently started working with a shelter that receives puppy mill rescues, and we have fallen fast for these pups. Marissa and Meghan have personally done a trip down to PA to check out some of the puppy mills there, and brought back some wonderful pups that were going to be shot if they didn't take them. Having seen the horrors first hand, we have decided to throw ourselves into this new cause. We have not forgotten about our dogs that are gassed, we feel we can have a dual purpose ;-)

We also added a Meet HSO page to our website... take a look at that, you can see pictures of us, and learn who we really are!

We've had some great adoptions, and saved a ton of dogs in February. As always, thanks to our adopters, fosters, and sponsors... without you all, we wouldn't be able to do this!! Thanks again!

Update 2/1/09

Well, the Care2 contest is over. We placed Number 21 in the nation. It's a far cry from our number 3 place we had earlier in the contest, but even to place in the top 30 is something to brag about. Thank you to everyone who voted for us and passed the word on!

Update 1/25/09

Another one of those amazing things I found on craigslist...
Written for those who foster
Melissa sat on the floor, unable to sit straight and tall like her mother had always admonished her to do when she was a child. Today, it would be impossible. And tomorrow... it probably wouldn't be possible then either. Her mind was too busy thinking about the dog that lay across her lap.

When he came to be with her, he had no name. She remembered that day very well. The first sight of him was enough to break her heart into little pieces.

The woman, who had taken this dog from the rough streets where he had lived, had tried to save him because she was unable to watch this young dog find his own food in a dumpster outside the crack house where he lived. Nobody cared that he was gone.

His fur was very thick; so thick that she had to wiggle her fingers down to feel his bony body. And as she pulled her fingers away again, they were coated in old dirt. Black and white, he was supposed to be. But on that day he was beige and dust.

He sat in the back of her car panting continuously, ears laid outward for he had lost his courage and couldn't keep them proud and tall. He sat motionless, waiting and limp.

But the thing that was the most disturbing was the look in his eyes. They were quiet eyes, sunken into his head - and they watched her. They were alive with thought. He was waiting for her to do something "to" him.

Little did he know at the time that, instead, she would "give" something to him. She gave him one of the little broken pieces of her heart.

She reached out to stroke his head and he instinctively squinched his eyes shut and dropped his head, waiting for the heavy hand. With that little bit of movement she gave him another one of the broken pieces of her heart.

She took him home and gave him a bath. She toweled him dry and brushed some order back into his coat. For that, he was grateful and even though his own heart was loaded with worms, he accepted yet another piece of her heart, for it would help to heal his own.

"Would you like some water, big boy?" She whispered to him as she set down a large bowl of cold well water. He drank it up happily. He had been dehydrated for a long time and she knew it would take him most of the week to re-hydrate.

He wanted more water - but it was gone. Ah... that's how it is, he thought to himself. But he was grateful for what he had been able to get. "Would you like some more?" and she gave him another bowl along with another little piece of her heart.

"I know that you are hungry. You don't have to find your own food anymore. Here's a big bowl of good food for you. I've added some warm water and a little piece of my heart."

Over the four months that he stayed with her, his health improved. The heart full of worms was replaced piece by piece with little bits of her loving heart. And each little piece worked a very special kind of magic.

When the warmth of love and gentle caresses are added, the little broken pieces knit together again and heal the container it resides in. That container becomes whole again.

She watched each little broken piece fill a gap in the gentle dog until his quiet eyes radiated the light from the little pieces. You see, kind words gently spoken turn the little pieces into illumination for the spirit that resides within.
He rested beside her, happy to be with her always. Never had he known such kindness, such gentle caresses; such love. His health had returned, his spirit was playful as a young dog's should be and he had learned about love.

Now his heart was full. The healing was complete. It was time to go. There was another person who had another heart that was meant to be shared with him.

So she sat shapeless on the floor because all the broken pieces of her heart were with the dog. It is difficult to sit tall when your heart is not with you. She wrapped her arms around the dog that sat with tall, proud ears for her. Lean on me, he said.

And she gave him one last thing that would keep him strong; that would keep the pieces of her heart together long after he had gone on to live his new life. She gave him her tears and bound them to the pieces with a simple statement made from the ribbons of her heart.

"I love you, Joe." And Joe lived happily ever after.

Melissa sat on the floor, straight and tall like her mother had always admonished her to do when she was a child. Today, it would be possible. And tomorrow... it probably would be possible too. Because her mind was busy thinking about this, the next dog that lay across her lap.

Where did she get the heart to help yet another dog, you ask? Ahhh... it came with the dog. They always bring a little bit of heart with them. And when the rescuer breathes in that little bit of heart, it quickly grows and fills the void left by the last dog.

Update 1/23/09

This is part shameless plug, part rescue business. Marissa has entered her adorable dog Reba in the Bissel MVP photo contest. The winner gets $10,000 donated to the shelter of their choice. So, if Reba wins, HSO gets the $10,000. So. VOTE FOR REBA!

Wouldn't it be nice for an elderly, blind puppymill survivor to win this national contest!! Thank you Friends of Homeless Animals for knowing Reba was worth saving! As everyone can tell from her photo, Reba's beauty generates from within.

Update: 1/13/09

Someone posted this on craigslist, and I just had to put it here. Although, the dogs that are put down in the shelters that we work with are not euthanized this humanely...



Of course WE all know- it's EXACTLY why we do
this day after day.

In sorrow and in joy....but it's those that don't that
NEED to hear this.

NEED to see it firsthand at a shelter the fear in these
dogs...

The dying hope as each day passes..SPREAD this in the pet stores,
shops, salons, coworker emails, family emails, friends...educate....let's
pray that 2009 spares more live than the 11 million killed this year...


A Letter from a Shelter Manager:

I think our society needs a huge " Wake-up" call.

As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you all. ..a view from the inside if you will.

First off, all of you breeders/ sellers should be made to work in the "back" of an animal shelter for just one day.

Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost, confused eyes, you
would change your mind about breeding and selling to people you don't even
know. That puppy you just sold will most likely end up in my shelter when
it's not a cute little puppy anymore.

So how would you feel if you knew that there 's about a 90% chance that
dog will never walk out of the shelter it is going to be dumped at?
Purebred or not! About 50% of all of the dogs that are "owner surrenders"
or "strays" that come into my shelter are purebred dogs.


The most common excuses I hear are;

"We are moving and we can't take our dog (or cat).
" Really? Where are you moving too that doesn't allow pets and why did you
choose that place instead of a petfriendly home?

Or they say "The dog got bigger than we thought it would".
How big did you think a German Shepherd would get?

"We don't have time for her".
Really? I work a 10- 12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs!

" She' s tearing up our yard".
How about making her a part of your family?

They always tell me: "We just don't want to have to stress about finding a
place for her we know she'll get adopted, she' s a good dog."

Odds are your pet won't get adopted & how stressful do you think being in
a shelter is? Well, let me tell you, your pet has 72 hours to find a new
family from the moment you drop it off. Sometimes a little longer if the
shelter isn't full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy. If it
sniffles, it dies.

Your pet will be confined to a small run/kennel in a room with about 25
other barking or crying animals. It will have to relieve itself where it
eats and sleeps.

It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that
abandoned it.

If your pet is lucky , I will have enough volunteers in that day to take
him/her for a walk. If I don't, your pet won't get any attention besides
having a bowl of food slid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out
of its pen with a high-powered hose.

If your dog is big, black or any of the " Bully " breeds (pit bull, rotti
e, mastiff, etc) it was pretty much dead when you walked it through the
front door. Those dogs just don't get adopted.

It doesn't matter how 'sweet' or 'well behaved' they are.

If your dog doesn't get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is
full, it will be destroyed.

If the shelter isn't full and your dog is good enough, and of a desirable
enough breed it may get a stay of execution, but not for long.

Most dogs get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed
for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this
environment.

If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles chances are it will get
kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be destroyed
because shelters just don't have the funds to pay for even a $100
treatment.



Here's a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed
a perfectly healthy, scared animal being "put- down".


First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash.

They always look like they think they are going for a walk- happy, wagging
their tails.

Until, hey get to "The Room" , every one of them freak out and put the
brakes on when we get to the door. It must smell like death or they can
feel the sad souls that are left in there, it's strange, but it happens
with every one of them.

Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vet techs depending
on the size and how freaked out they are.

Then a euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process.

They will find a vein in the front leg and inject a
lethal dose of the "pink stuff".

Hopefully your pet doesn't panic from being restrained and jerk.

I've seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the
resulting blood and been deafened by the yelps and screams.

They all don't just "go to sleep", sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp
for air and defecate on themselves .

When it all ends, your pets corpse will be stacked
like firewood in a large freezer in the back with all of the other animals
that were killed waiting to be picked up like garbage.

What happens next?
Cremated? Taken to the dump? Rendered into pet food? You'll never know and
it probably won't even cross your mind.

It was just an animal and you can always buy another one, right? I hope
that those of you that have read this are bawling your eyes out and can't
get the pictures out of your head I deal with everyday on the way home
from work.

I hate my job, I hate that it exists & I hate
that it will always be there unless you people make some changes and
realize that the lives you are affecting go much further than the pets you
dump at a shelter.

Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters and only
you can stop it. I do my best to save every life I can but rescues are
always full, and there are more animals coming in everyday than there are
homes.

My point to all of this: DON'T BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER PETS DIE!

Hate me if you want to. The truth hurts and reality is what it is.

I just hope I maybe changed one persons mind about breeding their dog,
taking their loving pet to a shelter, or buying a dog.

I hope that someone will walk into my shelter and say "I saw this and it
made me want to adopt." THAT WOULD MAKE IT WORTH IT!

Update: 12/12/08

I forgot to mention yesterday... WE HAVE A NEW STORE!! Please click HERE to go to the new store, all of our merchandise is there and can be ordered straight from that page. Thank you! We have sweatshirts, hoodies, t-shirts, track suits, mouse pads, postcards, bumper stickers, magnets, dog shirts... you name it, we have it, and it's all got our name on it! Please buy something and help promote us!

Update: 12/11/08

So! We've had a busy week! We've been pushing our contest hard, and we're up to fifth place. We were bouncing between third and fourth place for a day or two, but now we're down to fifth again. PLEASE push the contest if you can! This $10,000 would help us so much. We even had an article written about us in the Warwick Beacon, about the contest!!

A Forgotten Dog's Christmas

Twas the nite before Christmas
when all thru the house

Not a creature was stirring
not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In hopes that St. Nick soon would be there.

The children all nestled all snug in their beds
With no thought of the dog filling their head.

And mamma in her kerchief and I in my cap
Knew the dog was cold, but didn't care about that.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash
Figuring the dog was free of his chain and into the trash.

The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
gave the luster of mid-day to objects below.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But Santa Clause with eyes full of tears.

He unchained the dog once so lively and quick
Last year's Christmas present now painfully sick.

More rapid than eagles he called the dog's name
and the dog ran to him despite all his pain.

Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer and Vixen
On Comet on Cupid on Donner and Blitzen.

To the top of the porch to the top of the wall
Let's find this dog a home where he will be loved by all.

I knew in an instant there would be no gifts this year
For Santa had made one thing quite clear.

The gift of a dog is not just for the season
We had gotten the dog for all the wrong reasons.

In our haste to think of the kids a gift
There was one important thing we missed

A dog should be family, and cared for the same
You don't give a gift, then put it on a chain.

And I heard him explain as he rode out of site,
"You weren't given a gift, you were given a life."

Update: 12/3/08

Please help us win $10,000! After all Help Save One has gone through in the past year it would be incredible if we could win the Care2 contest via Adopt a Pet. The grand prize is $10,000 and we would be named "America's Favorite Shelter".....imagine that. That $10,000 could save so many lives and it would get our name out there as well and draw in so much attention to these dogs and their plight. Everyday I get emails asking if that video on our website (www.helpsaveone.org) is real and if some states really still gas. Help Save One needs a voice and getting our name out on a national level would certainly help. We are true advocates of these dogs and dedicate our lives to this cause. No matter what controversy, obstacles, or hardships arise we will never give up on these dogs.

Please send this link to everyone you know. Its super easy to vote, just click on the banner below and enter your info. If you have adopted from us please try to upload a photo of your dog. I know it may seem like a longshot but I look at our website that launched just 5 months ago and it has 70,000 hits and that is with the website being hacked a month into it launching.

Thank you for all the support!!!

I also saw this, and simply HAD to post it. It was just too precious.

*K-9 Rescue Barbie*

This Christmas season, give the latest, hottest new Barbie -- K-9 Rescue Barbie. She comes with her own Ford Aerostar van, and various size dog crates inside. She has a cell phone that's barely working due to over use
and underpayment.

Barbie herself is decked out in jeans, grungy athletic shoes, and a t-shirt that says "Dogs are Better Than Any Other Living Thing on Earth". She comes with a road atlas of every town and state in all of North America, and a compass on the dashboard of the van. She also has a map of every McDonald's in the world.

Optional is the special Rescue Dog Barbie laptop computer with the names and addresses of every other dog rescue person on earth, in case she gets somewhere and a contact fails to show up.

Running buddy, "Lucky", the three-legged, blind Shih Tzu doll is available for an additional $ 49.95.

For $89.95, you can complete the set with "Pissed off husband at home, Ken," and the various foster dogs at $ 20 each.

Prices for accessories are:

Fake snow falling on Barbie's van: $12.95
Flat tire for Barbie's van: (see Barbie's Road Service")
Barbie's First Aid Kit: (human): $11.75, (canine): $69.50
Barbie's Speeding Ticket: $95 (Mississippi--$195)
Barbie's coat-that-she-had-to-buy-in-Minnesota: $85
Barbie's Vet Bill for Lucky in Vaughn, New Mexico: $63.45
Barbie's contact, Rhonda, who she had to give gas money to in Mesa Verde, Texas: $20.
Barbie's bill to get her contact, Luis, out of jail in Bakersfield, California: $500.
Barbie's bill to get Luis's dogs out of the pound in Bakersfield, California: $265.
Barbie's hotel/kennel bill in Laughlin, Nevada, while she waits for her contact:$532.
Barbie's overalls that she has to buy while in Minden, Nebraska, hunting down lost coonhounds: $49.95
Pizza for Barbie's suspicious looking hitch-hiker with sick puppy: $15
Vet bill for hitch-hikers sick puppy in Des Moines, Iowa: $143.29
Barbie's doggie wheelchair for "Klause" the rescue dachshund in Leavenworth, Kansas: $143.
And Barbie's van detailing/fumigation from hauling parvo/kennel cough puppies: $187.
Barbie's resume to get new job when she gets home from run: $29.95

And let us not forget her sister doll - Cat Rescue Barbie, who comes with the same equipment, (substitute "cat" for "dog"), also:

Folding ladder in vehicle: $129.95
Have-a-heart trap: $29.95
Cans of tuna for baiting trap: $11.95
Long handled fishing net: $39.95
Case of Simple Solution: $259.95
Black light (to detect cat urine): $29.95
Tee shirt that says "The More I Know About Men, The More I Love My Cat": $19.95
Running buddy "Jeep" - 3-legged tailless cat named after vehicle that claimed her missing appendages: $89.95
Vet bill for Jeep: $397.95
Friend Edith, 87-year-old feral colony feeder, who calls begging favors when her arthritis acts up and she can't get out: $59.95
Food for Edith's colony cats (after all, Edith is on Social Security): $139.95
Friend Margie, do-gooder with pristine home and one spoiled cat, whose idea  of being a rescuer is to pick up strays and take them to Barbie for rehab, vetting, fostering, and placement: $89.95
Vet bills for Margie's rescues: $892.95
Mother Sadie, who calls weekly to ask Barbie when she is going to get rid of all those smelly cats and give her some grandchildren already: $89.95 (telephone extra)
Shrink who talks Barbie out of killing above-mentioned persons each week: $500

Vet who makes house calls and doesn't blink at unannounced visits and odd-hour consultations: *priceless*

Update: 11/21/08

We're taking off next week, the week of Thanksgiving, to give ourselves a week off. We've saved many dogs in the last few weeks! Please check out our success page, which was just updated with 6 new stories. We also have quite a few young pups on the site this week. Please check them all out, and as always, thanks for all your help!

Christmas puppy: why you shouldn't get one By Jon Katz

Christmas morning. Jimmy and Susie rush down the stairs in their pj's and shriek with delight. Santa has finally yielded to their incessant requests: A sweet, wriggling puppy is waiting for them beneath the tree, adorable in his big red bow. It's love at first sight. The puppy slurps the kids' faces then curls up on their laps. The children beam. The camcorder rolls.

This could be a mess.

Even if your kids don't pester you all year for a dog, which they probably did, TV ad campaigns and treacly movies will make sure you can picture how lovely it would be to bring a puppy home for the holidays. Don't succumb.

Why is a Christmas dog a mistake?

First, because no animal should be a surprise. The arrival of a dog changes a household considerably—for years. Someone has to take responsibility for their daily needs—feeding, exercise, health care, grooming. The decision should be thought about, talked about, negotiated. A new dog, not necessarily a puppy, either, should be the result of a process, not an impulse.

Kids can be unreliable; kids change. The puppy melts their hearts for a few days or weeks. But then it needs to be walked every day (in the rain). It needs careful attention to its feeding and eliminating if it's going to be housebroken effectively. It needs to be taught not to jump on Grandma. The kids oohing and aahing under the tree will soon move on to IMing and texting their friends. Few children outside of 4-H programs and Future Farmers of America want to be tied down to conscientious animal care, and their parents are often no more enthusiastic. Reality will soon supersede the Christmas morning fantasy.

The bigger problem with the Christmas pup is that good dogs are usually unavailable for holiday giving. Hardly any ethical dog provider will support the idea of a dog as a surprise present. Good breeders have carefully constructed breeding programs that are rarely tied to the idea of seasonal gifts, unless arrangements have been made with people they know well far in advance. Breeders don't want their dogs to end up in households where nobody understands the work involved in raising them. Experienced rescue group volunteers and shelter workers hate the whole idea of the Christmas dog because they know many of those dogs will be coming back to them.

The dogs that are readily available at Christmas are the kind you probably don't want. Puppy mills grind out thousands of puppies to meet holiday demand. They're the dogs you find in pet stores and malls—cute as puppies but often inbred, poorly socialized, and more prone to genetic health problems like allergies or bad hips or to behavioral difficulties like compulsive barking or chewing.

For Christmas, get the kid an Xbox 360, or an iPod. They'll love it and use it. You don't have to clean up after it, and if they lose interest, you won't have to walk it in the middle of a snowstorm.

If you and your family really want a dog, choose it carefully, and take your time. Get one from a reputable breeder, an experienced rescue group, or an established animal shelter. Ask lots of questions about the dog; expect the breeder or staff to ask you a lot, too. If they don't, be wary. A store clerk or amateur breeder who simply hands you a dog in exchange for your credit card is not your friend. Experienced dog people know the dogs they sell and the people they are selling them to. And don't worry if the dog comes to you in April instead of on Christmas morning. It will be just as adorable without the tree and the bow.

Jon Katz is the author of Katz on Dogs: A Commonsense Guide to Choosing, Training, and Living with Dogs. He can be reached at jdkat3@aol.com.

Update: 11/14/08

I rescued a human today.

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life. She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.

A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

Update: 11/3/08

We've made a few more changes to the site, nothing big. We also have added a ton of urgent dogs this week, so please check them out. Last week we saved a bunch of dogs, dogs that we thought were going to be hard to adopt out... the public pulled through and we placed most of our urgent dogs from last week. We have also began to pull from new shelters, in KY and TN, and are posting their dogs. Please don't forget about the Injured Dog Fund, we still have a lot of vet bills from DJ and Limpy, and could still really use your help. Thanks everyone!

I also found this on craigslist, and felt it would be worth a post here.

Saying Goodbye Every Day
by Amy Espie

Sunday. A friend and I take our dogs for a run in the park. The late-afternoon sunlight is pure gold, and a fresh breeze rustles the tall grass. A family approaches us on the trail: a man, woman, and two small boys. They are accompanied by a large tan dog with the distended nipples of motherhood and an adorable pup who looks just like his mom. The pup pesters his mom, taking five steps for every one of hers. She patiently tolerates his rambunctiousness.

It's a heartwarming scene that totally depresses me.

What has happened to me? I love dogs. I love puppies. And yet the sight of puppies makes me sad. Every time I see or hear of a litter of kittens or pups, I also see cages full of homeless ones and the bins full of dead ones at the shelter where I work.

Monday. It's 8 PM, time to go home. I walk past the cages in the Stray Cat Room. A calico cat and her two kittens sit quietly on the shelf in their cage. The mother grooms one of the kittens. A pink card attached to the cage tells me it's time to say goodbye to these three. I feel the familiar mixture of sadness, anger, and bitterness.

A huddled gray ball of fur in an adjoining cage catches my eye. In the farthest corner of her cage, a bedraggled cat hides her head under a sheet of newspaper. I peer between the bars. "Hi, Kitty," I say softly. "Are you totally miserable? I don't blame you." I chatter on, more for my own benefit than for hers. I put some treats into her bowl and leave.

Tuesday. A small, frightened black rabbit is rescued from a cellar by one of our Humane Officers. That evening she gives birth to five babies. Four days later, when her stray period is up, the babies are injected with sodium pentobarbital. A few seconds later, they are dead. The mother is put up for adoption.

Gray Cat clings to her corner, still facing the wall. I notice that she's eaten the treats I left, which encourages me. I talk to her again. "I know it's hard to believe, but actually you're pretty lucky. Decent food, a clean litterbox, people who care about you; and, with a little luck, one special person to appreciate and adore you forever." Gray Cat is not impressed.

Wednesday. I talk to the people in my dog-training class about spaying and neutering. "Of the ten million dogs and cats who are killed every year at animal shelters in the US, nearly three million are purebreds," I explain. "And the other seven million had a purebred in their very recent past. Stand at our front counter any day of the week and you will hear the same stories again and again: 'We're moving'; 'The landlord says no'; 'He barks and the neighbors called the cops on us'; 'She messes in the house.' An expensive dog with a behavior problem is just as disposable as an all-American mutt.

"Spend a day at the shelter and you'll also hear the repertoire of reasons people give for not having their animals spayed or neutered: 'We want the children to experience the miracle of birth'; 'Neutering is unnatural'; 'It's cruel'; "I wouldn't want anyone to do it to me'; 'My cat is from champion stock'; 'We've already got homes lined up for all the babies.' But try to explain these reasons to a loving, beautiful animal (or even an ill-tempered, homely one) whose time is up, who is receiving a death sentence when his only crime is that some human let him be born instead of facing the reality of the overpopulation disaster. I've never heard a rationalization that didn't fade into nothing in the face of even one death."

On my way out, I stop at Gray Cat's cage again. "Hi, Gray C. Still memorizing that bit of wall, I see." A miracle! She turns and looks at me. Her emerald eyes size me up. Maybe I'm being too optimistic, but she seems a little less frightened, her body a shade more relaxed. "Listen," I tell her, "you've probably met some pretty unevolved humans out there. We're not all like that. Give us another chance, okay?" She blinks dubiously. This is progress.

Thursday. The animal care technicians at the shelter are the bravest people in the world. I watch them scrub kennels and clean litterboxes. I see them take a moment to play with a kitten or hold a lonely pup. I hear them calm the frightened ones with a gentle word. And every now and then I force myself to witness what they must face every day. That same dog who they cared for, petted, and talked to must finally be given the only thing we have left to offer: a gentle, respectful death. What have we come to when the best we can do is to kill them kindly?

Jim puts a leash on the Labrador retriever. She cowers in the back of the kennel, tail between her legs. He tugs on the leash. She whimpers and crouches down lower. He kneels beside her. "It's okay, pup. Don't be scared." She stops whimpering but won't move. He scoops her up in his arms and carries her to the Euthanasia Room. She's been at the shelter for two weeks. She's so frightened that all she does is lie in the corner. No one wants her. Now she will die. Carol holds her while Jim shaves a small patch of fur from her leg. She is quiet and trembling. Jim continues to talk to her. He gives her the injection. She slumps onto the table. Carol carries her body to the Chill Room and adds it to the pile.

In the Cat Room, Gray Cat is sitting in her usual corner, but she's not facing the wall today. The room is noisy. Adorable kittens fill row upon row of cages. Friendly adult cats come forward, asking for attention. I open her cage to give her a treat. "It isn't fair," I tell her. "You have every right to distrust people, but if you don't act adoptable, how can you compete with all these other cats?" I reach my hand closer to her. I touch her. She lets me! I thank her.

Friday. At home, a veterinary clinic calls me to find out if I have room for another unwanted. The owners brought a young mini-lop in to be euthanized. Why? They're moving out of state. They don't want to take the rabbit. They haven't found any friend who will take him, and they don't want "a bunch of strangers" coming to their house to see the rabbit.

When I get to work, Gray C. is not in her cage. I look everywhere. I try not to be too hopeful. I tell myself, Don't pursue it. I ignore my own good advice. I go to the Chill Room. She is there, in one of the bins, her body curled up against that of a terrier. I touch her, for the second and last time. Her body is getting cold. She is gone. I mourn her. But who will mourn the calico kitten underneath her, and the angora rabbit in the next bin? Who will mourn all ten million of them, one by one?

Update: 10/21/08

Ok! Well... We have done a total rehaul to our website. We've added pages, moved them around, and made everything look better overall, or at least that's what we think! We also lowered our adoption fee to $275, and have made the transport fee separate, a fee that must be paid directly to the driver on delivery of your dog or puppy. We had to halt pulling urgent dogs for a few weeks, as we had some dogs that urgently needed care. The vet bills from those injured dogs totaled over $8,000, and we REALLY need your donations to help pay them off. We raised some last week, but still need help. Please see our Injured Dog Fund page to help with these bills. We've also added our adoption application and foster application to our Forms and Procedure page, so they are available to anyone interested. Please feel free to email us with any questions, concerns, or comments! Adoptions@helpsaveone.org. Thanks everyone for your continued support! We couldn't do this without you!

Update: 8/26/08

More updates on the website! We have a TON of dogs posted, many of them urgent that will be put down on this Friday! Please consider helping them! We were forced to raise our adoption fees to $350 this week. We added a breakdown of our fees to the Urgent dog page, as well, so you can now see where the money goes. We also added a MEMBERSHIP page, where you can give us a monthly or yearly donation. We're very excited about this, please check out that page. We've also got a Special Needs Section, with our dogs that need some extra help. Please consider donating to them, their vet bills are well over $1000. Thanks everyone!

Update: 8/9/08

A few dogs were adopted this week, but our biggest success was how many dogs we got out of the shelter and into foster homes! As stated on the Urgent Dog Page, please do not think that because a dog is in foster care it does not need a forever home. Our foster parents can not pull dogs from the shelter, off of death row, until they move the dogs they currently have. By getting our dogs in foster care adopted, we directly open the doors to saving more dogs from the high kill shelters we work with.
    We also raised the full $400 to get the special needs puppies their medical treatment! All three of them are in foster homes, please consider adopting them!! We had a very productive week, thanks everyone!

Something Close to Our Hearts

While this is a website dedicated to rescue efforts of animals I find that most people who love animals have big hearts. This is the first time I am using this website for anything outside of animal rescue but I wanted to post this as an awareness issue.

My nephew who is very smart, beautiful, and brings our family so much joy was born with Down Syndrome. Recently a movie came out called Tropic Thunder which has disturbed many people who have disabled children. I am completely against censorship but when it is something concerning a child afflicted with a disability they have no control over I feel the need to bring it to people's attention.

Please take a moment to read this story and view the clip. I also wanted to share with you an email my sister sent me. Although she did not realize I would want to post it on this website I think she would be OK with it. Her email comes from the heart.

Story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Most people who typically use the word retarded in everyday language never feel they are making fun of anyone in particular.  I am in shock that this movie so willingly uses this word with such apparent disregard for those innocent children who are teased and ridiculed everyday on playgrounds and in school hallways.  

Down Syndrome in particular is the face of mental retardation.  Our children faces and beautiful eyes are what people call retarded.  Imagine someday....because you KNOW this day will come that Danny will come home from school and tell me that he was made fun of.  I know it's hard to imagine, and hopefully it will never happen....but deep in our hearts we know it will if movies and people continue to use this word.  Certain words about certain races have become unheard of...and when we hear a racial slur we are sickened by it.  Not the same for the word retarded......I hope someday it will be.  People need to be more sensitive in their language....because people with intellectual disabilities can hear as well as their peers.

Imagine this....fast forward 10 years.....Danny is now 13.  This movie is premiering in theatres all around the nation......and little Danny must return to school to see kids wearing Tshirts that say "Full Retard".  Those shirts are out there now.  I just thank God Danny is too small to understand. "

Article: Bringing Home Your Newly Adopted Rescue Dog

First things first: CONGRATULATIONS!!! We are all so happy that you chose to open your home and hearts to a dog in need!

The theme of this information packet is "SET YOUR DOG UP TO SUCCEED!" By understanding your new dog's behavior - you can anticipate problems and correct them calmly and as quickly as possible. Be reasonable in your expectations. We want the adoption of your new companion to be a "win-win" situation on both sides!

Before you pick up your new best friend
Since you've chosen to adopt, you've probably educated yourself about 1) behavior characteristics of the breed you have chosen and 2) changes to your current lifestyle that this new pet will cause (time set aside daily for exercise and work, like obedience).

The adoption coordinator that you worked with told you as much as is known about your new dog’s history, veterinary information, evaluations and current eating, sleeping and activity routines so that his transition into your home can be easier. Dogs need order and are extremely routine oriented. We recommend that you find out all you can about his routine - and duplicate what you can - before you start to re-orient him to the rhythms and schedules of your home. If your pet was adopted straight from the shelter, you may not want to duplicate but begin your own routine from the start.   Work out your house rules and dog-care regimen in advance among the human members of your household. Who will walk the dog first thing in the morning? Who will feed him at night? Will he be allowed on the couch or bed? Where will he sleep at night? Will he be crated?

To ensure a smooth transition, you will already have supplies (collar, ID tag, leash, food, bowls, crate and toys). If you have resident pets, make sure they are up-to-date on their shots and in general good health before bringing home your new dog. You should set up an appointment with your own vet to check out your new dog and set up an inoculation and heartworm preventive schedule, in addition to spaying or neutering if not already done.

Register for an obedience class. Don't ignore this very important step in setting yourself and your rescued companion up for success! Be dogged about finding an obedience class or trainer. There are many positive reinforcement-based dog obedience classes that teach dog manners, canine good citizenship and discipline. Try to register for a class starting about 3 to 4 weeks after your dog has come home with you. It is important that your new dog has some time to adjust to you and your home before putting him into the stimulating environment of an obedience class. Even the shortest "dog manners" course offered at your vet's will reinforce the new bond between you and your new dog, will give you a valuable face-to-face resource for questions about your dog's behavior, and will provide a powerful tool for moderating your rescue dog's less attractive behavior traits! Remember, German Shepherds need work - this is a really easy way to provide him with active, mental work that you'll approve of! The rewards are obvious - what a joy it is to have a well-mannered, trained German Shepherd companion!

New families often ask about changing the adopted dog's name. If you desire to, it is fine. Many times, the dogs are given names at random by a shelter. The dog will learn his new name if it's overused in the beginning. It is in no way traumatic to the dog to change his name.

When you arrive home...
Things to expect:
You should expect your new dog to act differently than how he did when you met him at the shelter. He will be excited, nervous and maybe tired after the trip to your house. Being routine-oriented, he may now recognize that the routine is changing yet again. He doesn't know the smells, the sounds, and importantly, the routines and rules of your house. This is very confusing.

Dogs display anxiety and nervousness by: panting, pacing, lack of eye contact, "not listening," housebreaking accidents, excessive chewing, gastric upset (vomiting, diarrhea, loose stools), crying, whining, jumpiness and barking. This is a litany of behaviors any and every dog owner dreads! As long as you understand where these behaviors originate, you can perhaps address them before they appear and deal effectively when they do! Your goal in the next weeks is to reduce the "noise & confusion in his head" and get him to relax, to be calm and show him how to be good. Despite your joy at adopting this dog (and after a few enthusiastic hugs and kisses), you should be calm and gentle and firm with him. Talk to him in a calm, low voice as you travel home - avoid playing the car radio and having too many people with you when you pick him up.

All rescue dogs go through a "honeymoon period." After the first day or so, the dog may be very quiet and extraordinarily controlled and "good." The "real" dog appears two to four weeks later - after he's mostly figured out the house rules, the schedule of the days, and the characters of his new family. At this time, he'll start testing out his position in the pack, and may "regress" to puppyhood behaviors and "bad" behavior. Be patient with him, firm in your expectations, praise him for appropriate behavior - especially when he is lying quietly and behaving himself. Don't praise for nothing constantly - the dog will learn to tune out your praise over time!

Things to Do:

LEASH YOUR DOG TO INTRODUCE HIM TO YOUR HOME!
When you first bring your new dog home, make sure you have her on a leash! Spend the first 15-30 minutes walking her outside around the perimeter of your yard or the area that you will be with her most on your property. Walk slowly - let her "lead" mostly - and let her sniff and pause if she wants to. She is getting used to the "lay of the land" and all the smells associated with her new home. She will undoubtedly relieve herself - this is her way of making herself at home by adding her mark to the smells of your home, and now her new home. Obviously you want this to happen outside! If you have a place you wish this to happen, encourage her to "get busy" in that area and praise her warmly when she does. The excitement of the move and new family will cause her to have to relieve herself more often than normal. You must be prepared to give her plenty of opportunities to do this in the beginning! Whenever the rescue dog is not confined, supervise her - set this dog up to win!

You might want to consider isolating the new dog from your resident dogs during the first entry to your home - he will appreciate safe and quiet at first as he explores your home. Crate your resident dog or have someone take him for a walk while your new dog explores.

Let the new dog explore the house - leave her on leash and make sure she's supervised AT ALL TIMES! We recommend leaving your new dog on leash in the house for the first day. Don't even leave the dog unsupervised while you answer the phone!

Once inside your house, a male may still accidentally mark a door, plant or chair when he first walks inside your home. This is out of nervousness (or he may smell another dog), so it is best to leave him on the leash indoors the first day. If he starts to lift his leg, give him a short jerk on the leash and tell him "No," that should stop him immediately and remind him of his housebreaking manners. Follow up this correction by taking him outside in case he's not just marking! Bear in mind that if he has a few accidents, it does not necessarily mean that he is not housebroken. We can't emphasize enough how much nerves and excitement can cause uncharacteristic accidents. Watch for typical pre-piddling behavior - circling, sniffing, etc. Do not scold or hit a dog for having an accident - rather, verbally get his attention, grab the leash, and take him right outside to his spot to do his business. If he does it, praise him! Once he relaxes and learns the rhythms and routines of your home, all his manners will return!

Even in a fenced yard, you'll want to leave your rescued companion on leash for the first week or so. This way, you can reinforce a recall command and help monitor pack behavior if you have other dogs. Until your new dog bonds to you and makes good eye contact, we recommend leaving him on leash.

PROVIDE QUIET TIME!
Quiet time will be important for your new dog in the first week. Because of his nervousness and anxiety, he will get worn out fast. His recent past may include a shelter stay which has worn him out with worry. Despite your excitement, try and resist inviting friends and relatives over to visit him. Give him time to get used to your immediate family and resident pets only. If the dog does not solicit play or attention from you, let him alone to sleep or establish himself. Believe it or not, we don't want you to force him to play at first!

FEED YOUR NEW DOG!
Feed your new dog twice a day; half in the morning, half at night. Ask and encourage the dog to sit before putting the bowl down. Put the food bowl down for 15 minutes. If the dog does not eat her food, pick up the bowl until the next mealtime. After a couple of days of this routing, even the most finicky of eaters will change their minds. Feeding this way you can monitor exactly how much she is eating.
If you have other dogs, feed your rescue dog away from them but at the same time. You can feed in the same room, but use opposite corners, putting the dominant dog's bowl down first. This is usually the resident dog on the first few nights - but that situation may change over time! You may want to arrange having another adult in the room for the first week of feedings to monitor the "pack behavior." Watch that each dog sticks to his own bowl. Keep vigilant over feeding time for a couple of months until the pack positions are worked out.

CONSIDER CRATING YOUR DOG!
Many of the dogs that pass through rescue have been crate trained at one time or another. Every dog needs a place to escape to, a place to call his own, and a crate provides an answer to these needs! Your new dog will have some degree of separation anxiety when you leave him for work or alone at home. Crating the dog in the beginning will eliminate accidents, chewing destruction, and other mischievous activity that is rooted in nervousness and insecurity. Your dog is safest in the crate when you are not home until you can totally trust him loose in the house. This is especially true if you have resident pets because you can't supervise their interactions when you're away or asleep! Children should be taught to leave the dog alone if he retreats to his crate. You should never use the crate for disciplining. The crate must be a dog's sanctuary for crate training to be effective. Crates are great for traveling with your dog later - the dog will always have a familiar den to retreat to and feel comfortable and reassured.
Each time your dog is confined, make sure the dog knows he's a good boy. If the dog is particularly emotional or anxious, try making good byes and hellos as unemotional & nonchalant as possible.
While crating a dog helps make everybody safe, crating should NOT be abused by locking the dog in the crate all the time. As a family member, dogs need to be with you and should be with you unless they cannot be supervised or trusted alone in the house. For instance, if you are going to shower and the dog still sometimes chews, crate him for those 15 minutes for safety, but then let him out to be with you. If the dog is crated while you are work all day - you MUST make an extra effort to let the dog "hang" with you in the house until he is reliable loose in the house.

If you prefer not to crate, make sure to set aside a safe, indestructible space in your home for your rescue dog. You may want to try using baby gates in the kitchen or hallway. Remember, you may really want to keep your dog on easy cleanup flooring at first!! If the area of confinement is too large, you may begin to have housebreaking accidents. We do not recommend the basement or garage, since your dog will not feel "part of the family" isolated away from it. If he can see and hear you, much the better. This is why wire style crates are so effective in the house.

BE PATIENT DURING THE HONEYMOON PERIOD!
There is a good chance that your rescued dog will show his insecurity by following you everywhere! This will include trying to hang with you in the bathroom, watching TV with you, getting the mail, and undoubtedly wanting to sleep with you. It is not unusual for him to whine or cry or bark if confined away from you at night - lights out at a new strange place is a stressful thing for him. If you put the crate close to your bedroom or somewhere he can see you, the problems are usually minimized. Safe chew toys in the crate at night will give him something to do if he's awake. Remember, during the first couple of weeks, the dog will probably get quite tired and worn out by the day's activities, so establishing a sleep schedule is usually not a big deal. As you wean him from the crating at night, make sure he has been well exercised - a tired dog is usually a really good dog indoors!!

ESTABLISH A ROUTINE!
Try to develop and use a consistent daily routine for feeding, exercising, and bathroom duties. Dogs are creatures of habit and routine translates into security for them. If you do the same things in the same way and in the same order, he will settle in more quickly and learn what is expected of him and when.
Let your new dog out to air and take care of business as soon as you rise in the mornings. Feed him after a short walk or romp in the yard. Give him another chance to relieve himself before you go to work. Upon return from work, immediately let the dog out for exercise and bathroom break (this is NOT the time to read the mail, make a phone call or flop yourself on the sofa!!!). If he's exercised heavily, wait 30 minutes or so before the evening feeding. He'll need another bathroom break anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours after the evening meal, depending on his age - it'll be your job to figure this out. He should get another airing right before you go to bed.

SOCIALIZE YOUR RESCUED DOG!
Rescue dogs come from a variety of backgrounds, but all dogs can do with more socialization. After your dog has time to settle in your home and is starting to look to you with confidence (2-3 weeks), start providing new socialization opportunities.

Now you can start inviting your friends and relatives over. Do introductions to new people gradually. Introductions can take the form of petting, playing fetch, even going for a walk. Do not force the dog to accept new people - do it positively, with lots of praise, allowing the dog to approach people rather than new people approaching your dog!!! Be sure to tell your visitors that your dog is new from rescue so they need to be more sensitive. Don't reach for the dog right away - let him come to them. If he does not go to the new person, that visitor should completely ignore the dog. Suggest after the dog has met/sniffed the new person that they pat the side of the dog's neck or side of the shoulder instead. Patting a dog on the top of the head is interpreted by dogs as a powerful dominance attempt and can be a challenge to some dogs, a frightening thing to others.

Start taking your dog new places - nearby parks, dog-allowed beaches - and, especially to obedience classes! The opportunity will allow you to determine how your dog responds to strange people, dogs and places.

LOVE AND ENJOY YOUR NEW DOG!!
Authority without domination.
Love without subservience.
Respect without fear.
This is an adage used by workers in GSD rescue. It is appropriate for rescued dogs, and we'd like people to think about it as they live with and train their newly rescued dogs. You do not need to frighten your dog into complying with household obedience commands, or prove to him that you are the toughest creature around by using constant brute force. You DO need to show your dog that you are the leader in the household, a leader he should put his trust in following. You can do this by "telling" your dog this in a language he understands - body language and daily habits. Respect is not something that you can force a creature into giving you.

Above all, be patient, firm and consistent with your new companion. Use positive reinforcement and lots of praise when she's good. When mistakes are made, correct her when it's happening, and praise her when she modifies her behavior. Undoubtedly you will get lots of advice - good and bad - from other dog owners! Read and research as much as you can to prepare yourself. Understand that sometimes you may need to try more than one approach to a problem because every dog is different. Most rescue and adoption coordinators will follow-up on the dogs they place. Most rescuers are backed up by dog behavior and health experts within their own local organization, so if they don't know the answer to a problem, they can ask others. Don't be afraid to ask questions, bring up new situations, and feelings of frustration that you may have! Our goal is to make sure rescue dogs never have to be uprooted again, so we are quite interested in helping you troubleshoot any problems - the sooner the better before they become big problems that threaten the placement!

Most of all be prepared to give and receive more love, affection and loyalty than you ever thought possible! Enjoy your adopted companion for many years to come and thanks again for helping us rescue!

- credit for many of these tips is due to German Shepherd Dog Rescue of New England, Inc., Labrador Retriever Rescue, Inc., and the American Kennel Club.

** The dogs we list on our website don't even have it this good when their time comes. They leave this world in a much more violent painful manner. We see many many dogs from shelters who were clearly beloved family members. Even the ones who were used as "working dogs" soak up the attention and are people lovers. It is in a dog's nature to love humans. Please give a shelter dog a chance - better yet - give a SENIOR shelter dog a chance. Older dogs are well worth it. **

When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you
laugh.
You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a
couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend.
Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask, "How
could you?" -- but then you'd relent and roll me over for a belly
rub.

My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you
were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those
nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and
secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more
perfect.

We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for
ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs"
you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come
home at the end of the day.
Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career,
and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you
patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments,
never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your
homecomings, and when you fell in love.

She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" -- still I welcomed her
into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was
happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I
shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they
smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried
that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to
another room, or to a dog crate.

Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love." As
they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and
pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes,
investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved
everything about them and their touch -- because your touch was now
so infrequent -- and I would've defended them with my life if need
be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and
secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in
the driveway.

There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that
you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories
about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed
the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and
you resented every expenditure on my behalf. Now, you have a new
career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving
to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right
decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your
only family.

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal
shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You
filled out the paperwork and said, "I know you will find a good home
for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. T hey understand
the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with "papers." You
had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar, as he
screamed, "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I
worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about
friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about
respect for all life.

You gave me a good-bye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and
politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a
deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two
nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months
ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook
their heads and asked, "How could you?"

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy
schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite
days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the
front, hoping it was you that you had changed your mind -- that this
was all a bad dream... or I hoped it would at least be someone who
cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete
with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to
their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited.

I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and
I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully
quiet room. She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told
me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to
come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had
run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her.
The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that,
the same way I knew your every mood. She gently placed a tourniquet
around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in
the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly
slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the
cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked
into her kind eyes and murmured, "How could you?"

Perhaps because she understood my dog speak, she said, "I'm so
sorry." She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to
make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or
abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself -- a place of love
and light so very different from this earthly place. And with my
last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail
that my "How could you?" was not directed at her.

It was directed at you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of you. I
will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your
life continue to show you so much loyalty.

Update: 7/27/08

We've made some SERIOUS changes to the website. First and foremost, we're now a registered non-profit organization!! This is a huge step for us. We've also added a "Spay and Neuter Fund" counter to our main page, right beneath our intro. Please consider donating to help these dogs. Along with this, we've added our "Urgent Dog Fund" counter, which is located on our Urgent Dog page. It shows exactly how much has been collected, and how many dogs have been saved. We've teamed up with Coyote's Corner and added an HSO store page, which has shirts, hats, sweatshirts, etc that you can buy straight from our site. It will be shipped right to your house, and a portion of the sales goes back to us to help these dogs. We saved a LOT of dogs last week, check out our "Success Stories" page to see their new pictures and stories. We've also posted all the new dogs that need to be saved this week, so check them out. Thank you again for everyone's support, you've all been absolutely fantastic!!

Update: 7/24/08

Update On Dogs Seized

I think at this point we all know what I am talking about but if not just read down this section to get yourself up to speed.

Let me be very clear on something:

NO DOG ON THAT TRANSPORT DIED – WHETHER IT BE FROM ILLNESS OR EUTHANISATION.

A mama and her 8 pups, 2 small black labs, a Treeing Walker Hound, and 2 Boxer puppies were the dogs seized. They all had fleas, a few had skin irritation (due to fleas), and some had been de-wormed so they still were expelling worms. Other than that the dogs are healthy and adoptable. One of the black labs is very pregnant so the RI SPCA is placing her in foster care. As quoted in an email I received from our state vet:

 "The animals that were seized by the RISPCA were done so due to the suspicion of disease".

I made the choice to claim ownership of the dogs and hand them over to the RI SPCA. We did not want them in limbo and it seemed to be the most intelligent thing to do. They will be adopted – NONE will be euthanized.

As for the ones who went back to North Carolina the transporter has kept them safe in his own home and in foster homes. The transporter is a wonderful man and he and his wife are very involved in the animal community. No one would EVER let those dogs who made it so close to their forever home ever endure going back to a kill shelter. Those dogs were going to people in New Jersey and in New Hampshire so they will be transported this week to their rightful owners.

There were a few dogs who were dropped off along the way and they are in forever homes as well.

I hope this alleviates anyone's fear on what happened to these dogs.

Dogs and Cats That Were Gassed at Bladen On Wednesday 7/16/08...
Share This With Every Animal Lover You Know

Please View The Slideshow - These Are Some of Who We Lost

My inspiration for all I do is my dog Mikey. He is photographed to the left and his love is never ending and without borders just like the love Help Save One feels for ALL dogs. We can't tell the difference between a southern dog and a RI dog. Mikey is an Ohio dog and I could care less where he came from - I am just grateful he is all mine.

Please take a moment, and look at the slideshow and concentrate on their eyes - Each and every one of them died on Wednesday via the gas chamber. There is no one to help the volunteer - no one to pull them. They depend on us and I had to fail them this week because of my own issues stemming from Saturday. Many think the worst is over. What is behind us is the easy part. This is the hard part  - watching the results of what happens when people get together and make false allegations that lead to disaster. Being portrayed negatively in some people's eyes is EASY compared to looking at the faces below. Looking into their eyes and having to say "I am sorry - No one is there for you in your time of need".

We read the latest Providence Journal article where Scott Marshall, RI State Vet and Dr. Finocchio Director of the RI SPCA was interviewed. I personally think it is a fair article. They certainly are entitled to their opinion. We do not hold the belief that every out of state dog is a slap in the face to each RI dog sitting in a shelter. No one questions everyone involved love these animals but how someone could draw a border around an animal I do not understand. A dog in need is a dog in need. I also do not agree that the means used to put a dog to sleep should not be an issue because "once a dog is dead a dog is dead" as Dr. Finocchio pointed out. I feel those moments before death should have dignity, no hurt, no pain, and they should be held by loving arms. He euthanised my elderly dog and she went with me holding her and petting her. For that I will be forever grateful to him even if I do not agree with his opinion on out of state dogs. I know Bladen wants to partner with the RI SPCA and give them puppies. Maybe puppies will bring alot of people in and more exposure to some of the older dogs sitting there. This was ruled out as I read in the article where the Director states that once every dog in RI is adopted he will accept out of state dogs. If any shelter in RI reads this please contact Bladen County if you want to take them up on their offer of puppies. So many are dropped off everyday and so many die every week in Bladen and Columbus. 

The better question here might be - why are there so many dogs languishing in RI shelters? That certainly can not be blamed on me. I am not importing thousands of dogs....not even hundreds. These are all pre-arranged adoptions and only a fraction goes to Rhode Island to thier new owners.

I think people need to start asking the question as to why we have so many dogs in our shelters. Maybe instead of coming down on someone who is trying to help dogs from a horrific fate they should be promoting the hell out of their own dogs and educating on responsible pet ownership.

I learned alot from this experience. I learned that the media does not have to report facts, that people can be extremely cruel, and some people will go to any lengths to be vindictive and nasty.

BUT

I also learned that people can be incredibly nice, supportive, and will step up and be loyal when they know you and know where your heart is. I also learned that people will not bow down and believe everything just because it may be coming from an official. In this past week I felt sorrow like I have never felt before but I also have had my faith restored in friendship, love, and the intrinsic kindness of people. Strangers, relatives, friends, and fellow rescue workers have shown such amazing support for these dogs and what we are trying to accomplish.

Help Save One is not over - we will never abandon these dogs. We will never stop advocating for them and we will never let anyone stop us from doing that. For the time being, Rhode Island will lose out on the absolute pleasure of these dogs but that does not mean we are not continuing with our efforts. This weekend we will launch our site again, pick up the pieces, and accomplish things far greater than we would had this not happen.

Please take a look at the slideshow - these are just a small fraction of the dogs and cats that were gassed this week at Bladen County Shelter. Columbus County also had a similiar massacre - without any help the dogs and cats are doomed. Ask yourself why we do not use the gas chamber for convicted rapists and child murderers but it is acceptable to use on our innocent animals. The answer is - it is NOT acceptable. It NEVER will be acceptable.

I would like to close by saying - The RI SPCA is an absolutely wonderful organization. We may not agree with every opinion that comes out of the Director's mouth but the last time I checked this is the United States and it gives us the wonderful right of being able to disagree. I may just be a 32 year old Accountant but my love for these dogs is never ending and I will speak my opinions no matter what the consequences. Don't forget the dogs below. Cindy was so close to getting out and so were many of the others. My heart still breaks for them. I keep thinking about how bad their life must of been to end up in a shelter and then to meet the end that they did will never be fair to me and it will never be right.

One more thing...I am certainly not opposed to helping in RI. If any shelter or organization would like my help please contact me at helpsaveone@gmail.com. No one is anti-RI dog - my love of dogs does not require them to have residency in any city or state.

As a final thought, I am going to compare this to a human example. Oprah Winfrey was asked once "Why do you advocate for adoption from Africa when there are plenty of children in the United States who need homes"? Her answer always stood with me.....she stated that over here we have HOPE. In Africa there is no hope. In China little girls are put in orphanages - they grow up in these places like second class citizens. A dear friend of mine is adopting his third child from China. I would never judge his choice or his motives. He simply wants to adopt from a place where it is HOPELESS. Who am I to force a certain belief or thoery on him or any other person who goes out of the country or state to adopt their child so why should people dictate where you adopt your dog? It seems this entire issue is turning into a contest when it shouldn't be. If you are a shelter worker or RI animal advocate promote your dogs! I would be HAPPY to help ---- this is not the civil war --- its not North vs South. I see dogs being exploited so some can make a point. Its not right.


I have posted the latest ProJo article for everyone to see.....I am not going to just post things that are positive to Help Save One. This reporter is a VERY stand up professional and I think she did an excellent job with both stories. Might I just remind everyone that what warranted the citation was me putting multiple dogs on the same certificate. I was not actually running a shelter - it was a clerical error on my part. Also, no one has to find these dogs homes. They all had homes and MANY of them were out of RI. They took dogs that belonged to other people who filled out applications and signed contracts and now they are not being given the first right to adopt these dogs. I signed these dogs over in good faith thinking the SPCA would work with the adoptive homes. I understand they would need to meet the RI SPCA's requirements but all of them would. They were all professional, wonderful people who so desperately wanted these dogs. Everyday I have people calling me and crying about their dogs that did not come.

Luke 23:34 comes to mind when I think about the devastation caused:

"Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

First Providence Journal Article-Dog rescues from kennel in N.C. under state scrutiny

01:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, July 15, 2008
By Barbara Polichetti

Journal Staff Writer WARWICK — The state Department of Environmental Management is looking into possible health and regulatory violations after confiscating more than 15 dogs that had been transported here from North Carolina in a rescue operation, according to state and local officials.

Warwick police officers on Saturday provided back-up for DEM enforcement officials who went to a residence on Namquid Drive to examine the dogs, which had just arrived by truck.

The DEM yesterday said the state veterinarian, Scott Marshall, has decided that no criminal charges were warranted and his office was reviewing possible regulatory violations related to the way the animals were transported, the timeliness of their rabies vaccination certificates, and whether a private shelter was being operated without a license.

According to the DEM, a few dogs were sent back to North Carolina, but the majority, including a litter of pups, have been temporarily placed with veterinary hospitals and shelters in Rhode Island.

The Warwick police said that the state agency asked for back-up in investigating reports that a rescue group had been bringing shipments of unwanted dogs from North Carolina.

Late yesterday Marissa Stracaluzi, 32, of Warwick, founder of the fledgling group Help Save One, said she became involved in out-of-state rescue work several months ago and that the hostile response she has received from other rescue groups is causing her to rethink her plans.

Stracaluzi said that some Rhode Island-based animal rescue groups were so opposed to her bringing in dogs from out of state that they accused her of importing diseased animals, notified the DEM and followed the news of Saturday’s events with death threats and rocks thrown at her van.

“I want to make it clear that I do not sell dogs out of a truck and that I do not bring in dogs that have serious diseases,” she said. “Also, the house where the transport was this past weekend is not a shelter, or a hoarder’s house.” She said the house was a dropoff point chosen that day as a location where the dogs could be given to new owners or foster homes.

Stracaluzi said her sole purpose was to rescue dogs from a small rural shelter in Bladen County, N.C., that she said destroys dogs inhumanely, administering gas to them in groups.

She said that she became aware of the fate of the dogs in February when she was looking on the Internet for a second dog to adopt. She said her dog Mikey, a one-eyed Boston terrier, is a “survivor of a puppy mill.”

Stracaluzi said that her interest in an Internet photo of a dog led her to call the shelter in Bladen County. She said she talked to an employee who said the shelter was overcrowded and that gassing was routine.

Stracaluzi, who works as a financial analyst for a firm she declined to name, said she immediate became committed to saving as many dogs as possible from Bladen County. Relying on the Internet, she said she began spreading the word.

She said she researched regulations and was assured by the shelter that all dogs had been properly vetted and were up to date on their rabies vaccinations. Noting that some of the dogs were old and had been living in crowded concrete pens at the shelter, Stracaluzi said they did not always arrive in the best condition.

“You have to remember that these dogs were coming from a rural southern shelter,” she said yesterday. “Many did have fleas. They were probably coming from one of the worst places a dog can be.”

She estimated that since February she has been able to save about 130 dogs by arranging for 9 to 10 truck trips.

Stracaluzi said she did not sell the dogs, but that she charged new owners transportation costs which went up as gasoline prices soared and ranged from $185 to $220 per dog.

She said that she is applying for nonprofit status for Help Save One. She said she has encountered hostility from animal rescue groups that oppose bringing in homeless dogs from out of state.

Many people believe that the importation hurts local rescue efforts, Stracaluzi said, but she does not agree.

“There’s a segment of the population that knows what gassing is and wants to rescue those dogs and only those dogs,” she said. “If they don’t go through me, they will go through someone else. I don’t think there should be any borders when it comes to saving a dog.”

She said she that the anger from other rescue groups and the confiscation of dogs by the DEM on Saturday has been so upsetting that she will no longer transport dogs to Rhode Island. But she said she will continue working to save the dogs of Bladen County.

“I won’t stop advocating for the dogs down there and I won’t abandon them,” she said, adding that she’s not sure exactly how her rescue efforts will work now. “I do know that I will not be bringing any more dogs into the state of Rhode Island because [opponents] have made their point.

“The one thing that I’m hoping is that something positive comes out of this in the form of an open discussion about saving dogs from out of state.”

Second Providence Journal Article

WARWICK — A local woman who arranged adoptions here of out-of-state dogs to save them from the gas chamber in a North Carolina shelter ran afoul of a state regulation, according to the Department of Environmental Management.

Marissa Stracaluzi, founder of Help Save One, an animal rescue group, has been charged with violating a regulation that requires that all pet shops and pet-releasing operations be licensed, DEM spokeswoman Gail Mastrati said yesterday. If Stracaluzi is found in violation after a hearing in District Court next month, she could be fined as much as $100.

Stracaluzi’s attempt to save dogs from the shelter in Bladen County, N.C., came to authorities’ attention last weekend when DEM officials confiscated about 15 dogs that arrived in Warwick by truck.

At the time, officials said that they were concerned about the condition of some of the animals and questioned whether all veterinary certificates and permits had been obtained.

Stracaluzi said that her only purpose was to save dogs that were living in poor conditions in a county shelter that uses inhumane gas chambers to euthanize its animals. She said she worked with a network of supporters to find homes here for the dogs.

Rhode Island animal experts said this week that such attempts to bring dogs in from states where gas chambers are used are not unusual and may be well-intended but could cause more harm than good.

“First of all there are health risks,” the state veterinarian, Scott Marshall, said yesterday. “Secondly, it just shifts the load of finding homes for the dogs from one state to another.”

Marshall said many groups or individuals who do what Help Save One was trying to do want to get the dogs to a state where even if they don’t find homes, they will be euthanized humanely. In Rhode Island, he said, dogs can be euthanized only by lethal injection.

“I think the people who do this are generally good-hearted,” he said. “But the fact is that the more dogs they find homes for, the more animals that are already in our shelters who won’t be adopted.”

Those sentiments were echoed by E.J. Finocchio, a veterinarian, and director of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

“We already have shelters here full of good dogs that have been temperament-tested and are up on all their vaccinations,” Finocchio said. “We’ve got these dogs and they’re languishing — they’re serving terms for having done nothing wrong. They do not get gassed up here, but if they can’t find homes they will be euthanized by lethal injection, and when you’re dead you’re dead.

“My question is why these people who want to rescue out-of-state dogs [don’t] join us” in saving dogs here, he said.

Finocchio said the RISPCA took custody of the 14 North Carolina dogs on Tuesday and they will be eligible for adoption after any health problems, such as fleas or skin infections, have been addressed.

Although some of the dogs had been found homes through Help Save One and potential owners might have already paid for a dog’s transport, Finocchio said no one will be given preferential treatment and that the dogs will have to be adopted in accordance with standard SPCA procedures.

Earlier this week Stracaluzi said that her efforts had sparked animosity from some local rescue groups and that she would no longer be arranging for dogs to be brought up to Rhode Island from North Carolina.

Still, she said, there are people who want to rescue dogs from areas where inhumane gas chambers are still used and she will find a way to advocate for those animals.

Marshall and Finocchio said that it is impossible to estimate how many homeless dogs are transported to Rhode Island by people who want to get them out of shelters that use gas chambers.

“It’s hundreds, possible thousands,” Marshall said, adding that one of his goals is for the state to set regulations for such rescue operations. Right now, he said, it all goes on under the radar, making it very difficult for officials to make sure that the animals’ and the public’s health is protected.

Not long ago, he said, Massachusetts banned the importing of out-of-state rescue dogs. Such bans do not prohibit one-on-one private adoption of out-of-state animals, he said.

“This is like chess in that every move has consequences.” Marshall said. “But some of these people are just approaching it like checkers in that they are playing linearly.”

Said Finocchio, “Every dog brought in from out of state is a slap in the face to the good-natured dogs already sitting in a Rhode Island shelter.

“Let’s take care of our own first,” he said. “When the shelters here are [empty] I will open my arms to other dogs that are healthy and adoptable. But I’m going to take of the dogs we have here first.”

bpoliche@projo.com

Cindy's Eyes - Her Face Shall Always Remain on This Site As a Reminder Of Those Who Did Not Make It.

Update: 7/18/08

As you know we have tried to keep everyone informed since last Saturday. We shared the good news of having the media step up and correct their inaccurate original story, we shared the good news of the nice article in the Providence Journal, we shared all the support and well wishes that continue to flood in, and we shared that we will not give up and abandon these dogs.

Well we are obligated to share the bad news too. As a result of the unfortunate events of Saturday everyone has been at a standstill these past few days. As a result Bladen County shelter gassed approx 34 dogs yesterday. Out of those 34 dogs there were puppies, young dogs, old dogs, and all of them were adoptable WONDERFUL dogs who lost their lives because of an accusation made to DEM that we bring in diseased dogs with Parvo. The DEM had to act on that suspicion. All the dogs seized from us are in good health and are available for adoption. Yes they had fleas and worms but that should not be the cause of a death sentence.

The phone call I received last night at 11PM from the Bladen volunteer telling me 'We lost 34 dogs today' is something I can't wrap my arms around. I can't grasp that 34 dogs who could of had a second chance instead had their lives snuffed out and had to endure the last moments of their life in agonizing pain, frightened, and alone in a dark black box with toxic fumes burning there eyes and throats. For what?

If you adopted a dog from us in the past go give your dog a huge hug and kiss. Had they been one of the unlucky dogs to be at Bladen after July 12th your dog would not be here.

We have been told by some of our critics that what we do is a band aid. We agree. Pulling urgent dogs is a band aid but laws take time to change. These dogs do not have the luxury of time. While we work on changing these laws that band aid is still needed. The answer is not allowing what happened yesterday.

Again, it is sad some people look at Saturday as a big check mark in their WIN column. I can't say it enough - no one won on Saturday. I do think the DEM thought they were going to stop a van full of diseased dogs. What they ended up with was 15 beautiful dogs who had some worms and fleas. All wonderful, all adoptable, and all deserving that second chance at life to just be able to to be a dog.   Please continue to show your support for this cause. Don't forget those 34 dogs.

UPDATE... NEWS CHANNEL 12 CHANGES THEIR TUNE - 7/14/08

I hope everyone just saw that. News Channel 12 aired what was basically a retract. Marissa did a great phone interview with them, and they aired the REAL story this time. Stated that the house in question was just a drop off location, there were no dogs seized from the house, she's being cited for running a rescue without a license but no criminal charges are being filed and that the only thing done wrong was the issue with more than one dog being put on a certificate. They also stated that DEM backed up Marissa's statement, that everything she said was true, and that the entire thing was blown up. Apologies can be emailed to us through any of the contact boxes on any page.

Help Save One's Press Release - 7/13/08
We're going to post this here, since there is SO MUCH controversy over this, and NO ONE knows the real story. We want to state our side of the story, and will not participate in the lies that are circulating on the internet.

The news report aired last night and tonight on News Channel 12 contained many inaccuracies and accusations that were one sided and completely without backing. As one state official said, that was their spin on it, and the news does NOT have to report facts. The media should not even have been here, and all officials present, sans one, agreed.

DEM wrote ONE citation, which was a minor infraction. We do separate health certificates for each dog that goes to a separate address. For all the dogs that come to RI, we always have a central location where everyone meets to pick up their dogs. Because of this, all the RI dogs were listed on one certificate, with each dogs name listed on that certificate. The certificate is signed off by the NC vet who checks all the dogs before they leave, gives them their shots, and clears them as healthy for transport. A single ticket was written out for this, as each certificate should have been written out to the individual RI adopter's (or foster home's) name. News Channel 12 stated that the citation was for operating a pet store without a license, but the actual citation from DEM states that it was running a rescue without a license (since all the dogs were on one certificate). There was also NO ISSUES with the vaccination records. The SPCA took some dogs into custody that they were worried about. The rest of the dogs went back onto the transport, to go back to NC (if the transporter was so inhumane, why did they give him the dogs back?) and will be safe, they are NOT being put to sleep. A few dogs were released into our care.

We feel it important to let the public know that several individuals who contacted these agencies posted our names, our home addresses, and other personal information all over the internet. As a result of this, we have received death threats, rocks thrown at our house, and most upsetting of all is the rock that went through the open window of Marissa's van and hit one of the dogs that was released to us in the head. Is this what our rescue world has come to?

We contacted DEM today because of the news story and the threats and they stated no charges were being pressed (aside from the citation written for running a rescue without a license). DEM also contacted News Channel 12 to clarify some of their inaccuracies and to inform them that their story has created a public safety issue. What transpired on the day in question was NOT A HOME RAID. The front door was never even opened. If you do not believe this, you can call any of the authorities that were here. Not a single dog was carried out of the house in question, News Channel 12 has blatantly lied about this fact. It is a BLATANT LIE. It is hard to believe that the news has to lie, and change facts to make a news story. *** UPDATE... News Channel 12 has now changed the story that is written on their website 3, count it 3 TIMES after calls from DEM, lawyers, etc. If they didn't lie, why do they keep changing the story?*** This person was lending us her yard, and the news has made her out to be the bad guy. Also, a point that is important... the news crew arrived on scene after the dogs were already unloaded from the truck. They did not see them get unloaded, therefore ASSUMED they came from the house. This is untrue. The house in question is NOT under investigation and never was. This was also never a case of cruelty against the house in question or the volunteers, the only cruelty that was questioned was how the dogs were transported. The transporter has worked 20 years in animal rescue and is the treasurer  of a non-profit organization that advocates to end the euthanasia of homeless and unwanted pets. He is extremely humane and caring. The dogs seized by the SPCA were NOT in the house, they had just come off transport. The house was NOT a hoarding house, there were no dogs in the house except for their own (which was 3 dogs).They were NOT planning to sell the dogs out of their house. News Channel 12 states that the dogs were "slated to be sold." All of these dogs already had homes or foster homes waiting for them, and every single one of them had already been paid for (more than one from our pockets). They were not SLATED to be sold, they were being adopted, the adoption fee already sent to pay for the transport, vetting, and pulling fees for the dogs.

We do NOT sell dogs, we rescue them. Any fees that were collected went towards transporting, saving, and pulling these dogs from death row. There was NO profit ever being made, we consistently lose money. The $15 extra dollars collected in the adoption fee goes to sponsoring other dogs. If you have ever sponsored a dog, we have unequivocally and without exception pulled that dog and saved it. If you ever have any questions about a sponsored dog (or anything else), please feel free to call Bladen County shelter, they can account for every dog that has been pulled by our group. You may call them at any time - 910-876-0539. The bottom line is, the state of Rhode Island does not want Southern dogs being transported into their state. As we were told several times on the day this happened, their opinion is that for every dog brought into the state, a RI dog is put down or not adopted.  We respect their opinions, and can see where they are coming from.

This was obviously an organized effort to make a point and to stop out of state rescue. We believe that every dog is precious, regardless of state borders. We love these dogs from Bladen County, all we ever wanted to do was to give them a chance and save them from a horrific death.

In closing, Help Save One appreciates all the outpouring of support from previous adopters, sponsors, and rescue leagues. Please keep in mind that the opinions expressed on the pet section of craigslist.org, that we have heard but not seen as we are NOT visiting or reading this site at all, does not represent who our support base is made up of.

Help Save One is ethical, non-political, and we love these dogs. We would never do anything to harm them or put them in danger, which is why we will never transport into the state of RI again. No one won. This wasn't a competition, everyone lost, most of all the dogs of Bladen County shelter, which will now languish on death row, with the sole volunteer at this shelter desperately trying to save at least one life, with next to no help. Our hearts are broken, and words cannot express how badly we feel for the dogs of Bladen. Any moral support is appreciated in this difficult time.

We are all adults here, and this was handled by the correct authorities. Everything is taken care of. There are certain private citizens inserting themselves into the process, spreading rumors, threatening us, and as a result of this, we have police officers stationed outside our houses for protection. This has become a gravely seriously situation because of these people. Posting threats on craigslist, spreading rumors and lies, and slander is illegal, and we have taken steps to get this taken care of. Also, the blatant lies that News Channel 12 has reported about us are being taken care of as well, by DEM as well as our lawyers.