The lone canine holdout now has a roof over his head at “Camp Reno.”
By Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends Staff At long last, Eddie, the one dog who evaded capture in late January when representatives from
Best Friends Animal Society,
The Humane Society of the United States,
United Animal Nations, the
Nevada Humane Society, and
Yerington Animal Shelter collaborated in an effort to catch and transport all the dogs from the ranch in Gabbs, Nevada, has been caught.
It took the team all day to capture 56 dogs who were then driven to rescue organizations in California or “Camp Reno.” However, there was one clever boy who managed to evade all the professional dog wranglers, the now infamous Eddie. In the ensuing weeks, he remained at the ranch being fed and living in one of the hay bale houses. Unfortunately, each time someone would approach the kennel to attempt to close the gate, out he ran. In all likelihood, he was laughing the whole time.
(
The team looks into the distant desert at the end of the day, unsuccessfully “willing” Eddie into the live trap, taken by Gary Kalpakoff of Best Friends Animal Society.)
However, his actual capture was somewhat anticlimactic when success came on Sunday. Kris Brown of Yerington Animal Shelter arrived at the ranch in Gabbs with a live trap. Though Eddie was accepting treats from Ray the Ranch Manager, he would not get too close. So along with Linda and Shane Bailey (the niece and nephew of the former caretaker who passed away last May leaving 145 dogs), they loaded the trap with chicken and cat food and stepped away to take a tour of the remaining hay houses. 45 minutes later, they returned to find him safely secured. For fear they would lose him again, they moved the trap into an enclosed run, prior to transferring him into a kennel for transport to “Camp Reno.” Brown emotionally notes, “It’s hard to accept that it’s all over now and that
everybody is out safe.”
According to Janell Matthies,
Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) volunteer with the
United Animal Nations (UAN) at “Camp Reno,” “When he first got here he was happy and social and coming right up to us at the fence. We were really surprised. I expected him to be shut down, but he is one of the more social ones.” Though he is eating and allowing her to pet him, he has backtracked slightly, as is typical with the dogs as they overcome the trauma of the move.
(
Eddie is rolled to his new kennel at “Camp Reno” by EARS volunteer Janell Matthies, courtesy of United Animal Nations.)
“It kind of seems like the ones that got out [of their pens at Gabbs] and were the hardest to catch are the smartest dogs and are the ones that tend to come around most quickly,” comments Matthies. “Like Sister Maggie Margaret, she was one who was real hard to catch and then she’s one of the first that accepted our attention. So I have the feeling that he’s going to go the same way. He’s already letting us touch him, he’s eating, he’s pooping, and he’s being a normal dog. So I think that he’s going to come around quickly.
For now it is most important that Eddie and the few dogs who are unspoken for are soon transferred to reputable shelters and rescues. These are the final days for “Camp Reno” and the Gabbs dogs all deserve the opportunity to find their forever homes.
“These dogs have been through a lot, they are coming around, and they are doing amazing,” says Matthies. “They are all so docile. We have put them through utter trauma, and none of them have bit, none of them have turned aggressive, none of them have done anything. They are an amazing group of dogs.”
(
Eddie being transferred from the live trap to a kennel, courtesy of Kris Brown of Yerington Animal Shelter.)
UPDATE 2/20/08: The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe has taken not only Eddie, but also
Kumquat. In fact, they arrived at the new shelter last night, courtesy of Janell Matthies.
Nanette Cronk, Animal Programs Manager of The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe, remembered both dogs when she was at the ranch in Gabbs earlier in January. At that time, the Truckee-Tahoe shelter took in four Gabbs dogs; Spot (now renamed
Sundance), Bye (now renamed
Cassidy),
Ace, and a no-name dog who they dubbed
Gabi. Already Ace has been adopted and Gabi is in a foster home and is expected to be adopted within the week.
(
Photo of Kumquat while at Gabbs, courtesy of Nanette Cronk of The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe.)
As Cronk says, “We’re having some success with these guys.” So much so, they decided to take both Kumquat and Eddie, making a total of six dogs from Gabbs. This number is even more amazing based on the fact that the shelter itself is only able to house nine dogs. “We’re a very small shelter, but we have a very active group of volunteers and they have big hearts for these dogs.”
Because of the Gabbs dogs, the shelter has been receiving more interest in both adoptions and volunteers. One volunteer, who had committed to helping at the shelter every other Monday, has been coming every afternoon to visit with her Gabbs pals. Others, who had not assisted in a while, have been returning to help these special rescues. In fact, last night the volunteers were lined up to watch the arrival of Eddie and Kumquat.
“Eddie has already popped out of his crate and has been exploring,” laughs Cronk. Kumquat, the shyer of the two, was still hiding in her crate last night, not surprising based on the long car ride.
Thanks so much for finding the room in your shelter and hearts for six Gabbs dogs, including the wily Eddie.
How you can help:• Eddie and the few shyest remaining Gabbs dogs are temporarily being cared for by
United Animal Nations in Reno, Nevada through February 20. Shelters or rescues are desperately needed to take these dogs in to their foster and adoption programs.
• If you have the ability to take one or more dogs, please call Shannon Asquith at 916-216-3677 or Paul Bruce at 916-344-1710 today.
For more information: •
Shannon Asquith’s blog on “Camp Reno”•
From Hay Bales to HomesUnited Animal Nations (UAN)PO Box 188890
Sacramento, CA 95818
Phone: 916-429-2457
The Humane Society of Truckee-TahoePO Box 9041
Truckee, California 96162
Phone: 530-587-5948
Photo credits: lead photo of Eddie at “Camp Reno” courtesy of United Animal Nations.