Now out of the cold and one step closer to new homes.

By Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends Staff

In an unparalleled act of teamwork, representatives of Best Friends Animal Society, The Humane Society of the United States, United Animal Nations, the Nevada Humane Society, and Yerington Animal Shelter worked together to round up and transport 56 of the remaining dogs out Gabbs, Nevada.

Since May 2007, the dogs have continued to live in isolation after their caretaker had passed away, leaving 145 dogs without arrangements. While similar situations often end in tragedy, the love and commitment of many people allowed this rescue to happen. Best Friends Animal Help Specialist, Liz Finch states, “One thing making a huge difference was the ‘invisible partner,’ because the problem in these cases is there is generally no time.” His continued loan of the facilities and financial backing, along with the dedication of the deceased caretaker’s niece and nephew, Linda and Shane Bailey, kept the dogs safe for many months as small groups were adopted or rescued.

However, things began to get precarious for the dogs as winter hit. Rains caused some of the pens to turn swampy and the cold required feeding double rations to the dogs to keep their energy up. Their hay bale houses were being eaten by the neighbor’s roaming cattle and horses and the fencing was beginning to come loose, so some dogs started to escape. One dog that had managed to run off was suspected to have been killed by coyotes. Quick action was now required, if all the dogs were to be saved.

The doggy wrangler round-up
Rescue partners formulated a plan where all the dogs would be transported out of Gabbs; the more social ones would be moved to Northern California and the less socialized ones to Reno, Nevada.

(The team putting together crates)

Rescue participants caravanned to the ranch early Wednesday morning and thanks to so many helpful hands, they made easy work of putting together the many needed crates. If all had gone as easy as their first dog, when Pearl practically walked into her kennel, the team would have been out and on their way in just a couple hours. Unfortunately, the subsequent captures generally did not progress with as much ease.

While the majority of the dogs were confined to runs, some were free roaming and had to either be live trapped or lured into a pen. Arnie was one of the dogs, who according to Finch said, “Frequently liberated himself and visited the girls.” In fact, he was the father of the litter of malnourished puppies rescued in December.

(Arnie getting captured by Michelle Besmehn and John Garcia)

How would our resourceful team capture the cunning Casanova? With the assistance of the ladies of course. His favorite females were caught, crated, and left in the run. In addition, a trail of chicken jerky was placed outside the pen leading in, with the door left tantalizingly open. The bachelor at large took the bait and was successfully confined as they gate swung shut. Then the experienced dog handlers stepped in and Arnie was successfully captured and crated.

Three crafty females, Pinny, Shy Shy Girl, and Polly made themselves very difficult to catch. They crawled deep into an underground den. Impossible to reach from ground level, Best Friends employees John Garcia and Ann Allums outwitted them by climbing in the hole, head first, armed with a catch pole. Only their feet could be seen by the others, yet they still managed to secure the three renegades.

(Ann Allums, crawling into the den, to retrieve Shy Shy Girl.)

“It was really a team effort,” states Michelle Besmehn, Best Friends Dog Care Manager. Though there was no typical scenario, often one person would use a cable lead like a lasso to capture a running dog. While that person held the canine, a second person would bring a crate over, while a third person helped nudge the dog in. Despite their fear, none of the dogs were aggressive. Though mouthed, not one person received a bite that broke the skin.

Methodically, the team moved from pen to pen, capturing dogs for hours. The weather started to turn overcast and the temperature began dropping, yet they continued on. Fortunately, some of the most social dogs were saved until the end. In several of those cases, all that was needed was to throw some bits of hot dog into a kennel and they went straight in. These easy victories were needed for our team of weary and mud-covered wranglers. That afternoon, 56 dogs were captured. That was all of the dogs, with the exception of Eddy, who had escaped previously and run off. He is not forgotten and they will continue to attempt to capture this last holdout.

“The overall collaborative effort to get these dogs to a better place was definitely a rewarding experience,” comments Besmehn. “It’s the kind of situation where you get in there and can really make a difference.”

(John Garcia catching Pinny.)

Paul Bruce from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) had a system of collars to identify each dog by name and number. With the assistance of Linda and Shane Bailey and Kris Brown of the Yerington Animal Shelter, canine personality profiles were provided, so that they could be divided into two groups. The 29, who were deemed most social, were to be transported by the HSUS to the various shelters in the Bay Area in California, while the 27 ones who needed some extra exposure to people were to be housed in the former Washoe County shelter in Reno.

The truck was loaded with its precious cargo and on its way early that evening. “Leaving the ranch with all the dogs was an exceptional experience knowing that they would never need to spend another cold, lonely night in the desert,” says Shannon Asquith of United Animal Nations. “In the end, you feel so good because you’ve done something so life altering for them.”

(Loading the truck)

Despite their 4:00 AM start, HSUS workers Jeff Eyre’s and Curt Ransom’s workdays were far from over. It took a few hours to get to Reno to drop off the first group of dogs. However, inclement weather had forced an alternate and longer return route to California, so they did not arrive back to the Bay area until 7:00 AM the following day. There the dogs were transferred to Contra Costa County Animal Services, the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA, the Sacramento SPCA, and the Solano County SPCA, where they are available for adoption. Pearl, otherwise known as “Dog #1” (since she was the first catch of the day), has already made herself comfortable in a home and has discovered that sleeping on a couch is far superior to a bed of mud.

“The way that all these diverse groups have come together has been truly heartening and a wonderful experience,” said Bruce. “This whole thing could not have happened without all our groups pulling together on this because the location and weather have really made this a Herculean effort.”

"It ain't over until it's over" – Yogi Berra
However, just because the dogs have been removed from the Gabbs ranch, does not mean that the rescue effort is now complete. “Even though the dogs are safe and no longer in such a dire situation, they still need people to step forward, take them into their homes, and give them a place to live permanently,” says Finch. “These dogs still need homes.”

27 of the least socialized dogs are living in the former Washoe County shelter used by the Nevada Humane Society. This temporary home is now known as “Camp Reno.” “They are so scared, some of them can’t even look at you,” says Bruce who slept on the floor in front of the kennels, to make sure the dogs were okay in their new surroundings. His concerns were unfounded, as most were too frightened that first night to even venture out of their crates.

Now they remain in the capable hands of Asquith and United Animal Nations, who have committed to providing the staff to care for them for the next four weeks as a halfway house for the dogs, until additional shelters and rescues can be found.

(Betty on her way to a new start at life.)

Asquith’s voice trembles as she tells of the capture of Felix, one of the 27 at “Camp Reno.” He had been housed in a pen with an alpha dog, who was not allowing Felix to eat. “When he finally got in the crate, he was so skinny,” says Asquith. “I can’t imagine being out there being healthy, but being out there that skinny, in the cold, with a bully…” While he is still scared, Felix is now eating and receiving plenty of blankets for warmth.

“We will start with small baby steps,” says Asquith. As they adjust to their new surroundings, after a traumatic capture and transport, volunteers will sit outside the kennels, talk to the dogs, and give them treats. Though the crates have remained in their kennels, the lids have now all been removed. That way the lower portion still provides some comfort, but can no longer be used as a cave. As the dogs adjust, the volunteers will join them in their kennels for additional socialization. Michelle Besmehn, Best Friends Dog Care Manager, has offered to do some phone consultations, and Janell Mattheies, a volunteer with the City of Sacramento Shelter, experienced with behavior evaluations and socializing fosters, has offered to help.

The team will continue to take it one day at a time, but it is hoped that with the eventual capture of Eddy, and the transfer of the 27 timid dogs to shelters and rescues, that all these dogs will soon be on the road to new homes.

How you can help:
• Remember, just because the dogs have been moved, does not mean that this effort is complete. Shelters or rescues are still needed to take in the 27 Reno dogs. Those that have already been taken in by shelters or rescues still need foster or forever homes.
• Support organizations like Best Friends Animal Society , The Humane Society of the United States, United Animal Nations, Yerington Animal Shelter, the Nevada Humane Society, Contra Costa County Animal Services, the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA, the Sacramento SPCA, the Solano County SPCA, Dog Town Canine Rescue, Cirrus Ranch, Yerington Animal Protection Society, and El Dorado County Animal Control, who have all helped during various times during this monumental rescue operation.

For more information:
• Shannon Asquith’s United Animal Nations blog about the dogs at “Camp Reno”
• 27 most behaviorally challenged dogs now in Reno

Photo credits: taken by Gary Kalpakoff, Best Friends Animal Society Photographer.
Group Shot: (back row, left to right) Curt Ransom, Paul Bruce, David Pyle, Shannon Asquith, Linda Bailey, Jeff Eyre; (middle row, left to right) Shane Bailey, Ann Allums, Liz Finch, Michelle Besmehn, John Garcia; (front row) Kris L. Brown

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