They're here! They're here!
By Georgia Butterfield: Best Friends Network, Washington CommunityCHEHALIS, August 13, 2007: Approximately 150 people gathered in a freshly mowed field on the outskirts of Chehalis to welcome the van from Austin carrying precious cargo - 21 dogs that had been pulled from the "kill list" at a Texas shelter.
A party atmosphere prevailed. A local radio station broadcast live from the site. Animal Planet was there with camera and reporters. Local news media was also present. Children ran around, excitedly waiting for the van bringing their new puppy. The only thing missing was a marching band.
Teenagers stood by the edge of the property waving to passing cars who, upon reading the sign, gave a thumbs up, and a toot of the horn.
Friends of Lewis County Animal Shelter (FOLCAS) recently put together the plans for a no-skill shelter and low-cost spay/neuter clinic (Almost Home Adoption Center), to be built on this very site.
Suddenly, we could hear the roar of Harleys. Around the corner, ten members of the
Lewis County Abate group, the largest ABATE (American Bikers Aimed Toward Education) group in Washington appeared, proudly displaying the American flag and escorting the Texas van onto the property. The leader of the ABATE group, Terry Butler, was one of the lucky adopters. He had chosen a Chihuahua named Mona that was deemed unable because she was too timid. She seemed to warm right up to Terry. (that's his photo at the top of the page with Mona and his bike.)
Twenty-one dogs were transported to Chehalis, with 12 of them already adopted. Among the "extras": a litter of Australian Shepherd puppies that had everyone's attention. A playpen was set up in the field to let the puppies stretch their legs after the long journey. Suddenly the playpen was surrounded by children of all ages. The chances were good that all the puppies would be in homes before nightfall.
The adopters came from Oregon and Washington. They had read about the project in the local Chehalis paper, as well as the Olympian. They were able to select their dogs from
the FOLCAS website.
Ernestine Thayer arrived with her daughter to pick up their little Chihuahua Scooter. He had been deemed unadoptable because of his skin condition. Ernestine had already made an appointment with her Veterinarian to start medication for little Scooter.
Julie Brown drove in from Adna
; to pick up Little Bit, another dog deemed too timid by Texas standards. Little Bit was snuggling happily in Julie's arms as they waited for the final papers.
All the animals brought into Washington had tested negative for heartworms, something the local Veterinarians see very little of. It's prevalent in the South, however, and a real concern for adopters in that area. However, even a heartworm-positive dog can be treated and saved, stressed Mitzy Giles, a volunteer on the project.
For more information: •
Pets Across USA website•
Friends of Lewis County Animal Shelter•
The Olympian Online: Texas animals find homes in South Sound How you can help:• Make a
monetary donation to P.A.W.S. of Austin or
FOLCAS to help cover the costs associated with this and future transports.
• Adopt shelter or rescue animals, instead of buying from pet stores or breeders, to save animals locally.
• Participate in animal transports yourself. For more information, see the
Movin’ On Transport and Rescue CommunityPosted by Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends Network
Photos by Georgia Butterfield