A no-kill rescue in Jackson, CARA (Community Animal Rescue & Adoption), recently acquired a litter of 6-week old puppies. Someone dumped them helplessly at the shelter in horrible condition.
They were covered in bites from fire ants and fleas. Their breed is some sort of beautiful lab mix. (Like many dogs dumped at shelters in the south)
Even though the shelter is full to the max, they couldn’t turn away the eight puppies. It wasn’t their choice to be born, neglected, and then dumped.
“Imagine being 5 months old, beginning life on the ground, which consisted of being eaten by fire ants and fleas for the first 6 weeks of your life, then being turned into a shelter, hopeful that there is more to life than what you’ve experienced thus far. The months pass by, and you still sit in said shelter, still wondering ‘Is this why I was born?’ Growing up in a shelter is like prison for a puppy. And their crime? You guessed it… Their family tree. Doesn’t matter that they didn’t get to choose their family, doesn’t matter that they are just as beautiful, sweet and good as other puppies. They sit because they are a perceived mix of breeds that no one wants. And their mom is a Lab… A spayed one these days.”
All of the shelters are overwhelmed, and Mississippians need to step up. They need to spay and neuter their dogs, stop breeding, and go to shelters to adopt, foster a dog, and even donate dog food or other supplies to shelters. People need to realize that a dog thrives inside of a home, not chained to a doghouse in all kinds of weather as some sort of guard for the house. Dogs have so much love to give.
CARA Director Valerie Hicks said,
“Too many Mississippians see these precious souls as yard dogs, protection dogs, chained dogs. We desperately want to see them in homes… good, responsible, loving homes. Homes with good vet histories. Homes that will commit to them for life, not return them or try to give them away when they’re a year old and no longer the cute puppy they thought they wanted. The only pups harder to place than puppies of their mix, are adults of their mix. So it needs to be lifetime commitments. They deserve it.”
Just because they don’t have a paper attached to them showing who their parents are, doesn’t make them any less deserving of a home.
If you are interested in bringing one of these puppies to your home, please fill out an application online. For the animal you’re interested in, you can write “The Litter of Eight”.
Instead of being being a part of the problem, or just not doing anything, please consider sharing to help network these sweet souls. They deserve a home, not a life in a shelter. Please consider fostering for a local shelter to alleviate the weight these shelter directors, volunteers, and workers carry every single day. Please lovingly call out your neighbor when you see their dog chained up. Offer a helping hand, bring them dog food, be a voice for the babies who can’t speak up for themselves.
