RIVER VALLEY HUMANE SOCIETY RESCUE
DOGS CHAINED BY THE NECK AND SUFFERING
A concerned citizen contacted us requesting help involving her neighbor's chained neglected dogs in Crawford County Indiana where there is no shelter, no animal control services. According to her, calls urging help for the dogs went without response from the county. She contacted us. Once at the property we spoke with the owner and within minutes of viewing the dogs we knew immediate assistance was required. Some barrels had the door openings facing uphill resulting in water and mud flowing downhill into the barrels. Dogs did not have one inch of any dry area inside or outside the barrels.
We started dragging pieces of metal and wood out of a junk pile to lay over the tops of the mud filled barrels and busted up dog boxes the soaking wet dogs were forced to use as their only shelter. The owner agreed to let us proceed with complete rescue of the dogs. Assembling a team of experienced volunteers and purchasing bolt cutters from the local hardware store we returned to the property and began removing the dogs. Some had the chains wrapped around their necks, no collar.
In one photo a blue plastic trash can on its side the bottom covered in mud is all the dog had for shelter and is shown braced by a concrete block to keep it from rolling. We found the concrete blocks in a junk pile and put them there until as a temporary measure until we could get that dog moved. Imagine, night after night, rain and snow coming down, trying to keep dry in that trash can with it rolling around. Such cruelty. The dog watches us walking away, probably wondering if we are leaving him behind. NO WAY!
The pup in the picture was from a litter of five. The mother had been forced to live chained in a low lying flooded area of the property, where she had her puppies in a dog house with no floor. Only one puppy survived. We loaded dogs in cars, trucks and in Ann Windell's Chem Dry Van. Every chain on the property was cut from around the trees and taken. All dog boxes and barrels used by the dogs were removed by carrying or rolling them from the woods and loading them in trucks. All dogs and the puppy were removed. The dogs were offered sanctuary at a shelter in a neighboring county, with a rescue group from Wisconsin, and at homes in neighboring Harrison County.
13 dogs and one pup were rescued from literally living in mud that was inside plastic barrels and inside 'doghouses' with no floors. Rescued from living with chains wrapped around their necks. Rescued chained females who repeatedly had litters of puppies who didn't survive.
Thank you to those who helped. To the folks from Floyd County, Orange County, Harrison County, Louisville Kentucky and the Golden Retriever Rescue Group that drove all the way from Wisconsin to lend a hand and to the two folks from Crawford County who helped.
How do we prevent these horrific cases of neglect?
1) Ban the chaining of dogs everywhere.
2) Enact Laws which direct pet owners to spay and neuter their dogs and cats, if the owner does not have a valid Breeders Permit issued by their county of residence they cannot allow their dogs and cats to reproduce.
3) Enact County Government Spay Neuter Assistance Programs in every county thru which residents in each county can obtain Spay Neuter Vouchers/Coupons to use toward the cost of Spay Neuter.
4) Educate ourselves on all of the Spay Neuter Assistance options in our area. Animal advocates need to remain informed.
In Memory of our dear friend and fellow animal advocate Ann Windell, in her yellow raincoat and donating the use of her nice clean
Chem Dry van both of which were nice and muddy at the end of they day. She will be with us in spirit on every Spay Neuter Rescue project we pursue.
River Valley Humane Society Indiana is a small Midwestern USA all volunteer grassroots 501(c)3 group dedicated to Spay Neuter Rescue.
We started dragging pieces of metal and wood out of a junk pile to lay over the tops of the mud filled barrels and busted up dog boxes the soaking wet dogs were forced to use as their only shelter. The owner agreed to let us proceed with complete rescue of the dogs. Assembling a team of experienced volunteers and purchasing bolt cutters from the local hardware store we returned to the property and began removing the dogs. Some had the chains wrapped around their necks, no collar.
In one photo a blue plastic trash can on its side the bottom covered in mud is all the dog had for shelter and is shown braced by a concrete block to keep it from rolling. We found the concrete blocks in a junk pile and put them there until as a temporary measure until we could get that dog moved. Imagine, night after night, rain and snow coming down, trying to keep dry in that trash can with it rolling around. Such cruelty. The dog watches us walking away, probably wondering if we are leaving him behind. NO WAY!
The pup in the picture was from a litter of five. The mother had been forced to live chained in a low lying flooded area of the property, where she had her puppies in a dog house with no floor. Only one puppy survived. We loaded dogs in cars, trucks and in Ann Windell's Chem Dry Van. Every chain on the property was cut from around the trees and taken. All dog boxes and barrels used by the dogs were removed by carrying or rolling them from the woods and loading them in trucks. All dogs and the puppy were removed. The dogs were offered sanctuary at a shelter in a neighboring county, with a rescue group from Wisconsin, and at homes in neighboring Harrison County.
13 dogs and one pup were rescued from literally living in mud that was inside plastic barrels and inside 'doghouses' with no floors. Rescued from living with chains wrapped around their necks. Rescued chained females who repeatedly had litters of puppies who didn't survive.
Thank you to those who helped. To the folks from Floyd County, Orange County, Harrison County, Louisville Kentucky and the Golden Retriever Rescue Group that drove all the way from Wisconsin to lend a hand and to the two folks from Crawford County who helped.
How do we prevent these horrific cases of neglect?
1) Ban the chaining of dogs everywhere.
2) Enact Laws which direct pet owners to spay and neuter their dogs and cats, if the owner does not have a valid Breeders Permit issued by their county of residence they cannot allow their dogs and cats to reproduce.
3) Enact County Government Spay Neuter Assistance Programs in every county thru which residents in each county can obtain Spay Neuter Vouchers/Coupons to use toward the cost of Spay Neuter.
4) Educate ourselves on all of the Spay Neuter Assistance options in our area. Animal advocates need to remain informed.
In Memory of our dear friend and fellow animal advocate Ann Windell, in her yellow raincoat and donating the use of her nice clean
Chem Dry van both of which were nice and muddy at the end of they day. She will be with us in spirit on every Spay Neuter Rescue project we pursue.
River Valley Humane Society Indiana is a small Midwestern USA all volunteer grassroots 501(c)3 group dedicated to Spay Neuter Rescue.