Freedom Day

Bladen County volunteers rescue 37 animals.

Freedom Day

By Krista Hansen, Best Friends Network

What had never before been attempted in Bladen County was successfully accomplished recently, as 37 dogs left the Bladen County Animal Control Shelter in a mass escape of a good kind. One by one, the anxious animals were loaded into airline crates and onto a cargo van for the journey to Wishbone Animal Rescue Inc. in Fort Myers, Florida. Every inch of space was filled and the shelter was nearly emptied.

“Operation Freedom” began with a dog named Carrie who found herself in the Bladen County Shelter. Carrie was posted by the local group “A Shelter Friend” on www.Bladen.Petfinder.org, as well as the new website www.dogsindanger.com Carrie’s engaging photo caught the attention of a woman from Minnesota, who asked volunteers to pull Carrie from the shelter and have the dog seen by a veterinarian at her expense. In further conversations with volunteer Silvia Kim of Bladenboro, the woman asked what kind of help was needed. Silvia - not one to turn down offers of help - told her new friend about wanting to get animals out of the shelter to a place where they could have a chance for a new life. The woman concurred and found a reputable rescue in Florida which would see that at least some of our Bladen County cast-offs were spayed or neutered, vaccinated and adopted into a loving and forever home. This generous person from Minnesota would foot the bill.

“A Shelter Friend” called on others in the animal rescue community and Angela Keith from Wilmington stepped forward to help coordinate the effort by renting the van and locating a graduate student couple from UNCW to drive. During the ensuing week human dynamo Silvia handled each dog as they first had an appointment with Dr. Midyette to receive necessary vaccinations and deworming, were given a name, and fitted with a new collar, compliments of Denise Cross and the Barking Lot.

When Ted Carter took over as Director of Animal Control last spring, positive changes were made. Ted is very willing to work with volunteers and rescue groups. He appreciates the national exposure that those in his care receive on the internet, and feels it has meant homes for many more pets than previously possible. Ted does not want to euthanize dogs and cats; he would much prefer to find them homes. The reality is, if he receives a call like he did on a recent Sunday of a child being bitten and the dog having no record of vaccinations, he has to act. That dog is aggressive and will take up a valuable pen at the shelter, leaving only 9 pens to handle the county’s needs. He will have to euthanize nice friendly, adoptable dogs if nothing is done. Thus evolved the plan by the volunteer group “A Shelter Friend” to move as many formerly unwanted pets as possible off to a better life.

Animal Control Officers Ted Carter and Jason Bryant work with several purebred rescue groups with the help of “A Shelter Friend” and the internet, but Friday’s event was notable in that every dog was eligible, regardless of pedigree. Many emaciated and abandoned hunting dogs and thrown away puppies made that trip.

The loaded van arrived safely in Fort Myers early Saturday morning and was greeted by more than a dozen volunteers. Ten very young pups, who had received special care from the drivers throughout the trip, were immediately taken to a foster home where they could be fed every hour around the clock. One fortunate hound with a severely broken leg was dispatched to a Florida veterinary specialist for surgery. He was adopted even before the surgery was completed and is to be their “poster child” for rescue.

The director of Wishbone Animal Rescue Inc. had these words for us after all had been moved into foster homes or veterinary care: “Thank you for the opportunity to save these wonderful dogs. We all love them all. They have touched so many hearts here.”

Close to 4000 companion animals enter the Bladen County Shelter each year and previously less than 15 % would make it out alive. As Operation Freedom has shown, while there may not be enough homes in Bladen County for those thrown away, there is someone, somewhere who will cherish them. “A Shelter Friend” volunteers will continue to work to end euthanasia of homeless and unwanted pets in our shelter through future transports and attacking the spay/ neuter issue.

What You Can Do:

Volunteers seeking to make a difference for the companion animals in shelters can contact “A Shelter Friend” by emailing asf@intrstar.net . Immediate needs are for computer savvy persons and legal counsel.

Abandoned pets of Bladen County can have a brighter future with your help!