The
Rescued, The Rescuers
by Kirk Diedrich
Suffering from mange and malnutrition
Reprinted
with permission from The Basenji Magazine.
Your home, if you can call it that, is a dark cell with just enough room to
stand up. When you do stand, you are ankle deep in your own filth. Food is
given, when it is given, in small handfuls. This you must share with the two
others that occupy your cramped cage. The acrid stench of ammonia permeates the
air, making it hard to breathe. You can't speak, and even if you could, the only
ones who would understand you are suffering the same plight. Oh yes, and you're
pregnant, helpless to prevent your offspring from suffering the same fate. Where
is this Hell on Earth? A WWII internment camp? A third world prison? No, this is
a puppy mill -- a puppy mill in Le Grand, California, just outside of Modesto.
Inside are 164 dogs and 30 cats.
In the early morning hours of May 17, seven law enforcement and
animal control officers descended upon a four-bedroom house owned by a husband
and wife in their sixties. They were responding to repeated complaints from
neighbors about the smell coming from the home. What was found in that house put
in motion one of the largest animal rescue efforts in recent memory.
People on the scene reported that the air inside the house was barely
breathable. Upon arrival, humans were unable to enter until the air inside was
cleared with fans. The living conditions were the worst some of the more
seasoned animal control officers had seen, and the animal control workers had to
don protective suits, boots and masks. The interior of the house was empty save
for stacks of crated animals; malnourished and ailing dogs of various breeds -
Basenjis, Bassets, Borzoi and Whippets, all forced to sleep and eat in these
small, feces-encrusted boxes.
Grass Roots Effort
The ailing puppies and dogs who were clearly not going to make it were
euthanized, while the sickly dogs were sent to area veterinarians. Those with
minor ailments like mange, upper respiratory problems due to the ammonia content
in the air, and muscular atrophy, were sent to area shelters.
News of the Le Grand Rescue spread quickly. Frantic telephone calls and e-mails
flew as forces were marshaled for what would be a demanding rescue effort.
Several breed rescue organizations immediately offered help for their specific
breeds. Basenji Rescue and Transport (BRAT) pledged to take all 33 Basenjis
being housed at the Clovis Animal Shelter. BRAT is a national, non-profit
organization of dedicated volunteers founded by President Mike Swan. The group
re-homes Basenjis in need and assists with transportation to their new home.
"It is horrifying to hear, but when you know that Basenjis are involved, it
becomes personal," said Erica Hall, 34, Portland, OR, a BRAT Director and co-chair of this rescue project along with another BRAT
volunteer. "The horror changes to a deep need to want to take action."
Horror, disbelief and outrage seemed to be the common reaction to the news.
Learning that many of the dogs were Basenjis really hit home for some.
"I truly love the breed and the thought of those Basenjis having to live in
those conditions just kills me," says Wendy Sieben, 41, Surrey, BC, Canada.
Upon arrival in Clovis, each load of dogs brought to the shelter from Merced
County was bathed and put into runs in a new facility called the Clovis Pet
Adoption Center. Though bathed, the stench from the home seemed to stay with
them. They were allowed to exercise in small groups. BRAT contacted the shelter
to get the rescue effort rolling.
Within BRAT, information was relayed via an ad hoc e-mail list devoted solely to
the rescue effort. A plan of action was formulated, and BRAT volunteers went on
alert. Over the next few days, resources and volunteers were gathered in
preparation for what was to come. The group eagerly awaited word from the court
that the judge had terminated the owner's property rights to the dogs, thus
freeing them for release to the rescue organizations for care and placement.
Once they released the dogs, Hall said of the work that followed: "That's
when we all stopped sleeping."
More than 30 volunteers from all over the West Coast jumped into action. From
Vancouver, BC to San Diego, CA to Phoenix, AZ, people pledged to transport and
foster the Basenjis. Other volunteers and groups with a special devotion to
Basenjis, such as Basenji Companions, the Basenji Club of Southeastern Wisconsin
and the Southern Nevada club, donated time, money and resources to the effort.
An eBay® auction of donated items was set up by BRAT volunteer Barbara Wellumson,
with all proceeds going to the veterinary bills and health care of the rescued
dogs.
Corporate donations of leashes, collars, food, chew toys and other necessary
items came in from Petco Animal Supplies, Inc., PETsMART™, Tia Pet Foods,
Inc., Purina Mills, Inc. and the Kong Company. People in the area and around the
country also supplemented these with private donations of supplies and funds
that totaled upwards of $5000. While that's an impressive sum, more is needed as
each of the 33 BRAT dogs will be spayed or neutered and given a clean bill of
health before they can be adopted. After the rescue, some of the Basenjis became
sick from bacterial and viral infections and required hospitalization at
significant expense.
Evaluations and Distribution
The day the judge gave the go-ahead, BRAT volunteers Janice Day and Ray Eckart
conducted and documented detailed individual evaluations of each of the Basenjis
in the Clovis shelter, completing all 33 in just one day. During the
evaluations, each dog was photographed and given a name and ID number. BRAT
invited people to suggest names for the rescues, and as a result many of these
dogs were named in memory of well-loved Basenjis who had passed on.
Once evaluated, the dogs were assigned to foster families and the
Basenji
Underground Railroad (BUR) was put into action. Basenjis were transported from
Clovis to San Francisco and north to Seattle. Jean Quay and Chuck Archer from
Medfly Brigade Basenji Rescue, a rescue organization in the Los Angeles area,
worked in tandem with BRAT, rented a van and picked up 15 shelter dogs, some of
them Basenji mixes. The dogs were driven south to meet Denise Johnson and
Chandra Coover for the Arizona leg of the BUR run; they took six dogs to their
new foster homes in the Phoenix area. Still more volunteers from the Los Angeles
area made the long trip to Clovis to pick up and deliver Basenjis to San Diego.
Getting on the Road
The plan was to distribute and transport the dogs by the weekend following the
judge's decision. Volunteers converged on the Clovis Adoption Center, a
low-slung, aluminum building, where shelter director, Terry Collins, and shelter
worker, Betty Cochran, made the daunting task of preparing 33 Basenjis for the
road look deceptively easy. Their collaboration and support was integral to the
success of the operation, as BRAT didn't have a local contact for the rescue of
the Basenjis. Betty stepped in and took care of the dogs.
"She went above and beyond," says Hall. "She was really key to
this whole operation."
Cochran was a ball of energy, chattily conversing with the people coming in to
pick up their assigned fosters. She was understanding and an utmost professional
as she set about filling out paperwork and distributing the dogs. She deftly
administered shots to departing Basenjis and gave each of them a new collar with
an identification tag and a lead. Cochran said that the dogs were initially
stressed from the move to the shelter, but they soon became acclimated.
"Once they did, the jungle noises began," said Cochran.
Donna Temple and Jackie Kuhwarth were there with their very large horse trailer.
They loaded up several dogs bound for Sacramento and parts north, the furthest
being Vancouver, BC, Canada.
The San Diego leg of one BUR run was handled by Marion Dilley, who carted three
Basenjis from Orange County, CA to San Diego and met her handoff from Clovis at
the Huntington Beach Dog Park. She is fostering one dog and delivered the other
two to Laura Stadtmore, a veterinarian in San Diego. The three girls were
tentative at the small dog park where still another hand-off took place, but
they quickly warmed to the gentle breeze and the fresh air. Grace, the skittish
little girl with the sad eyes, spent the entire time in the arms of her new
foster "mom." The dogs were miles away from their former life.
"It'll take some time," Marion said, "but they'll come
around."
A Sort of Homecoming
The foster dogs made it to their new homes and their adjustment period began
anew. The unfamiliar home environment was strange - new and clean; not what
they're accustomed to. Many of the foster homes have resident dogs already in
them. Hierarchies must be established; sleeping arrangements must be made. Some
of the dogs show signs of kennel shock. Gromit, a 30-lb. red and white fostered
with Joi Deaser, 31, Atherton, CA, would fall asleep standing up in his crate.
Betty Garcia, 69, of Magalia, CA provided overnight care and lodging for
Savannah on this little one's journey and found she would cower in any dark
place she could find. The bulk of the dogs are "human shy" and find
calm in being close to walls, even, in one case, lying facing the corner,
presumably for the comfort of familiar surroundings. The experiences of the
foster parents with their new guests are similar to what Denise Johnson has
observed with her Basenji girl.
"She was very clumsy and needed to learn to move since she had been crated
from birth. My foster dog had never felt grass below her paws. She had never
known a gentle human touch or word. She had no idea how to walk on a leash. She
did not know how to use her paws to 'hold' a treat or to even run."
Crime and Punishment
One of the suspects was booked and released after posting bail. She was given a
court hearing for June 18. The authorities reviewed the arrest report for
possible filing of felony animal cruelty charges. You see, this apparently was
not her first offense. The suspect had similar problems in two other California
counties. Animal cruelty charges were eventually filed against the couple for
the incident in Le Grand. Both were charged with eight counts of felony animal
cruelty and a misdemeanor count of animal neglect. Evidence against the couple
included proof that the accused burned the carcasses of deceased dogs. The eight
counts were lodged for the eight most seriously abused animals. Each felony
count carries a maximum of three years in prison.
The suspects could spend the next 24 years - perhaps the rest of their lives -
in prison. The dogs were imprisoned and now their alleged captors may suffer a
similar fate. The punishment fits the crime, right? Not so, say some of the
rescuers. Some involved in the rescue effort don't think that's punishment
enough. Emotions are strong about the punishment of puppy mill owners because
many involved feel this abuse is the worst kind - cruelty against a living being
that cannot protect itself.
"If they're not locked up forever, their whereabouts and crime should be
made very public so that it's more difficult for them to do it again,"
offers Rebecca S. Toupal, 43, Tucson, AZ. "I'd like to see them prevented
from ever having any animal again."
Many people echo Toupal's sentiment, while a few don't think prison will help at
all.
"I believe they should get counseling and not be allowed to own any animals
for the rest of their lives," says Demaris Brower-Douglas, 36, Half Moon
Bay, CA.
One of the suspects reportedly told county officials that at one time she used
to breed dogs for show and later boarded them. However, at the time of the raid,
she was supposedly "rescuing" them. Technically, this would make her
an animal hoarder, not a puppy mill owner. While the difference may be subtle,
in the eyes of the law, abuse is abuse; and it is punishable either way.
It took many months and several complaints for the authorities to move in this
particular case. Often, in cases where cruelty or neglect is suspected, people
seem reluctant to turn in their neighbors for fear of retribution, or for fear
of being thought of as an informant. To those hesitant to act, Hall advises:
"If something is wrong and you know it, call animal control. That's what
they're there for."
BRAT Coordinator, Xan Raskin, 29, of New York, wonders what would happen if
puppy mill owners weren't stopped. "I wish more of us had time to lobby the
politicians to stop this kind of activity . . . there must be a way to reach
even further."
Getting involved in rescue is an excellent way to help the breed. There are many
breed-specific organizations around the country. BRAT (www.basenjirescue.org)
and Medfly Basenji Rescue (www.basenjirescue.com) are two of the organizations
that devote time and money to the rescue of Basenjis. The more people know about
the good work these groups are doing, the more likely puppy mill owners can be
stopped before they put dogs in danger.
Updates and Happy Endings
The foster dogs are all in homes; some temporary, some permanent. Most of the
dogs are adjusting well to their new environment, like Sheba, the precocious red
and white, who has not been sick and is getting along great with the resident
dogs.
Some of the foster dogs have improved while some have become ill. Still others,
like Tanner, were hospitalized and put on antibiotics and IV drips. Trooper, a
foster from the Medfly Brigade group of dogs, has already been adopted. Timid
and trembling Grace, now renamed Ruby by her foster and now "forever
Mom," Marion, was sick but is eating again and improving every day. Scout
has also been adopted by his foster mom, Jean Quay. Marlene Gowen of Sacramento,
CA, who adopted her foster Cassandra, says of Cassandra's adjustment:
"[It's] like she has lived here all along."
Thanks must be given to all the people involved in the effort, from Erica Hall
and all the volunteers at BRAT and Medfly, to Betty and Terry of the Clovis
Shelter and all the corporate and private donors who responded to the call to
action.
"I can't say enough about how much I have been impressed with the BRAT
organization. What a great group of people," says Betty of the Clovis
Shelter.
"Being a part of this rescue has been one of the most rewarding experiences
of my life," offers Johnson, a rescuer from Arizona who drove a BUR run
from AZ to CA and back in one day. "I made friends that I will have for a
lifetime - people with huge hearts and a tremendous amount of dedication."
It seems that every few months another puppy mill is discovered, and this whole
rescue process happens again. No breed is safe from this continuing tragedy, and
once again rescuers will be called upon to put in long hours and endure
hardships to save another living being's life, or at least make it more
comfortable. When the need arises, the rescuers will still be up to the
challenge of placing those dogs. Many agree with Hall, that while the work is
hard, the reward is worth it.
"When you see the dog go to a good home, that's what it's all about."
Kirk Diedrich is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.
For further information on adoption and donating time or funds to this and
further rescue efforts, please contact www.basenjirescue.org or
www.basenjirescue.com. Photos courtesy of Borzoi Rescue - Northern California,
Inc., Donna Temple of Basenji Rescue and Transport and Jean Quay of Medfly
Brigade Basenji Rescue.
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