Alabama shelter dogs being transported to Maine to find homes

Original article, with photos

Sweet Home Maine: Alabama shelter sends dogs to Lewiston in wake of storms, tornadoes

By Kathryn Skelton, Staff Writer
May 03, 2011 12:00 am

- Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — Little Dillard, Blacky and Sandy are about to embark on the car ride of their lives.

The Greater Androscoggin Humane Society is expecting those three and 47 dog pals from the Shelby Humane Society in Columbiana, Ala. — a 20-hour trip — so that shelter can make way for animals lost or abandoned during recent devastating storms.

“We’re helping relieve them so they can have room for the tornado dogs,” Lewiston shelter Manager Zachary Black said Monday.

Black said the humane society has worked with Shelby for the past two years, opening its doors to 30 dogs a month. Forty-five puppies driven up around Valentine's Day were adopted in days.

“We’ve placed every single one they’ve sent us,” Black said.

Saturday will mark the largest single delivery yet. The 50 dogs range in age from 2 months to 4 years, from 4 pounds to 80.

“There’s a big variety, all shapes and sizes, one for everyone,” Black said.

Sara Shirley, Shelby’s director of operations, said “the poor little Southern dogs” headed here have been brought in by old owners or found as strays. Her shelter can house up to 500, but not comfortably. Over the years, 4,167 dogs from her shelter have been saved by sending them to Maine and New Hampshire.

“There was a time I spent hours, literally hours, euthanizing,” Shirley said. “Now, I spend hours of my day checking who’s eligible for transport.”

She credited people in the Northeast with having “a different mindset,” seen in an emphasis on spaying and neutering and a willingness to open their homes.

“I don’t know how to put it into words; it just fills me with emotion,” Shirley said.

Black said the Southern dogs 6 months and older will be available for adoption beginning May 10; the younger dogs will be available May 12. A $30 surcharge is added to the cost of adoption to cover transport costs. In the meantime, the local shelter has 15 dogs they hope to have adopted to open up kennels for the new arrivals.

What a great story! I hope all the dogs find forever homes!

This is true. We don't have the population in WI either as compared to what the South has. But recently it seems that the supply has been catching up with demand. It may just be that I've started using a dog park in a less well to do area though and I'm actually seeing the irresponsible owners now. I'd love to see a shelter transport dogs to WI because they'd also be snatched up as soon as they arrive.

Nice!

We have several groups involved w/ transports from the South around here, as well. The South really needs to get a handle on free roaming dogs, and spay / neuter; from what I learned volunteering w/ a rescue, they are not at the same stage as we are in the north and northeast. Around here, the small sized dogs get adopted within DAYS!

I live 8 miles from the Columbiana Shelter and it is unfortunate that this area has an overabundance of strays and unwanted cats/dogs. The Columbiana shelter has a van that makes monthly trips primarily to New Hampshire.

In this area there are no laws to help keep animal populations under control. The shelters in this area do a great job of finding homes both locally and in other states. There are special segments on a local news shows that brings several pets every day to be talked about and put up for adoption. Several shelters work with Petco and Petsmart where certain days pets from the shelters are available at their stores for adoption.

I have lived in my present home for about 17 years and over this time all of our pets have been strays that just show up and decide to stay. On several ocassions we have had pets show up and stay a short time until their owner can be found. We have had several pets reunited by working with our local vet.