OUR VERY OWN MIRACLE!

We are so very grateful for the aid we received recently during Hurrican Sandy.  Left without water, heat or electricity, we put out a plea on Facebook for rescue groups to come to our aid to help evacuate some of the over 300 dogs and cats at our shelter.  We were astounded by the response we received from various rescue groups, foster groups and individuals.

Twenty seven of our dogs and puppies went to the Northern Neck Animal Rescue in the Chesapeke Bay Area, including one of our special needs dogs,Tanner, who had a family waiting to adopt him within two days.  When our volunteers drove up to this shelter, after a grueling nine hour drive, there were families waiting outside the home to greet the puppies, dogs and cats.

Even more unbelievable was the response from Little Guild of St. Francis Humane society in Cornwall, Connecticut.  Within two days after seeing our plea on Facebook, these wonderful volunteers organized an amazing rescue effort.  One of the volunteers flew to Pittsburgh and drove to our shelter on Sunday morning.  She met all the dogs and cats and came up with a list of 65 dogs and 32 cats to take to their shelter in Connecticut.

Meanwhile, an enormous truck and an SUV were making their way to us from Connecticut, filled with donated blankets, water, leashes, dog food and pillows, all of which had been gathered in one day from the generous people in their area.

Dr. Tim Knotts was called in and was generous enough to give rabies vaccines to the dogs who were due for them while we emptied the truck and prepared crates and paper work for the long journey back to Connecticut.

These wonderful volunteers fell in love with our dogs, puppies and cats.  One of the drivers decided there on the spot to adopt one of  our Terriers, and that dog was lucky enough to ride "shot gun" on the trip home. It was a massive effort on the part of all the volunteers who came to our aid and as the truck pulled away, we cried from exhaustion and relief---realizing that our beloved animals would at last find safe, loving homes.

There are no words to express our gratitude to everyone who helped us get through that critical time.  God bless them for their dedication and compassion.

Preparing medical records and transport documents prior to the BIG trip.

Dr. Knotts does a heroic job of giving rabies vaccinations to those making the trip.

The truck arrives and the donated items are unloaded.  By the time the pets were all on board there were two layers of crates on each side of the truck.  As if sensing the importance of the mission,  our dogs were very quiet and well behaved.

All aboard!

And at the end of the day, the exhausted volunteers gather for a celebratory photo op!