Sunday, July 18, 2010

Last Chance Highway


There is nothing more heart-wrenching than seeing a mother dog and her precious litter of puppies abandoned on the side of the road.

Unwanted pets are a major problem here in the Southern States. Chronic overpopulation and the misunderstood need to spay and neuter, fills the shelters beyond capacity ending in many unnecessary euthanizations.

This summer, Animal Planet will change that with "Last Chance Highway", an eight-part series that focuses on the monumental mission of a dedicated handful of rescuers.
The stakes are high for Shelly Bookwalter and Kyle Peterson and for the soon-to-be-euthanized dogs they are fighting to save.
Each week, they organize a band of volunteers to take part in a unique mobile adoption campaign.
Shelly leads an effort to find homes in the North for strays and unclaimed shelter dogs. And every week, Kyle and crew member, Lucas, climb aboard their big rig to transport more than 150 dogs thousands of miles to meet their new families. It's an exhausting ritual but one that finds homes for more than six thousand pets every year.
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Kyle is the first to admit "What the groups do is the hardest part,"
"The best part is to deliver them to their families. We see the homecoming, and that's the most rewarding part. In the dog community what we're doing has been well received since we started six years ago. The whole goal of the show was to make the general public aware, and now they are."

A simple surgery would stop so much of this dying," Bookwalter said. "Please adopt a dog from a local shelter and save a life."

Check local listings series airs Saturday evenings on the Animal Planet.
Be sure to have a box of tissues close by.

All animals available for adoption are listed on Adopt a pet on Petfinder
P.E.T.S. Animal Rescue Road Trips http://www.petsllc.net/index.php



18 comments:

LHA said...

I never knew abandoned/stray dogs were such a significant problem in the south until I moved up to Boston and everyone here seems to have adopted their dogs from the south. They're also very snooty and condescending about how people in the south treats their dogs (under a misapprehension that everyone treats their pets badly), but that's beside the point. This show is going to break my heart, so I'm not sure I'll be able to being myself to watch it!

Patsy said...

I saw this and it is sad but the one's that do get a home are so luck.
Patsy

M. L. said...

I appreciate this post. This summer I have twice seen abandoned dogs and quite frankly wondered what to do about it. My own dog is cherished and we are able to afford his care but I know that so many people suffer and ultimately sometimes do not make good decisions with their pets. I will be certain to try to watch this special with the hopes that I can learn how to help. Bless you.

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

I have not heard of this program and will be sure to watch it. It always, always breaks my heart to see and know about homeless animals...I so admire the people like this in the trenches and front-lines who make such a difference for these animals that have been dealt a bad hand!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Great advice, Jo.... I'm glad that Animal Planet is showing the 8-part series, "Last Chance Highway"... I hope everyone watches it...

Another blog friend posted a blog today talking about someone dumping out 3 kittens where she works in a downtown in Canada... SO--It's definitely not just in our country... It's SO sad---and you have to feel sorry for the animals. They didn't ask for this!

YES---adopt your pets from a Pet Rescue place...

Thanks..
Hugs,
Betsy

Maura @ Kisiwa Creek Photography said...

Hello Jo, We had a first hand experience of people just dumping pups on the side of the road here in the country a few months ago. Someone just dumped 3 pups on a crossroads 3/4 of a mile from us in the middle of no where. We picked them up and brought them home and fed them ...then we took them to the nearest shelter about 20 miles away. They told us they would try and find homes for them in the local area and if that didn't work they would be sent to Colorado to be re-homed and if that didn't work the would be sent to a no-kill shelter. It was hard leaving them there as they were just the cutest little things but we felt good that one way or the other they would be in good hands and happy. Thank you for posting this...I'll be watching for it. Have a wonderful week!

Marguerite (Tina) Smith Hart said...

Hi Jo and thanks for this great post! I have chosen not to have cable so I won't be able to watch the show but I have been involved with many adoption groups and have 13 rescued cats myself (which is our big problem in my area). I am a "dog person" but can't turn away anything that needs a place to lay it's head and a plate of food.
I was born and raised in Canada but my dad was from Texas and I have spent half my life there and then 5 years in Kansas City. I can say from experience that the problem is significantly worse down South, why I just don't know. I think maybe that the best solution would be stronger legislation that actually was enforced! There are laws here in upstate New York protecting animals but Law Enforcement in this area seems loath to uphold them. I do believe that compassion is a learned trait and parents need to start early to instill a respect for life and living things!
Lovingly....
Tina xo

Shayla said...

Someone left the dog I have, a local farm picked him up and just happened to have him in his truck when I saw him so as he didn't want the dog I asked if I could take him. He didn't want me to have it because the dog had some aggression issues but I persuaded him to let me have him and I'm so pleased he did because he is an abslutely brill dog now and although he still shows his teeth now and again he has never attempted to go beyond that and is just a big softie that loves loads of fuss now. Its always the people that are the problem and not the dogs.

Barbara Anne said...

I need a tissue already. How heartbreaking.

We're dog people with no fence and have been adopted by two cats (figure that one out) who are both fixed.

I'll have a re-think ...

Hugs!

Susan Freeman said...

Such a sad message, yet one that is so very important. I will never be able to understand how someone can dump a sweet pet out on the road, or leave one at a shelter. Thank you for taking the time to post this message today!

Lots of love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Stella Jones said...

This is close to my heart too. I just hate to think of animals being abandoned. Full marks to the people in this rescue programme. They do a great job. The recession has only made things worse, I fear but it is an ongoing problem. Well done you for telling us about it.
Blessings, Star

MadSnapper said...

what a wonderful thing for them to do. in our county, last year they killed 3500 animals. all because people do not get them spay/neutered and here it is FREE to anyone that needs it. they have clinics. also due to the fact people get the pets and find it is TO much work and don't want them anymore, yes they do dump them, and that creates more problems. this is one of my soap box triggers

George said...

It's sad that there are so many abandoned pets in this country, but it is inspiring what the volunteers do to rescue them.

Ann Summerville said...

This is a problem here in Texas too. Both my dogs were strays and wandered to my house and I kept them. It's shameful how people treat animals. If I ever win the lottery I would start an organization like Best Friends in Utah. How admirable they are.
Ann
www.cozyintexas.blogspot.com

jerilanders said...

This is a subject near and dear to my heart. We once came home from a week long trip to find someone had left 5 wee puppies on my porch in a box. With all my animals it was just not possible for me to keep all of them and I moved heaven and earth to try finding homes. Finally the vet put me in touch with a foster mom, who took all the pups, provided them with all their health needs and then, they were put aboard the "puppy train" to Upstate New York State where they were adopted. Of course, I gave a good donation to help with all the necessaries. I am so grateful for folks who take care of the homeless critters. Come to think of it, I've never owned a dog that didn't "find" me first!

L. D. said...

It is a wonderful thing they do. We have had our rescued border collie almost 7 years now and he is my friend and my love.

BT said...

Gulp, what a heart rending story. Stray dogs are a big problem in Ireland too and are rarely neutered, or cats for that matter. It's not that expensive and people on low incomes can get it done cheaply. It's so irresponsible. I'm glad these folk are making a real difference.

SadUpNorth said...

I applaud her tenaciousness in wanting to make a difference in the life of these poor dogs, but shipping them north only makes fewer pets being adopted from local shelters in the areas they import them to.

So yes, it saves those particular animals, but keeps other equally as deserving pets from being adopted.