November 23, 2013

Due to financial hardship, our rescue was forced to close

I had to end my rescue efforts because of very high five figure debt.

As the economy worsened and owners couldn't afford to care for pets, I got as many dogs as I could out of Southern California shelters before they were put to sleep.

I also scooped up many dogs that other rescuers wouldn't take. They didn't want to spend extra money for procedures such as: tumor removals, cherry eyes, hernias, foxtails, complicated spays or neuters, etc.

The surgeries, daily medical care, kenneling and transporting costs for so many dogs from Southern to Northern California every weekend added up on my own personal credit cards.

I couldn't stand to see so many dogs get put to sleep when I knew that people in other locations wanted them. So I just keep going and going for as long as I could.

I was separated from my own cocker spaniels and family every Friday through Sunday while I drove a thousand miles from Southern to Northern California.

I did this because the Southern California shelters had thousands of dogs getting put to sleep, while the Northern California shelters didn't have the breeds of dogs that potential adopters wanted.

From Monday through Thursday, I drove to the Moreno Valley Animal Shelter several times each week and took dogs to vets, groomers, eye specialists and potential adopters. I put over 150,000 miles on my cargo van in two years.

I started my rescue group with my own personal cocker spaniel named Banjo (see his picture at the bottom of the right-hand column). And I ended my rescue efforts when I was visited by another dog that I had named Banjo (pictured above). He looked just like my first Banjo who still lives with me.