We said there’s never a pause in dog rescue, and it’s never been more true. The last two weeks have been intense. In that space of time, we’ve taken in another 56 unwanted dogs through our continuing partnership with Siskiyou County animal shelters. These are in addition to the dogs from the hoarding case in Lake Shastina. Meanwhile, we’re facing drastically reduced funding. We need your help now more than ever before. Please donate to our Hoarding Dog Rescue Fund.
The reality of dog rescue in Siskiyou County
At 6,278 square miles, Siskiyou County is larger than the entire state of Connecticut. Siskiyou County Animal Control (SCAC) is the only countywide shelter, responding to unincorporated communities from beyond Happy Camp in the west to Tulelake in the east. With room for just 20 dogs max, the truth is that Animal Control can’t possibly keep up with the demand unassisted.
That’s where Rescue Ranch comes in. We work closely with SCAC to save hundreds of innocent lives each year. Our 56 new arrivals come from several different situations including abandonment and hoarding. We’re not at liberty to discuss all the details. Suffice it to say they had nowhere else to go.
They include a mother with six tiny nursing pups. They’re now safely installed in a cozy whelping shed at the Sanctuary.
Another 24 of the new dogs are puppies about 12 weeks of age. These include six border collie pups stranded after the death of their owner (SCAC is working to remove nearly 10 adults from the same property).
Then there are ten huskies from a hoarding situation in the Yreka area. As hoarding cases go, this is a relatively small one. However, it’s difficult to find homes for huskies at the best of times. Thankfully, we found an out-of-state rescue willing to take them in. For now, three females are safe at the Sanctuary while SCAC assists the property owner with catching the remaining seven.
Pressures on Siskiyou County dog shelters are increasing
Last fall we discussed the impact of falling adoption rates on west coast shelters. A few years ago, we could depend on all puppies in a given litter being adopted by the time they reached 12 weeks. Now, we’re excited when one or two find a home. It’s not unusual for an entire litter to grow up in our care without attracting interest from potential adopters. We do our best, but caring for puppies longer is resource and labor intensive.
We’ve also talked about the number of stray dogs forced out of hiding by winter weather. Whether it’s one dog or multiple animals dumped to fend for themselves, animal abandonment is an epidemic in Siskiyou County. Many strays, including pregnant females, wander out of the illegal grows in the eastern Shasta Valley.
When you factor in families needing help with unwanted litters of puppies, it’s easy to see why Siskiyou County dog shelters are totally overwhelmed. Already this year, we’ve accepted 127 new dogs, including 68 from SCAC. We’re currently holding another 42 who legally remain in county custody.
We need your help!
As we mentioned before, no-one can solve these problems alone. It’s an ongoing struggle, and it isn’t getting any easier.
The solution is a multi-faceted approach involving the support of our community. We need fosters for older puppies so they can begin their training. We need to partner with rescues outside our area. And we must promote spay/neuter initiatives to halt pet overpopulation.
We’re so grateful for your support during these challenging times. Help us save lives and provide for these unwanted dogs by donating to our Hoarding Dog Rescue Fund. Help us reach our $15,000 goal!
Looking for other ways to help?
- Consider fostering! Even two weeks makes a huge difference in the life of a dog!
- Love spending time with dogs? Volunteer at the Rescue Ranch Adoption Center.
- Join our Kennel Squad monthly sustainer program.
- Spread the word! Tell your friends about the shelter pups looking for homes, and share our Facebook posts.
- And, as always, adopt don’t shop!
