30 Dogs Fighting to Survive in Extreme Poverty

As you drive up to the property, you can't get up to the top because the road is washing away and not safe. Trailers and wooden houses precariously sit on each side, with little time and til they too slip away.

You park. You get out to walk. You are met by a pack of dogs - small, medium, large. Most come to greet you. Others stand off. Some bark and make it clear they are the protectors of the others. But none bite.

Then their caretakers appears from sleeping in a car. He smiles and thanks us for coming. He shows us the trailer that he heats for the dogs to sleep in at night. It has only an old couch where two dogs sleep. The floors are destroyed and urine-soaked. But there is heat. So the dogs won't freeze to death.

He lost 15 puppies this summer. The got sick and he has no money for vetting. He loves dogs and it all started when a few wandered on his property and he fed them. And they multiplied. 

We have just weeks to move all of these dogs or they are out of time. County authorities will be involved. The man's wife appears from sleeping in another car and shows us a notebook of all the dogs' names and ages. They are desperate for our help and thankfully, willing to let them go which is not always the case.

We toss some treats and the dogs go for them fast. Some dogs have ribs showing and others look okay. Clearly some dogs get the food first. We brought dog food and he thanks us. 

We start by taking the small and young dogs as it's clear they are full of worms and need us the most. They allow us to carry them down the treacherous steps hill and into the van.

We took 12. We have 15 to go. We need desperate help NOW for the 12 we got - they need boarding, vetting, preventatives and spay/neuter as we worry some may be early pregnant. Many many be heartworm positive. We will know soon.