Adopt

Adopt-A-Pet Shelter in Bend, Illinois was recently contacted to help with a very distressing situation. A local boarding kennel was found to contain 20 dogs whose owners never returned. Some of the owners had died, moved away, or just didn't care. Over the past few years the kennel owner became senile and months ago was put into a nursing home. She had handled the kennel affairs and records "in her head". She had a caretaker who was limited to certain rules and duties. He was not allowed to let the dogs into their outside runs or get vet care....for YEARS !!!!!

What shelter workers found when they went into the barracks type of kennel turned stomachs and brought tears. Occasionally the cages were hosed out; feces were shoveled out; food and water put in; and the dogs never left their 4x4 dungeons. It was damp, very dark and the odor penetrated your clothes. Shelter personnel were told these animals were crazy, aggressive, unsocialized since they were without real human contact except for when the caretaker might have put in food/water. The Adopt-A-Pet's shelter director-Lorraine Jackson - told her workers to see for themselves how bad the animals were. The first cage door pulled open after a couple of tries and out stepped a Collie, hair matted and dirty. But with tail wagging and head held high...right into the workers arms. So much for the first "aggressive" dog. An Airedale was next, when led outside jumping up and down,throwing all four feet into the air then gave the shelter worker a big kiss.

The bigger dogs did better physically than the little ones. The majority of the little dogs were left blind because of being constant darkness of their crates for years and being in close proximity to the floor which was saturated with ammonia from the urine.

We offered helping hands and opened our hearts to these little suffering ones. This shelter receives no government funding. It exists by receiving donations,adoptions,fundraisers and membership dues. The shelter is asking help in finding homes for these poor dogs and any help in meeting the veterinary expenses for medicines,surgeries,etc.... If you would like to know the animals and condition please email me at Yorkie7878@aol.com. There are TOO MANY to list right here. Any help you can give or references are greatly appreciated. References can be provided. Thank You.

White German Shepherd (pictured above)
Severely underweight--weighs 34 pounds., pressure sores from laying on concrete floors for years. Most of her teeth worn to the gumline from chewing on the cage. Very sweet dog.

Black Tri Collie
Very matted, dragging clumps the size of basketballs,one front tooth and a few jaw teeth remaining...severe gum and teeth infection. Very affectionate.

Airedale-condition seems fair...needs groomed badly.

Shih Tzu mix?-white
Very matted hair made it almost impossible to walk. Hair on head completely matted over eyes...vet check results--totally blind from hair mat, ammonia exposure, and continual darkness. Missing teeth, infected sores on back from tight mats, heart murmur and fluid build-up. Put on lasix to see if will clear up with medication. Friendly

Shih Tzu mix?-

Black matted hair, stress sores, blind (same as above), walks in circles from continuous circling in cage (might come out of that...doing lots of walks for therapy) Friendly

Basset/Beagle (looks mostly Basset)
older but in fair condition. friendly

Pembroke Welsh Corgi
overweight but otherwise seems fair, very friendly. (This is one of the animals that did get fed on a semi regular basis)

Schnauzer mix (black-Mid size)
Extremely matted but otherwise seems fair condition, Very Friendly, walks good on leash

2 Malamutes
Older, bleeding stress wounds, one has oozing sore on ear, stiff from being cooped up in too small of pens for these big guys. Seem friendly

German Shorthair Pointer Mix
Pressure sores on feet, large bald raw sore on back, friendly

Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Matted and pressure sores

Boxer
Stress and pressure sores

American Eskimo mix
nervous and hand shy, pressure sores on feet, both ears raw and bleeding, last third of tail bald and black.

Chow-Black
Few mats otherwise seems fair (another that got some food occasionally)

Yellow Lab/Golden mix
older, cataracts, might be starting with arthritis..Friendly but still somewhat shy

2 Long Hair Shepherds-Black/Red
matted hair and pressure sores. Very friendly....was climbing into my lap giving kisses,eating up the attention.

Small long hair Terrier type
hair so matted it seemed twice its size. Partially blind (same as others), right front leg was caught in its matted hair and had over time almost severed the foot at the ankle. All nerve and muscles are dead and the foot is twice the size of the other. The dog walks on its ankle due to no feeling in it. Will be amputated at vets recommendation.

All the dogs were friendly though some are somewhat shy. They are not sure what to make of someone actually paying attention to them and of going outside. The windows of the shelter were not even allowed to be opened. Some of the dogs like the schnauzer mix have been there for at least 6 years we found out.

The last one didn't survive-
Tiny wire-haired Terrier mix-if healthy would have weighed about 5 pounds. Nails were so long they were curled under and imbedded into the feet. Walking on its wrists. Blind (same as others) deaf,neurological and muscular problems.

Well, we met the attorney for the kennel owner,the Dept of Ag animal welfare inspector,and a newspaper reporter at the kennel today. We took them through the kennel ,which by the way had had a miraculous cleaning job done to it,along with a lady we found that had known the owner for 30 years. This lady (Phyliss) is now a volunteer animal welfare investigator for the state and had been trying to do something about this for awhile. She was telling us about when she used to work for the kennel 25 years ago and how the owner did the same thing only worse. Phyliss went basically behind the owners back and had to have 25 dogs destroyed because of the conditions they were in due to the owner. Some of the better ones she found homes for. She was telling us also that the owner has over 250 dogs buried in the backyard of the kennel. The end result of today was that the state and the attorney are going to padlock the kennel closed and it is either going to be rented or sold, along with the house on the property. WELL, WE DID IT....IT IS NOW OFFICIALLY CLOSED !!!!!! But we are still going to keep an eye on it.

Thank You for all your help :-)

Cindy Willoughby Yorkie7878@aol.com


Anesthetized dog	Collie w/hanging mats	One concrete cell	Upper Cells	Upper/lower shot