Harney County Save A Stray Rescue

Dennis Company in Long Beach, WA, long a supporter of their local no-kill Shelter, South Pacific County Humane Society, just learned about the Princeton dogs and has offered up 3-4 bags of Science Diet food to go with the first ten dogs fostered or adopted near their stores (the Pacific County, WA area).   Contact Melanie for more info:  541-589-1104

Please take a look at our Flickr feed for new photos from Byron, Melanie and Curtis this weekend as they rescued another round of dogs – mostly puppies – in the desert snow. 

These dogs have SEVEN WEEKS to find permanent or foster placement.  All ages of dogs remain; from young pups to senior dogs.  Some are shy.  Some are wounded.  All are COLD.

Melanie and Curtis Epping from Harney County Save A Stray [HCSAS] and Byron Wilkes from the Washington State Animal Response Team went back out to the property in Princeton, Oregon, to rescue more of the puppies.

Cooper’s Boarding Kennels in Amity, OR, took three small breed dogs into foster; they will be available for adoption soon.  Pasados Safe Haven is taking 9 of the puppies.  Melanie is bringing to Long Beach, WA two of the Princeton dogs and all the dogs HCSAS has recently rescued in the area not related to this case.  The latter are going to South Pacific County Humane Society in Long Beach, which frees rescuers closer to Princeton to work on this case.  The two Princeton dogs coming to Long Beach have been in foster care need to move; if anyone can take just ONE of the two, it would be a great help. Contact Melanie@harneycountysaveastray.com or 541-589-1104.

PLEASE help HCSAS find, and pay for, safe placement for these dogs before March 15th!!

Help is desperately needed to find placement and to pay for transport expenses, food and medical supplies. Donations can be made to any branch of US Bank or by sending a check to Harney County Save A Stray, PO Box 403, Burns, OR 97720.

If you can help in any way please contact Melanie @ 541-589-1104

Yesterday, Save A Stray, with the help of Byron from the Washington State Animal Response Team, went back out to the property in Princeton,Oregon to rescue more of the puppies. There is still a desperate need to find foster or permanent homes for some of the older pups from the ages of 4 to 6 months.  Time is running out for these dogs, we only have a few short weeks to find places for them to go.

Today we were able to send 9 tiny puppies and 3 small breed dogs to a foster home at Coopers Boarding Kennels in Amity,Or. where they will be up for adoption soon.

Pasados Safe Haven in Washigton has also agreed to take in some of the older puppies to socialize and eventually place up for adoption.

We are so grateful for this help and support to save some more puppies.

Save A Stray still needs donations to help with transport costs, you can make a donation at any U S Bank or send to P O Box 403 Burns, Or. 97720

If you can help in any way please contact Melanie @ 541-589-1104

These pups need socialization but are smart and eager to learn

A Princeton, Oregon Puppy, so young to be feral in the snowy desert

Princeton, Oregon Puppies in need of homes SOON

A Princeton, Oregon Puppy with beef carcass food littered in the snowy desert

Melanie of Harney County Save A Stray and Byron of Washington State Animal Response Team

Days are very numbered for these pups. Can you help?

Save A Stray is continuing to work on rescuing the dogs and puppies left behind .  Over 100 have been rescued.  Most of the rescued dogs have already found loving homes while a few others are in foster care until they are ready to be adopted.

The owners of the remaining dogs are cooperating with the authorities, and Harney County Save A Stray Rescue, to catch the rest of the puppies and adult dogs that are adoptable.  Soon these dogs and puppies will also make their way into foster homes and shelters, hopefully in the upcoming weeks.

Right now, thanks to the Safeway store in Burns, and Byron with the Washington State Animal Response Team, the dogs are being well-fed until they can be rescued.

We would like to thank all of you for your help thus far in this most worthwhile effort to save as many of these dogs as we can.  The e-mails, phone calls, donations and hands on support have been so great and so appreciated!  We could not have been able to do this without you!

Melanie
Harney County Save A Stray Rescue

Here is Clark that went to the Greenhill Humane Society in Eugene;  his “before” picture and his “after” pic with his new family the day when he was adopted.

Here is one of the three month old puppies that is in foster now and will be needing a new home soon!

Watch the video:  http://kezi.com/news/local/157029

Neglected Dogs Brought to Greenhill Humane Society

By Stacia Kalinoski

EUGENE, Ore. — In one of the worst animal neglect cases in state history, nearly 150 dogs were seized in Harney County earlier this month.

Those dogs have gradually made their way into shelters around the state. And now, four of them have arrived at Greenhill Humane Society in West Eugene.

The four dogs are among nearly 90 others who were rescued by Harney County Save A Stray and the Oregon Humane Society, but Harney County Save A Stray Rescuer Melanie Epping said there are at least 60 dogs still on the property, a rural farm in Princeton.

Epping said at least 20 are puppies, so rescuers are giving them priority. Butt she said many of the older dogs are just too wild, and may not be able to be saved. Even the ones Greenhill took in, still need some work.

Rita the dog has nothing but food on her mind. The two-year-old has been living off cattle carcasses her entire life. “She definetely loves her treats,” Greenhill Humane Society Kennel Supervisor Dustin Vissering said.

Rita’s the only one Vissering can take outside to play. The other three are still terrifed of human interaction, after living under wooden planks or chained to farm equipment. “I would imagine the dogs, from what we’ve seen, are mostly unaltered, so there was probably a lot of reproducing going on,” Vissering said.

Video courtesy of the Oregon Humane Society captures the nearly 150 dogs, living in sub-freezing temperatures in a high-desert area. The sight leaves dog lovers like one couple, heartbroken. “They were just out there in the snow. And i felt so sorry for them.”

The Cottage Grove woman has anxiously followed the dogs’ progress. She and her husband even visited the OHS last week to see if any of the neglected collies were available for adoption. “We were a little sad that so many got adopted, but happy that so being so close to Christmas, they found homes.”

Now Vissering is trying to get these four ready for adoption. We just want to place these dogs where we can, so we can work with them and get them the best care that we can. Socialization is their main goal as they attempt to get at least two of the dogs ready for adoption by Tuesday. But Epping believes the neglect has been going on for at least five years, making socialization nearly impossible for some of the older breeds.

From: http://mysettersam.blogspot.com/2009/12/ruff-report-dogs-and-rescue_28.html

Rescued dogs lived in holes with skeletal remains

More than 100 dogs – many burrowing in holes covered with lumber on a desolate property strewn with abandoned vehicles, cattle carcasses and barrels with the remains of dead dogs – have been rescued from a hoarder in Oregon in what some are calling one of the largest cases of animal neglect in the state’s history.

Many of the dogs – mostly Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, Hound-mixes, a Dalmatian and a Great Pyrenees – are malnourished and suffering from infections, animal welfare officials say.

Barbara Baugnon, an official with the Oregon Humane Society, says the property was one of the more gruesome scenes ever encountered by animal welfare officials. The photo at left from the Oregon Humane Society of a dog living in a hole with skeletal remains scattered about depicts the conditions.

“What made the … scene particularly bad was the fact the temperatures were subfreezing, dogs were chained to abandoned vehicles with little access to water and also the fact that they fed the dogs carcasses from a cattle rendering plant [which] gave this site [the look] of a Steven King novel with all the skeletons around,” Ms. Baugnon told MySetterSam.

The harsh conditions the dogs endured included the property owner – who has no veterinary background – amputating the front paw of one dog, Ms. Baugnon said. The owner “thought the dog needed it. Looked it up online and did the procedure.”

Conditions at the property, located in Princeton, were brought to the attention of the Harney County sheriff by social workers who were investigating an unrelated complaint regarding the well-being of children at the home.

Oregon Humane Society rescuers were able to capture 93 of the some 140 dogs – like this 3-month-old puppy in photo at left from the Oregon Humane Society – roaming around the property, Ms. Baugnon said.

Humane society rescuers removed 14 dogs on an initial visit and 79 more on a subsequent visit, Ms. Baugnon said. “The 79 dogs we brought back were the more social of the 140 or so on the property. We couldn’t catch the more feral of the dogs.”

Another animal welfare organization, Harney County Save a Stray, has continued efforts to rescue the remaining dogs, according to founder Melanie Epping. Her group so far has rescued another 20 dogs, like the one in this photo at left from Harney County Save a Stray.

“Our biggest challenge now is to capture the remaining dogs running loose and getting them transport-
ed,” Ms. Epping states in a media release. Harney County Save a Stray has been told by county officials that any dogs, including puppies, that are unable to be caught will likely have to be shot for safety reasons, Ms. Epping said.

Many of the dogs are sociable despite the harsh conditions, according to Sharon Harmon, executive director of the Oregon Humane Society. “The dogs we rescued, despite their living conditions, are friendly to people and want to be around us.”

Ms. Baugnon says the good temperament of the dogs is “very surprising,” and it will make rehabilitating them easier. “The first step is to ensure they are healthy enough to be spayed or neutered. Then we access their temperament to try to find them a perfect match for a home,” she explained.

Nine of the 93 dogs that the Oregon Humane Society rescued are being cared for by the Humane Society of Central Oregon.

Ms. Baugnon says the rescue and rehabilitation of the dogs is expensive. “The two rescues could cost OHS, which gets no support from national humane organizations, more than $150,000,” she said.

Read the full article, with photos, here.

Here is our first delivery today, he was one of the chained dogs:

This is our new boy….only 5 minutes after his first visit into the house. Unbelievable sweet boy. A little unsure, but very, very sweet. He favors Bob as you can see in the photos. No name yet…I like Beau and Noble. Dad likes Rusty. I am so happy, I`m delirious. We are so lucky to have him. Merry Christmas!!!

The dogs left behind in rural Eastern Oregon are getting another chance.

Earlier this month, the Oregon Humane Society rounded up almost 90 dogs that were living without shelter in cold weather. Some of the dogs were living underground in holes covered with planks, while others are chained to farm equipment and have little or no shelter, officials said.

“We rescued every dog that we thought was not going to be a dangerous feral dog,” Human Society spokesman David Lytle told The Oregonian on Wednesday. “Some were too dangerous or were just uncatchable.”

But some 60 dogs were left behind. And a Long Beach, Wash. woman who grew up in Harney County is set on saving them.

Melanie Eppig is the founder of Harney County Save a Stray. She headed to the site on Wednesday to rescue more dogs. She rounded up 23 dogs, including six puppies, put them in kennels and hauled them to Salem. She has found a handful of organizations willing to take several of the dogs.

She plans on heading back to the property Saturday.

“It’s difficult to describe how sad it is,” Epping said.

Deputies were called to the property about 20 miles east of Burns by county social workers who were investigating an unrelated complaint.

Three people are facing animal neglect charges: Anita Anderson, 55; Ronald Anderson, 43; and Kathlean Fuchs-Goyogana, 34. Both the Andersons and Fuchs-Goyogana live in mobile homes on the property, the sheriff said.

The Andersons are under a release agreement to help round up the dogs and feed them properly, Harney County Sheriff Dave Glerup said.

Epping said her goal is saving as many of the dogs as possible and all the one’s collected on Wednesday were “fine.” She met with three organizations in Salem – Greenhill Humane Society in Eugene, Heartland Humane Society in Corvallis and Pet Adoption Network in Philomath – who agreed to take several of the dogs. Coopers Boarding Kennel in Amity agreed to take the puppies, Epping said.

The groups will examine the dogs, provide medical treatment as necessary and ensure they are spayed and neutered before putting them up for adoption.

Epping also found a woman in Longview, Wash., to foster a few dogs and said the Meridian Valley Humane Society from Meridian, Idaho will take some more dogs on Saturday.

“We just want to save as many as we can,” Epping said.

—

From: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com

CONTACT:
Melanie Epping (541) 589-1104
www.harneycountysaveastray.com
Harney County Save A Stray Rescue
POB 403, Burns, OR  97720.

Download this release:

FOR  IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Harney County Hoarding Dogs Leaving White Christmas Behind

Multiple rescue groups convene to bring 20 of the dogs to warmth and safety.

December 22, 2009–Salem, OR–At least 20 dogs and puppies from the Princeton, OR hoarding case will be able to avoid a white Christmas this year – instead of burrowing under discarded lumber piles and huddling in empty 55-gallon drums to avoid the below zero temperatures and snow, the dogs will be in warm kennels, well fed and out of the elements while awaiting their forever homes.

Harney County Save a Stray will arrive with a U-Haul trailer-load of puppies and dogs taken from the owners’ property.  The caravan will meet representatives from Greenhill Humane Society in Eugene, Heartland Humane Society in Corvallis, Willamette Humane Society in Salem, and Pet Adoption Network, a Philomath-based rescue group.

Each organization has committed to taking several dogs, each of which will receive medical exams and treatment and be temperament tested before being put up for adoption.  The puppies will be going into a foster home with Pet Adoption Network where they will be socialized, receive veterinarian exams, and be temperament tested for a couple of weeks before being put up for adoption.

About 70 dogs were picked up by the Oregon Humane Society and taken to their Portland facility on December 9.  Since then Harney County Save a Stray has been scrambling to find placement for the estimated 60 dogs and puppies that remained on the property.

Melanie Epping, Save a Stray Founder, has been begging for places for the remaining dogs to go.  “Some are living in pens, walking on the beef carcasses that they were fed and on their own waste,” said Epping.  “Last week it was 15 degrees below zero and there were dogs chained outside with only a 55-gallon drum for shelter.  Our biggest challenge now is to capture the remaining dogs running loose and getting them transported.  Any dogs we don’t catch and place soon will be killed – most likely by shooting them.”

Epping said the Burns Safeway manager, Merle Reid had six pallets of dog food brought in and donated to help feed the dogs.

One group of puppies will go into Cooper’s Boarding Kennel in Amity, OR where kennel owner Joan Cooper will help them get used to humans and also work on house training and general socialization.  Cooper became aware of the dogs’ plight while talking with a PAN volunteer and decided that she could be of some help.

Epping said Save a Stray is looking for volunteers to help capture, transport, foster, socialize, and adopt a dog.  At this point, time is running out for the dogs not already placed, and any help is welcomed.  Contact Melanie Epping at 541-589-1104 or visit the website:  www.harneycountysaveastray.com

Donations of food, supplies or money can be made to the individual shelters taking the dogs, or financial donations to the Save a Stray account at US Bank or mailed to HCSAS; PO Box 403; Burns, OR  97720

• Greenhill Humane Society: www.green-hill.org (541) 689-1503
• Heartland Humane Society: www.heartlandhumane.org (541) 757-9000
• Pet Adoption Network:  www.pan.petfinder.com
• Willamette Humane Society: http://willamettehumane.org/ 503-585-5900

Salem Transfer Event Specifics:

When:  Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Time:  3:30 p.m.
Where:  Lowe’s parking lot, 1930 Turner Road Southeast, Salem, OR http://www.lowes.com
Contact:  Linda Watkins (Pet Adoption Network) cell: 208-484-2534

Still photos of property available

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