I Rescue Dogs

I rescue dogs. I fight for them. I dedicate my life to them.

I rarely put myself first. I never put them last. I always try to do right by them.

I am optimistic, but also realistic. I'm a positive person, who's been beaten down by the negativity of the world. I'm happy most days, but with a constant underlying sadness.

I've opened my heart to more dogs than I can count. I bring them into my home. I return the life that was taken from them.

I've accepted the craziness of my world. I take the insanity in stride. I've given up any hope of having a normal life or a clean house.

I live each day, for the dogs. I wake up, prepared to save more. I go to sleep, thinking of those I couldn’t reach.

I hate my phone… it never stops ringing. I answer and listen to the horrible accounts of animal abuse. I shudder, as I write the unspeakable details on a scrap of paper.

I follow-up on these cruelty reports. I arrive at the location. I wince... because it’s worse than I expected.

I look into the eyes of the neglected. I feel their pain in my own heart. I hear their silent cries.

I apologize for the awful things that have happened to them. I say “I’m sorry,” for things I didn’t do. I say, “I love you,” because no one else ever has.

I try to talk sense into senseless people. I try to educate the ignorant. I fail at these attempts on a daily basis.

I can’t save them all. I can’t even save most. I live each day knowing that --no matter how hard I try-- it will never be enough.

I know that... even when I succeed... I fail. I know that for every one I save, there’s another that I lose. I know that no matter how many I help, my work is never done.

Even still, I save all that I can. I love more than I thought possible. I smile… because they smile.

I take-on their pain, so that they may have happiness. I allow my heart to hurt, so their’s can heal. I become the one who is wounded, so they may be restored.

I know the cruelty that exists. I’ve seen the faces of abuse. I witness the senselessness of the world… knowing that change is always just beyond my grasp…

I ask for help… it rarely comes. I pray for hope… it rarely appears. I beg for mercy… it rarely arrives.

I sometimes lose faith in humanity. I often cry. Some days, I crawl into bed and pull the covers over my eyes.

Sometimes, I sob. I hurt so much… but I cry because they hurt more than I ever could. The helplessness drives me to say, “I can’t…”

Then, a foster dog’s kiss says, “You can…”

So, I get out of bed. I brush off the despair. I vow to make a difference.

I do make a difference.

I never give up. I fight for change each day. I pray for relief from the pain… not for me, but for them.

I rescue dogs. In turn, dogs rescue me. Everything in between... is so worth it.

CLICK TO DONATE TO LUCKY DOG RESCUE!

The Wonderful Wonder

Meet Wonder.

She was scheduled to die in a Dallas, NC shelter on Monday, 2.7.11.

In hopes of saving her life, Wonder was posted on my facebook app, Pet Pardons. 
Well... it just so happens... I'm the Co-Founder of Pet Pardons...

So... one day... as I was scrolling through the pet listings on our site... I saw Wonder’s picture…

I've been involved in animal rescue all of my life.
Yet, I've rarely seen a more heartbreaking photo.

Honestly... it wasn’t the condition of the dog that got to me… it was her broken spirit.

Wonder has lived her entire life without love… never experiencing kindness or compassion... acknowledgment or hugs... smiles or comfort. 

Instead... Wonder has been tortured & abused for much of her life.

At some point, her ears were painfully and inhumanely cropped --with scissors or a knife.

She's also been over-bred, under-fed, and beaten down... all the days of her life.

Then... she ended up at the animal shelter... where she was quickly scheduled to die.

At the time this shelter photo was taken... Wonder had completely given up.
She was ready to die...

So...

After seeing Wonder on Pet Pardons, I contacted my Pet Pardons Co-Founder, Chris Hoar. Chris & I were equally affected by her picture. We just kept going back to her… and we couldn’t get her off our minds.

For me... this is how it starts.
I see an incredibly deserving dog... so, I start busting my ass to save them.

It’s always a race. There isn’t much time. Resources are slim.
But they need you.
This dog needed me.

So.... after unsuccessful attempts to find another rescue for Wonder, I simply told Chris, “I want her.”

Chris usually gets so mad at me when I say this, “Ashley! Are you crazy? You already do so much! Don’t overload yourself! No, no, no!”

This time, Chris said, “She's so broken. She needs you. No one else could make this one right. Only you. Do it.”

And so... I started the process of getting Wonder to my home to be my new foster baby. The amazing Jessamy donated to Wonder’s care, and I was able to set-up transport through the help of some INCREDIBLE volunteers (Thanks Mary, Dorothy, Geoff, Marsha, & Vanessa!!!).

And then... today... Wonder traveled the 8 hour trip from Dallas, North Carolina to Meridian, Mississippi...
To meet her new foster mom—ME!!!

Wonder’s entire existence has been filled with abuse, neglect, and hatred… until today.

Today, her life starts over.
Today, she learned what love is.
Today, she became part of my family… even if only for a short while.

I will love her with my entire heart... until she finds her forever family.

And when that day comes, I will let her go… because I'll know: she is safe now… Forever.

Happy Birthday, Wonder! Today you get to start over. Today, your life begins.

CLICK TO DONATE TO LUCKY DOG RESCUE!

Lucky: The Dog With No Ears

Meet Lucky.

Lucky’s former owners made the cruel decision to cut-off his ears... with a pair of household scissors.

He also suffered a severely broken leg... that was never treated... causing immense, permanent damage to his front, right limb. He can no longer use that leg.

Basically... Lucky has no ears... and only 3 legs... due to insane neglect.
That's what animal cruelty looks like.

Then, one day... Lucky was dumped like trash at the pound in Louisville, MS, where he was immediately placed on the euthanasia list for 1.27.11.

On the day of his scheduled euthanasia, my dear friend, Lisa Hathcock, spotted Lucky, outside at the shelter... as he played in the yard with all the other dogs… having the time of his life…

Keep in mind: that's rarely the case for the vast majority of dogs in city/county animal shelters. Most dogs aren't "in Heaven" at the pound. It's rarely a "step-up" for most pets.

But sadly... for Lucky... it was.

As Lisa watched Lucky... smiling... rolling in the grass... she just couldn’t bear to see him die.

Yet... that was his fate.

That day, Lisa thought: Surely, after all that he's been through... this boy deserves to live...

So... Lisa contacted every possible rescue group she knew... hoping that someone, somewhere, would be willing to save this boy.

And yet... no one would help her.

At the same time, Lisa knew that I would help.
She knows where my heart is.
She knows that I take the dogs... no one else will take.
She knows that I'd do anything... for a special dog like Lucky.

But... she also knew how overwhelmed I was... with all the dogs I had in my care.
So... she tried asking everyone one else she could think of... first.

Even still... she knew... I could --and would-- help this dog.

So finally, she contacted me.

Lisa has often called me “the buck stopper" ...because she says I’m the person you call... when you want something to happen.

Well... I guess she has a point...

Because... when Lisa told me about Lucky’s heartbreaking story...
Without another thought...
The words, “I’ll take him!” came out of my mouth.

I’m not gonna lie... I was kinda shocked to hear myself say this.
Not because I didn’t want to save him… I wanted that more than anything.

But... in doing so, I completely disregarded the fact that I had no more space for rescue dogs.

I guess I also forgot... that I had no more money for rescue dogs.

Pretty much: the rational-decision-making-process... never took place here.

The only thing I could think about... was Lucky. This precious soul, who has been tortured his entire life.

I thought about the pain he must have felt, as those worthless cowards cropped his ears with a pair of scissors. (Which—by the way—is a common practice, amongst low-lifes who want their dogs to look "vicious." They refuse to pay a vet for an ear crop surgery… so they simply take a knife... or some random, dull-ass scissors —and... with no anesthesia or pain meds whatsoever— they proceed to cut a dog’s ears and/or tail off. Anyone capable of this level of cruelty should be in prison. Period.)

So... long story short... I agreed to rescue Lucky (who had no name at this point), because he deserved it.

I didn’t consider anything else. I didn’t consider myself; I didn't consider the space I had; I didn't consider the money I had. Nothing.

Quite simply... I wanted Lucky to know love before leaving this earth. He's never had that before. Ever.

But now... he will.

And now... he does.

I named him "Lucky" for obvious reasons: Earlier in life, Lucky's ears were painfully removed... with a rusty old pair of old scissors. Then, his severely broken leg... was never repaired... and today... he has no functional use of that limb.

But even after all the pain he'd endured...
Yesterday...
He was scheduled to die..

Lucky has suffered a lifetime of abuse & neglect... nearing death at every turn.

And yet… he lives.

Lucky you.
Lucky me. 

CLICK TO DONATE TO LUCKY DOG RESCUE!