Adopt
Some Love – Two Women Make it Their Mission to Save Hundreds of Dogs and Cats in Rural Oklahoma
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| This is Jessi. At five weeks old, she was left in a pasture to fend for herself. 3 Girls rescued her and transported her to Colorado where she is bringing joy and comfort to her family that recently experienced tremendous loss. |
The
first thing you need to know about 3 Girls Animal Rescue in Poteau, OK– they
are all volunteers.
The
second thing you need to know about 3 Girls Animal Rescue – they are actually
two girls, they say the third girl symbolizes the volunteers.
The
third thing you need to know about 3 Girls Animal Rescue – they are the only hope for hundreds of animals in
LeFlore County, Oklahoma.
Poteau
is a small rural town located in the southeastern part of Oklahoma, not far
from Fort Smith, Arkansas. Poteau has a
pound – not a shelter. Animals taken in
as strays are held for 5 days. If
animals are not claimed or pulled by 3 Girls Animal Rescue, they are euthanized
on the 5th day. Owner give
ups are destroyed in one day, unless they are saved by 3 Girls. That’s the
heartbreaking and shocking reality that Mitzi and Angela work with every day.
3
Girls Animal rescue was founded in 2013 (and incorporated a year later) to give
animals in Poteau and Wister, Oklahoma a fighting chance – the tiny organization
saved 450 dogs and cats in its first year.
In 2014, they saved 419 animals and for 2015, they are on track to
rescue over 600 animals.
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| Mitzi got a call and went out in a snowstorm to rescue this precious boy. He was around 8-10 years old, deaf from chronic, untreated ear infections, almost blind, heartworm positive, and absolutely the cutest thing she’d had ever seen! Mitzi figured he'd spend the rest of his years at her house, but this wonderful couple saw his picture and fell in love! They drove 2 1/2 hours to adopt him. Say hello to Bernie and his family! |
Mitzi
and Angela work as a strong team, doing everything in their power to save
animals in LeFlore County. One of their
greatest successes came in July 2014 when the team worked to change city code
to end the gassing of dogs and cats – animals are now taken to local
veterinarians to be euthanized. (sadly, there are still municipalities that gas
animals)
It’s
Mitzi that visits the pound every other day to pull the animals. “It’s a heartbreaking but rewarding life,”
she confessed, “but I feel blessed to get to rescue. We are the only hope these babies have.” She
also recruits and works with fosters.
She reminds fosters of the vital role they play in saving animals lives,
“If we don’t save them, they won’t have another chance.” That’s not hyperbole, that’s fact, the pounds
do not adopt out animals, if they aren’t pulled by 3 Girls Animal Rescue, the
dogs and cats don’t survive.
Mitzi
and Angela work to ensure that all dogs and cats are fully vetted – up to date
on shots, as well as spayed and neutered.
They work with three vet clinics in the area. It costs 3 Girls a minimum of $120 per dog to
get it ready for adoption. The majority
of dogs and cats they save need to be spayed and neutered. The animals suffer from worms, ear mites and
unfortunately – heart worms. It’s not
unusual for vet bills to reach several hundred dollars for a dog with heart
worms – but they will do whatever is needed to save that animal and get it
adopted.
It’s
not plausible that the hundreds of animals Mitzi pulls from the pound will be
adopted in LeFlore County or even across the river in Fort Smith – and that’s
where Angela comes in. Angela is the
master networker and logistics maven.
She works with rescue organizations in Colorado, Illinois and
Connecticut to take the vetted animals and provide them homes. She also schedules all the transportation for
the animals. So once or twice a month
Mitzi, Angela, and a volunteer will drive a van load of healthy animals to their
first stop to a forever home. With no
money for over-night stays, those animal transports are often one day turn
arounds, and each season brings weather challenges.
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When Mitzi's dear friend Sonna asked for a companion, Mitzi put Diamond in the car and drove 3 hours.
It was love at first sight! |
Mitzi
and Angela work part time to help keep the rescue afloat. Running a rescue is financially and
emotionally draining. Mitzi says the
team's spouses are incredibly supportive and will step in when they sense a
member of the duo needs a break. They
also could not do it without the support of volunteers and fosters.
Long
term the team wants to continue to rescue animals and would like to start a
low-cost spay neuter facility in LeFlore County. “Our number one challenge is over
population,” Mitzi says. She said 3
Girls recently initiated a policy, “we won’t take an owner’s puppies unless
they promise to spay the mother. We had
to, we kept getting litter after litter from the same dog.”
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Here’s Mitzi with Stevie. Stevie was in very bad shape when Mitzi pulled him from the pound. He only had use of 3 legs due to a permanent injury to one leg, had serious skin infections and was totally deaf.
He's now happy in his forever home! |
So
what’s on 3 Girls wish list for 2016 and how can you help?
1) Donate. It costs 3 Girls a minimum of $120 to save a
dog and $89 per cat http://form.jotformpro.com/form/42637003824955 and while they have great relationships with
their partner rescues in Colorado, Illinois and Connecticut, those
organizations don’t reimburse for or share vetting or transportation costs.
2) Network. Do you know a rescue group that accepts
healthy animals from out of state, maybe one that shares costs and fees? Do you
know of organizations that can help bring low-cost spay and neuter to services
to Poteau? Do you have friends and
family in Oklahoma or Arkansas that can foster or volunteer?
3) Educate. Share the story of 3 Girls Animal Rescue with
your friends and network. Do you have a
contact or expertise that can help 3 Girls expand? Share it!
Currently 3 Girls is funded through private donations, but they’d love
to apply for grants – ideas are welcome!
We rescue because these animals have so
much love to give. We rescue because when we look into the eyes of the dogs and
cats in those pens at the pound, we see souls. We see fear, where there should
be joy, and we HAVE to help them –
3 Girls Animal Rescue…..
3
Girls Animal Rescue
P.O.
Box 1001
Shady
Point, Oklahoma 74956
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| Annaliese was part of a litter of pups the girls saved and drove to Colorado for adoption. Here she is with Angela celebrating arrival and hope for a forever home. |
