LEAGUE TAKES IN 30 DOGS FROM OHIO “RESCUE GROUP” ACCUSED OF NEGLECT, INHUMANE TREATMENT

March 19, 2011

(March 19, 2011) Washington, DC – The Washington Animal Rescue League (the League) took in 30 dogs whom the ASPCA rescued three weeks ago at the request of the Clark County (Ohio) Humane Society. The dogs were being held in inadequate, cramped quarters, both inside and outside, at a “no-kill” animal shelter called One More Chance Rescue and Adoption in Springfield, Ohio.

In all, the ASPCA removed 349 living and 76 dead dogs from One More Chance and transferred the live ones to a temporary shelter nearby. Nearly 200 of the dogs were then transferred to animal shelters in Ohio. Today an additional 102 are being transported to the Washington Animal Rescue League and other shelters in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York State. The remainder is scheduled to go to shelters in the Midwest.

“We could not do this lifesaving work without our response partners and we’re grateful for their collaboration,” said Allison Cardona, director of operations for the ASPCA’s Field Investigations and Response team. “We are happy to see these dogs leave the temporary shelter and move on toward a better life.”

The League’s participation in this rescue was made possible through a generous grant from the ASPCA.

The 30 dogs at the League—mostly mixed hounds and other larger, mixed breed dogs—are being evaluated and treated at its full-service, state-of-the-art Medical Center.  After that, the professionally certified behavior and training staff will assist them in overcoming any socialization problems and psychological traumas.
“This is not the first time that the League has had to step in to save dogs from a self-proclaimed rescue organization,” relates Dr. Gary Weitzman, the League’s CEO. “Rescue work is not as easy as some people think, and it happens all too often that groups find themselves over their heads. They can end up causing more harm than good. But we can give the dogs medical care, behavioral support, and permanent homes—everything they need to become cherished family members. That was the idea all along, of course, but sometimes, sadly, dogs need to be rescued from people who call themselves rescuers.”

At the League, the arriving dog’s evaluations, treatments, and medical and psychological recoveries are expected to take some time compared to those of the other animals at the rehabilitation center in Northwest Washington.  The ultimate goal is to place them in adoptive homes, but “some of the dogs may not be ready for that for weeks,” according to Mary Jarvis, the chief operating officer.