Shelter saving all kinds of critters

Volunteers love the unloved, find homes for all By CINDI HERR
cherr@cherokeescout.com Tuesday, May 15, 2007 8:13 PM CDT     Blairsville, Ga. – One month ago, Peanut was abandoned in a Dumpster on Joe Brown Highway in Hanging Dog. Though he was frightened and wary of people, the small tan pup complied when a friendly face rescued him from certain death.

    Thanks to the hard work and dedication of a group of volunteers, Peanut holds his head high as he proudly parades on his leash, enjoying plenty of pats and scratches behind the ears, all the while being cared for and loved until he finds a home.

    Castaway Critters, a no-kill shelter based in Blairsville, Ga., offers an alternative to traditional humane societies in six counties in western North Carolina and north Georgia by giving dozens of dogs like Peanut a second chance at life.

    Completely supported by donations and run by compassionate volunteers, the shelter operates as a non-profit organization on the belief that each animal should be treated humanely and deserves a home.

    “We take care of them here like they’re our own. That’s the difference,” spokesperson Sharen Lindley said. “People say all the time that you can’t treat your animals like you do at home, and that’s false. ... Most shelters put dogs in a cage. We go the extra mile. We really are the alternative.”

    For about a year, the all-volunteer group operated by fostering animals in their own homes. In February, they obtained a building that had been a kennel but whose previous tenants allowed it to fall into disrepair.

    About a dozen volunteers have been working diligently to fix up the facility, building new kennels and dog runs in their spare time.

    It has been a laborious process, as daily cleaning and regular shelter upkeep consume most of the manpower. Although the building is spotlessly clean, the walls need repainting, the floors need sealing and a lot of carpentry work – including the construction of several more runs for large dogs – needs to be completed.

    “We’re short of help. We need some young help,” volunteer Jim Bitting said. “I’m 71 years old, and I’m building these fences by myself. I don’t mind, but these dogs need help.”

    The shelter also accepts cats, but has had few so far.

    Since Feb. 1, nearly 250 dogs have been adopted or transported by Castaway Critters to other no-kill shelters across the nation, making sure each one was vaccinated and spayed or neutered by local veterinarians.

    Since then, Terry Weber has been hired as full-time manager to oversee daily operations, but the services of a half-dozen volunteers are needed for regular tasks.

    The shelter averages about 55 dogs a month. Each animal that comes to the shelter is treated and affectionately cared for as somebody’s pet.

    In addition to regular baths, daily walks or time in the dog runs, each dog in the kennel is given a blanket or mat to sleep on, toys to play with and treats to munch on. Those who stay in fenced-in yards have access to adequate shelter.

    “We do a lot of hands-on with these guys,” co-founder JoAnne Weast said.

    Dogs don’t even know that they are treated to the very best. Supplements to their regular Hill’s Science Diet meals include liquid multivitamins, colloidal silver and vitamin C. Soft, soothing music echoes through the kennel to calm the atmosphere. And in addition to all of the standard vaccinations, each dog is treated for ticks, fleas and heartworms.

    Every animal comes with a three-week guarantee. Volunteers screen each potential adopter and follow up with each new owner after the first month of adoption as a courtesy.

    Castaway Critters also hosts pet adoptions at PetSmart in Marietta, Ga., every second and fourth Saturday, and on every fifth Saturday at a pet store in Highlands.

    These services cost time and effort. Bitting’s wife, Ann, and volunteer Steve Keim serve as fund-raisers and event coordinators. They have overseen several high-yielding fund-raising events for other animal shelters, helping rake in as much as $15,000 in one night for a wine tasting for a shelter in Young Harris, Ga.

    The next big events include participating in the citywide yard sale along Main Street in Hiawassee on Saturday, June 2, at Ministries of Grace; and “Bark in the Park,” set for 4-6 p.m. Monday, July 16, also on the square in Hiawassee.

    Other diligent efforts of volunteers help keep Castaway Critters open. The shelter’s youngest volunteer, 7-year-old Ansley Burnette of Blairsville has held bake sales and is planning a yard sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot across from Young Harris College on U.S. 76.

    Burnette, a home-schooled student, volunteers weekly at the shelter with the help of her mom, Dawn. She enjoys bathing and walking the dogs.

    Castaway Critters operates under the support of Saving Shelter Pets, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) animal welfare organization founded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to support animal rescue work. The rescue and transport team moves adoptable companion animals out of shelters with high euthanasia rates literally off of death row to no-kill rescues in large-scale efforts of 20-30 animals at a time, according to www.savingshelterpets.com. Under no circumstances are any animals euthanized or transported to an organization where they could be killed.

    “We will not give up until we find their forever homes, or we will be lifelong fosters,” Lindley said. “If there were six more groups like us [in the area], we could humanely take care of the dog overpopulation problem.”

    Castaway Critters seeks to help stop the pet overpopulation, abuse and euthanasia cycle at its source through a program called “Puppy Promises.” This innovative intervention program was created to save puppies before they ever enter the shelter environment, finding foster homes to quarantine the puppies for two weeks after they are born. The pups are vaccinated and the mothers are spayed, all at Saving Shelter Pets’ expense.

    Through Puppy Promises, Castaway Critters works cooperatively with Valley River Humane Society, taking in expectant mothers or those with young pups and quarantining them from common shelter illnesses such as parvo and mange.

    “We are working very hard right now to get more fosters. We want [all puppies] to be born in a home environment,” Lindley said.

    Shelter officials welcome new ideas and volunteers, Weber said.

    “Everyone is important, and everyone’s opinion matters. We’re very approachable,” she said. “We all have the same goal.”

    For details, call Lindley at 837-4186 or 835-6023.


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