12 years ago, Clifford’s Army Rescue was born.    At that time, the shelters were slammed, our local shelter taking in over 4000 dogs a year, with most being euthanized.  We had high hopes of changing the world for dogs everywhere.  We took photos, we socialized the dogs, we worked with tons of other rescues and we began to get more and more dogs out of the shelter, as many as 273 in one month.   We saw dogs that had been adopted out by the shelter come back in with puppies years later.  We rescued dogs that never ” got on the bus” to get altered and had multiple litters.   This is not to lay blame on the shelter.  Yes, the dogs should have been altered before adopting but at that time there was so very many, the hope was the people would show up for their appointments.    It did not happen.

Fast forward and the next few years saw intake drop, and drop drastically as shelters started saying, ” we are full”, and trying to get the citizens to do more to find a place for their dogs and strays that showed up in their yards, than depend on the county shelter.   While in theory, this may sound good, but if you truly do not want to keep a dog, or you do not have a choice and have to give your dog up, are you really going to wait patiently?   Most people getting ” rid” of their dog either do not have any choice ( sickness, health issues etc) or just don’t care.     Many many dogs then just get dumped out on the side of the road to fend for themselves.  ( dogs are domesticated, they cannot survive on their own)

We also saw more dogs getting pregnant, more litters.  There is not a puppy season anymore.  Puppy season is year round.   Our intake steadily rose for years and then boom, it exploded.  We are slammed and the phone never stops ringing with more in need.   We struggle to keep up.  We struggle to find yet another foster, or room for another dog in our rescue.

Today, three defenseless puppies were dumped outside in a crate ( it was below freezing).  No thought to what could have happened to them.   It The above quote on the photo, sums it up perfectly….. so please do not judge us, please help us… foster, adopt, volunteer, transport, donate.. whatever you can do to help. Rescuers are drowning trying to keep up.

What is the solution?  Enforcing the laws, holding people accountable and a local low cost spay/neuter clinic.