The dog rescue organization Where The Love Is is sharing remarkable stories of survival for dogs left to fend for themselves, and highlighting the widespread efforts that go into saving the life of an animal.
They are continuing this work even as shelters across the country are overwhelmed by surrendered dogs.
“There was a post of a dog basically, who was hit by a car and lying on the side of the road. Definitely hurt, probably near death, just lying,” Janice Murphy Wallace, Where the Love Is volunteer, said.
When somebody alerted the nonprofit on social media, volunteers sprung into action. The video shows how the rescue organization in Hamden connected with volunteers in Texas. Dozens of people were on a text chain, coordinating Jupiter the dog’s transport by plane to a vet, extensive treatment, and ultimately, recovery.
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“He has been thriving,” Murphy Wallace said. “He's been healing. He's all set, and now he's in his forever home in Dallas, which is wonderful.”
Another video shows Chester’s story.
“He was going to be euthanized, not because he was a bad dog, or he was a danger. It was simply because the shelters down in Texas were too full,” Ashley Byun, Where the Love Is volunteer, said.
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When Where the Love Is heard the news, they intervened, hours before Chester was set to be euthanized.
“He's just a happy, happy dog,” Murphy Wallace said. “We call him a pogo stick because he just jumped so high, he's so happy to see you.”
Now, Chester is at the facility in Hamden waiting to be adopted.
“I always say I'd like Chester to be our next Yale mascot, because as you see, he has a Y on his side,” Murphy Wallace said.
Byun is behind the videos with some other volunteers.
“I was lucky enough to be part of that group chat. And I have to say, that I was just so amazed by the passion, by the love, the compassion,” Byun said about following Jupiter’s rescue.
She hopes to convey each of these dogs’ amazing back stories.
“Just the love that goes into these rescues,” Byun said. “And that it really does take a village to make these things happen.”
Where the Love Is rescues many dogs like Chester from southern states, where shelters are overwhelmed.
They take in 50 to 100 dogs per year, depending on how fast the pups can get adopted. However, they say it has been difficult as COVID restrictions ease, and shelters across the country have seen a spike in owners surrendering their pets.
Right now, three dogs named Rosie, Kiki and Lucy are surrendered dogs staying at Where the Love Is.
“She would love to go into a forever home,” Murphy Wallace said about Kiki. “As you can imagine, during COVID, everyone wanted a dog. A lot of people, they think they want a puppy and it’s not what they really thought was a good fit.”
Beyond that, the rescue says a tough economy and financial hardship is forcing some owners to give up their pets.
“Her hoodie is her security blanket and she likes to keep it on,” Murphy Wallace said about Lucy. “Definitely had some spunk left in her.”
It was financial hardship that led Lucy’s owner to surrender her at age 13.
“She's a senior, she's a lovely, lovely dog. I know that her owner was heartbroken,” Byun said. “Her owner said that he could barely take care of himself. And that's the really sad reality. So it is a huge problem right now.”
Where the Love Is says what they need most right now are fosters.
“We are constantly asking for fosters. It's just really wonderful when a dog could get out of the kennel and into a home,” Murphy Wallace said.
When they space clears in the shelter, they can also bring in more dogs like Chester, who is spending plenty of time running and jumping while waiting for his forever home.
“I really feel the right person is going to come along and adopt this dog,” Murphy Wallace said. “When everyone bands together and a great group of volunteers, it really comes to show where the love is from all of them.”
This year, Where the Love is also celebrating its 10-year anniversary. They are doing a “10 For 10” campaign to fundraise.
The nonprofit says its vet bills are over $10,000, and they want to save more lives.
While they're looking for more fosters, the organization is also seeking volunteers at the shelter for events, and they are always looking to connect with people ready to adopt a rescue dog.
