Jacksonville, FL - Last Tuesday, Kaiya, a blind and deaf dog, was left at the night drop-off area of a high kill shelter in Clay County. Her owner's identity is not known - what is known is that this person was capable of dropping their dog off under the darkness of night.
They were capable of leaving their blind, deaf companion in an outdoor kennel run - alone and frightened. They were not even courageous enough to wait until the shelter was open - to make sure that their dog was inside and safe.
Kaiya, being both blind and deaf, was surely bewildered and frightened. Her fear must have been overwhelming as she took in the unfamiliar smells and sounds....as she banged her head against the cold links of the kennel run, trying to escape her foreign surroundings.
Her owner may have dumped Kaiya like a piece of trash, but her photos created a furor on Facebook. Hundreds of dog lovers begged for a rescue to step up and save the gentle looking Chow.
Luckily for Kaiya, Mary Ann of Pet Rescue North, Inc., a rescue committed to caring for injured, blind, deaf or otherwise unwanted pets, was determined to pull the dog from the shelter.
Hundreds of Facebook individuals promised to help. Promised to donate for her care. Promised to do whatever it would take to get the teddy-bear faced dog out of the shelter.
On November 27, Mary Ann, along with fellow dog rescuer, Debi Reidel, made the trek to pull Kaiya from the high kill shelter. Pet Rescue North Inc., had already secured a wonderful foster home for the dog - everything was in place.
Thankfully, the actually trip and pulling of the blind, deaf dog went smoothly. What did not go as promised disheartened the 2 women that spear-headed Kaiya's rescue.
Of the hundreds of people that promised financial assistance, only three followed through. Three people out of hundreds. Mary Ann and Pet Rescue North Inc., are not backing out on Kaiya, but the lack of response rattles their faith in humanity.
As for Kaiya, she is now safe and warm in the loving care of a foster home. She is going to live the rest of her life as a treasured companion and she will never again know the fear and dismay of being thrown away.
If you are interested in donating towards Kaiya's medical and care, please click this Chip-In link. All funds go either to Kaiya, or to other dogs like Kaiya - dogs otherwise without hope.
People love to rally behind a scared, injured, or otherwise disabled dog - promises are frequently thrown out with pleas to save the life of these dogs.
It is crucial to remember that the rescues that do the actual rescuing need these donations to function. Donations are the life-blood of a dog rescue. If you commit to helping a dog in need, please follow-through on your commitment.
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Comments
This is the first I knew of this dog. I hope her former owners rot you-know-where for dumping a blind and deaf dog in the middle of the night. I'm disappointed that so few followed through with monetary donations. From what I've seen, that is usually not the case. I will make a donation (and I will follow through) although I can't give much. :(
Bless Pet Rescue North for saving this baby.
I'm very happy to hear that Kaiya found a good home. Thank you Pet Rescue North Inc. for helping Kaiya! I would like to help out financially but my husband and I both have been out of work for a long time. Our pet priority right now is Macy, our chocolate lab. I hope Kaiya is very happy and healthy in her new home and I promise we will NEVER let down our Macy like so many people let down their pets. Thanks for sharing this story.
I donated! Why don't the other people who "promised" do the right thing instead of promising and then turning their backs?
At least the owners surrendered her where she would be found, and possibly helped, that's likely why the night drop-off exists. How many owners leave their unwanted dogs tied up in their yards or basements without food, water, shelter, love, etc.....and certainly without chance for a better life. If we all complain about how cowardly it was to turn the unwanted dog in the way that it happened, then these "cowardly" people will be shamed into not giving up their unwanted pets and may end up doing worse by leaving the dog to die at their place, or killing it themselves. I think it's great that this dog is now being helped - how she got dropped off is less important - not that I agree with giving away a pet once it gets older/sick.... You'll likely find the owner at a pet shop, looking for a new puppy just in time for Christmas.
Since this was written 16 more people have donated. I know that many of us who didn't promise to donate would love to but money is tight right now.
Thank goodness Kaiya was lucky enough to be spotted and that she touched the heart of some truly wonderful people. I don't think she will ever want for anything again. Especially loving companionship.
Thank you Mary Ann and Debi. You both stepped in and committed to Kaiya immediately when others might have looked at her disabilities and rejected her. You both ROCK!
Kaiya is OUT OF THE BUILDING and for that I am thankful. But an issue I feel that needs to be addressed is these so called chip ins. Of late, many MANY chip ins have surfaced on the most notable of the social networking site. Quite a few of these chip ins have been found to be scams: people post pictures of innocent beings that absolutely pull on the heart strings of so many. Well meaning kind people put money into the chip ins. The people who initiated these chip ins then abscond with the money meant to help the innocents. WORD OF WARNING: BE VERY WARY of these chip ins, there are unscrupulous people playing on the sympathy of many! KNOW WHO YOU ARE SENDING MONEY TO!
I agree that people need to exercise caution when donating via a Chip-in. However, please not if you click to Kaiya's chip in - there is also a vet clinic that people can mail or phone donations in to. A reputable rescue is attached to this request for donations. Those uncomfortable with a chip-in should donate directly to a vet clinic instead.
Endabuse, please do not hesitate to call Clay County Animal Control at (904) 284-6342 and verify and confirm our story, they are located at 3984 State Road 16 W Green Cove Springs, FL 32043-4830. We were met by the Commissioner, who personally shook our hand and thanked us. We are an established rescue group since 1992. Pet Rescue North, Inc. is dedicated to the blind, deaf, and injured animals. You are welcome to click on the website as well and you will find many animals that have been helped with funding out of our own pockets, without donations, and with our loving arms and dedication. It is ashame that the ChipIn has been abused by "other people", may I say "criminals". It ruins it for the ones like us who are legitimate, and have to read a comment such as yours, respectfully.
I am a veterinarian personally aquainted with Pet Rescue North and the incredible women who keep it going. I can say without any hesitation that in over 20 years of practice, most of it in animal welfare or shelter medicine, I have never EVER seen anyone more devoted to saving lives and doing it WELL and HONESTLY than I have with Peggy (and Mary Ann) at Pet Rescue North. I have known countless rescuers and shelters over the years and nonecome anywhere close to the integrity I have seen with PRN.
Thank God Kaiya fell into their hands.
Please remember PRN also for all the OTHER homelesspets they have saved over the years, and the ones there now still hoping for a forever home. They are even associated with United Way, and have been working to save lives longer than some of the posters have even been alive.
God Bless them, they are a model for what we should all be towards animals.
it is sad that so many people do that all of the time. i just read this article and donated a bit. how are we supposed to rescue these creatures when there is no money to? it gets the hopes up of those that will do the rescue because they think they'll have the money to cover at least some of their expense and when it doesn't go through it's a let down and they'll be more apprehensivve about saving another baby like this one. by doing this the only one that ends up losing is the animal that needs rescuing.
GOD BLESS YOU DOG NAMED COOKIE!!!!!!
YOU ARE SAFE AND WITH LOVING,CARING PEOPLE WHO WILL LOVE YOU TAKE CARE OF YOU PROTECT YOU, HELP YOU,GUIDE YOU, FEED YOU AND SHOWER YOU WITH LOVE AND ATTENTION FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!!!!!!
PRN is outstanding! I have adopted ( pitbull) from Ms. Peggy and am currently fostering a pitbull for her. I will continue to help her in anyway that I can. She is there to help these animals and by her helping one of the most feared breeds the "Pitbull", I only have admiration and respect for her and Ms. Maryann. They are truly there for all animals in need.
I believe it's important not to vilify people who surrender animals at shelters. We have no way of knowing the circumstances of the owner. This may well have been an act of love by someone in desperate straits -- most people assume that shelters are places of refuge. As this story makes clear, all too often, they are the opposite, but the general public really has no way of knowing that. Luckily, the shelter allowed Kaiya to be pulled, and the ending was a happy one. I'm so glad for her.
Dorian2 has an excellent point. Many shelters put a great deal into propaganda and PR. They do not always tell the public honestly how many animals are killed vs. truly adopted or rescued, and many "NO KILL" shelters simply ship animals to another location to be killed, or have fine print (you really have to look) explaining they won't be killed UNLESS...(illness, behavior change, temperatment, etc.)
While many rescues and some smaller shelters do have extremely dedicated staff, most larger shelters (most especially city or county ones,) hire totally unskilled and untrained staff and the animals are at the mercy of ignorance and apathyand "community service" workers.
Having worked in and around shelters for years, I can attest that most "shelters" are just Kill facilities. Some are honest about it, and some are not. City or county run facilities are also at the mercy of local politics and politicians. Check out the credentials of many shelter directors; MOST have no background at all with formal animal care, husbandry, or medicine, and positions may be appointed or hired depending on politics and favors and who knows whom. Being a shelter director or manager does NOT make one an expert on animal care or humane issues or shelter dynamics.
It would be great if there were some uniform way to rate and evaluate all public and private "shelters" that take in or pick up unwanted animals and give honest statistics on "disposal" rates, method of disposal, adoption efforts and rates, cleanliness, standard of care, and criteria for staff hitring. Many shelters hire through croniism and nepotism and are looking only for warm bodies. Skill and compassion are not rewarded.
It would be a good thing if more people (and the media, perhaps, if HONEST,) did more background work on checking out their local shelters, but most people are too squeamish or in denial and prefer to look the other way.
Thank God-literally-for true refuges like Pet Rescue North.
What a big, fuzzy lump of love! Chipped in what little I could!
I have known and helped out at PRN for the past 10 years. This wonderful Chow who I had the pleasure of meeting today will have the best that Peggy can give her. She was blessed to have found a very kind women to give her a warm and loving home. Pet Rescue North is a home when there is no other. If there is no adoption for some they live long and happy lives with Peggy. No dog is taken out the back door for supposedly being unadoptable. All are loved no matter if they dig a hole in a newly sodded backyard, or if they don't fit the back seat of a car of someone moving. I have seen this little women out in the cold, heat, floods caring for these dogs. Thousands have found wonderful homes through PRN and its many volunteers. This is a true shelter and safe haven for those who need it the most. From all your Furr Babies Thanks Mama!
Thank heavens for great loving saviors I just spent $1400.00 on my older dogs overnight stay in ICU due to his life threatening sizzures -Im subsisting on a small SS chk so I wont be able to send money -It is horrible that people who abuse/neglect/dump animals seem to get so little punishment-if any laws need to be changed and enforced and more tax dollars spent on "no kill shelters"Wish I could be judge and jury for these monsters I can guarantee the offender would not be able to offend again
I personally foster two dogs via PRN and they are a wonderful pet rescue. If you would like to verify that Pet Rescue North is not a scam do some research online, please don't just post that it could be a scam. There is tons of information on petfinder.com and online that it is a legit rescue. Also if you would like to help and don't have the money you can just go to theanimalrescuesite.com site and vote for Pet Rescue North. Together we can help those that cannot help themselves.
The problem with Facebook is so many people think with their hearts but do nothing, thinking the next person will do something. Everyone needs to pitch in to help. It only takes $1 to save a life. Imagine if every one dontated a dollar how many animals can be saved, and how many rescuers can continue their mission.
Step up and take action!
I have shared this story oon my facebook page and asked that allof my friends who read it, pass it on.
I truly hope this helps.
I beleive that the Golden Rule Works Both Ways,
the way that they have treated this dog, will be how they will one day be treated.
I am a Catholic but obviously, Im not a good one, for which I apologize.
I'm happy She is safe and in a good home. I hate when people hurt animals. all they want is to please U and love U. I love my dogs.
I donate to animal shlters. For christmas I will donate money to save her life. Love U kaiya.
I'm happy She is safe and in a good home. I hate when people hurt animals. all they want is to please U and love U. I love my dogs.
I donate to animal shlters. For christmas I will donate money to save her life. Love U kaiya.
All praise to Peggy and Mary Ann for their undying work for animals. Truly your good Karma is massive and growing larger by the day...no by the HOUR.
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