Help is needed to find rescues to take the remaining dogs from the Olympic Animal Sanctuary. There are about thirty dogs left, some pit mixes, some rottie mixes, some semi-feral shepherd mixes, an Aussie mix and some small dogs. All of the dogs were in terrible shape when rescued but their health has improved. My request to you, dear reader, is that you share this story so that more rescues will know about the situation and step up for the remaining dogs. Also some of you might help out with donations. More below the fold.
This link to TV news broadcast gives a good summary of the story. http://www.jrn.com/...
For those of you who don’t follow links, this is the jist: Olympic Animal Sanctuary was either a hoarding situation or a very incompetently managed rescue, depending on how charitable you feel like being in your interpretation of the situation. The sanctuary website promised humane treatment for dogs that were in need of rehabilitation for behavior problems. However the actual treatment of the dogs wasn’t remotely humane and many of the incarcerated dogs had no significant behavior problems before they were taken in. All of them had significant health problems when they were finally rescued from the “sanctuary”.
The sanctuary was a small warehouse the size of a modest home. Inside the dogs were confined to tiny kennels or kept in crates stacked up in the filth and darkness. Photos taken by the police and a volunteer show dogs without water, dead dogs in a cooler, and dogs with untreated injuries. In spite of clear violations of Washington laws concerning treatment of animals, the local authorities took no action. To my shame as a Democrat, part of the reason for lack of action was a threat made by a local Democratic politician (who was VP of the sanctuary) to withhold cooperation on political goals if authorities carried out a prosecution.
When word got out that the “sanctuary” was not what it claimed to be it, it crashed and burned amid a welter of protests, lawsuits and consumer fraud complaints. The dogs were freed and turned over to the Guardians of Rescue. Now the dogs are being cared for in Arizona. They are being transferred from Arizona to rescues all over the US for adoption. There were 124 dogs in December and now there are about thirty left to place.
Pictures of the dogs can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/... These pictures were taken at the kennel set up by Guardians of Rescue to provide for the dogs until they can be transferred to rescues that can prepare them for adoption.
Pictures of the conditions in the Olympic Animal Sanctuary can be seen here (graphic images—warning) :
Water: https://www.facebook.com/...
Food: https://www.facebook.com/...
Emaciated dog: https://www.facebook.com/...
Shelter and space: https://www.facebook.com/...
Interior crates: https://www.facebook.com/...
The exercise yard: https://www.facebook.com/...
More interior shots: https://www.facebook.com/...
Dead dogs https://www.facebook.com/...
Skinny dog: https://www.facebook.com/...
This is Chance. He’s a nice dog, probably ready to go to a home: https://www.facebook.com/...
More rescues are needed to take the remaining dogs. If you know of a good rescue, or know someone who is interested in dog rescue, please share this. Fifteen to twenty new rescues are needed to place the remaining dogs.
To make a donation to the Guardians of Rescue go here: https://www.facebook.com/...
The Guardians have spent over sixty thousand dollars on this rescue and could really use some donations. They had to build a kennel from scratch in Arizona, hire staff, and pay enormous vet bills. It was an amazing, heroic effort on their part. Any help would be very much appreciated.