Lowcountry Dog Magazine April May 2017 by Lowcountry Dog Magazine

Issue No. 10 • APRIL/MAY 2017 • DIGITAL

Captain's JOURNEY JOURNEY

NOKILL SOUTHCAROLINA

Adoptable Dogs!

RESCUE SPOTLIGHTH.F. Help

Meet the Pack PUBLISHER Brian Foster brian@lowcountrydog.com CHIEF CANINE OFFICER Peanut WEB AD SALES Kelly Glasson kelly@lowcountrydog.com SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Jessica Harrell jessica@lowcountrydog.com EDITORIAL COLUMNIST Alicia Williams alicia@lowcountrydog.com RESCUE SPOTLIGHT WRITER Julie Murray PHOTOGRAPHER Southern Vintage Design and Photography

We believe that our dogs are our best friends, and that’s why we need a reliable source to turn to for information on all things “dog” in our community. Our mission is to be the number one Charleston area resource for dog owners regarding regional dog-centric and dogwelcoming events, health & wellness information, dog training, trends, and local news. We also strive to be a mouthpiece to the public for various Lowcountry-based pet nonprofits, and we promote pet adoption and other responsible pet care practices. Founded in Charleston, South Carolina in 2005 as a print magazine, we re-launched in 2015 as an online publication. In 2016 we have updated our website to continue our mission to be the best dog friendly resource in the Lowcountry.

RESCUE SPOTLIGHT PRODUCER Palmetto Coast Media WEB DEVELOPER & CONSULTANT Laura Olsen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Carrie Allen Christina T. Williams, LVT

Sniff Us out!

CONTENTS COVER STORY

18 CAPTAIN'S JOURNEY

A LOCAL RESCUE DANE'S RECOVERY FROM WOBBLER'S

FEATURES PEANUT TIPS- HUMAN FOODS I CAN AND CAN'T HAVE

SIT, STAY, BEHAVEESSENTIALS OILS AS TRAINING AIDS

HEALTH AND WELLNESSDOG PARK SAFETY

PEACE, LOVE & REAL TALK

NO KILL SOUTH CAROLINA

COVER CONTEST 2017

RESCUE SPOTLIGHT: HF HELP

GO GREEN: ADOPTABLE DOGS

NO KILL SOUTH CAROLINA Page 26

RESCUE SPOTLIGHT: H.F. HELP Page 32

Charleston's Digital Dog Magazine

We may beg but we don't know what's good or bad for us so here are some tips!

Human Foods Dogs Should Never Eat! Onions Garlic Caffeine Avocado Salt Gum (anything sugar free, xylitol) Grapes & Raisins Chocolate Alcohol Apricot Macadamia Nuts Almonds Ice Cream Cinnamon

Source: American Kennel Club

's t u n Pea s Tip

Human Foods Dogs CAN Eat! Eggs, fully cooked Pork, Fish, Turkey or Chicken, fully cooked no seasoning Cheese, in small quantities Peanut Butter, raw and unsalted Yogurt, plain Honey Coconut Peanuts and Cashews, unsalted Pizza Crusts (I added this one, don't tell on me!) lowcountry dog 4

Sit, Stay...Behave!

Essentials Oils and their use with dogs Written by Carrie Allen, Head Trainer, Riley's Place Pet Retreat

Essential oils are an amazingly powerful tool to use when training your dogs. Part of what makes them so amazing for training is their benefits at emotional, cognitive, and psychological levels. Essential oils effects are known to work at a cellular level, so within just 22 seconds, their effects reach the brain. Many dogs have immediate and drastic improvement in their responses while training them to handle stress, anxiety, and aggression. For example, essential oils can be used in boarding facilities to help calm dogs with separation anxiety. I myself have been able to

lowcountry dog 6

help a few clients’ dogs using essential oils and thereby preventing them from needing to be temporarily medicated to work on their behaviors. Additionally, essential oils can be used for scent training when working with your dogs. You condition your dog to a certain scent, lavender for example, by having a lavender spray on hand to use whenever you are feeding your dog or just cuddling and petting them. The dog will learn to associate positive things with the scent you have chosen. This way, when a frightening situation occurs, you can just pull out

Photo by Pexels

Â your spray and use it, causing a trigger of positive memories for your dog to help them to eliminate or at least reduce the current fear they are experiencing, so that you can better manage the situation and help your dog calm down. Some great oils to use while working with your dog are lemon, stress away, lavender, andÂ frankincense. Lemon helps to increase focus.Â Because of this, my favorite time to use it is during a puppy's adolescent stage of life.

Stress away is somewhat self explanatory, and a favorite of my two pups; it also promotes relaxation. Lavender, well known for relaxation, also helps to promote sleep, ease muscle tension, and reduce stress levels. Frankincense helps to promote calming, grounding, creating healthy emotions, making it great for scent training your dog. All of that being said, essential oils are medicinal, so make sure to do your own research. This is the key to using essential oils with your pets and keeping them safe. Know your facts. Use a high quality brand that can guarantee its quality level. After much research myself, I have learned that just because something is labeled as 100% natural, this isn't always true. Many are actually full of synthetic fillers. Through my research, I have found that many oils, especially from health stores or third party vendors, need to be used with caution. Just like dog treats and dog foods, essential oils can be found anywhere and labeled as anything. I have also learned that you get what you pay for with essential oils. When using high quality, well sourced oils, the results are amazing and I hope more people can come around to the idea of trying them for their pets at home.

Health

Wellness

photo by Pexels

Dog Park Safety 101

Written By Christina T. Williams, LVT, Banfield Pet Hospital

The azaleas are in full bloom, temperatures are rising, and the pollen count seems to be stuck at "very high." Although early, it seems that spring has sprung in the Lowcountry. That means you can expect to see a lot more dog parents out and about with their furbabies; some are new dog parents, some are seasoned dog parents, and others are just passing through. Whatever group you fall into, it’s important to brush up on your dog park etiquette. lowcountry dog 10

The Lowcountry is home to a variety of wildlife, some which can carry and transmit zoonotic diseases to us and our families (both furry and otherwise). You don't need to be hiking through Francis Marion to come in contact with these diseases either, they are commonly found at your local parks, pet-friendly events or business and even pet stores. By staying on track with routine veterinary visits and ensuring your pet is current on all necessary vaccinations and parasite prevention, you can dramatically decrease the risk of you and your familyÂ being affected by these illnesses. Preventive recommendations are occasionally postedÂ but rarely enforced. It is our responsibility as pet parents to keep our fur babies safe by educating ourselves and following veterinary advice. By being careless, we are putting not only our families and pets health at risk, but we are also leaving the environment exposed to harboring diseases and parasites that are easily preventable. Simple precautions can prevent the spread of an already alarming population of disease and parasites.

Make sure your pet is up to date on all core vaccinations and parasite testing and parasite prevention (most common include heartworms, fleas, and intestinal parasites). Confirm that your personal information and your pets is updated with your veterinary professional, day care/boarding facilities. This includes phone numbers (primary and emergency), microchip information, and especially e-mail addresses. With technology advancing everyday, it is becoming more and more popular to offer online access to our pets medical records. Educate yourself on the different flea/tick/heartworm prevention options available, and partner with your veterinarian to choose the best prevention for your pet. Although it can be costly to protect your pets monthly might be one of the most important things to do. By preventing these parasites, you are saving your pet from an unpleasant (and often times harmful) experience and yourself from unnecessary expenses. Remember that the choices we make can affect an entire community.

Does your pet have a "go bag"? If not, get one! It is an important part of your pets safety when you're on the go. Some things to include: Up to date name tags to attach to your pets collar/harness. Make sure your contact information is correct and legible. Current rabies tag to attach to your pets collar/harness and a copy of the current rabies certification. Extra leash Veterinarian contact information as well as local emergency clinic information. Fresh water and bowl. Waste bags! One of the most common ways parasites are transferred into the environment and other pets is through feces, so remember how important it is to clean up after your pets. Towel (in case water is part of your outing) 1. Limit your pet's exposure to standing water as it is usually home to different harmful parasites and even worse Leptospirosis. 2. Pay close attention to your pets behavior and watch for any signs of discomfort or distress, especially in the warmer temperatures. 3. It is important to know what type of water is around (salt, fresh or brackish). Saltwater toxicity is real so avoid letting your pet drink anything other than what you would.

“I have seen things ranging from major soft tissue trauma, fractured jaws, and teeth to GI viral and parasitic infections from quick visits to the park. Taking the appropriate precautions and preparations may just save your family from unnecessary visits to the veterinarian or worse the emergency room this spring.” -Dr.Leeman

THE REALITY OF NO-KILL IS NOT AS GLAMOUROUS IT SOUNDS When it comes to animal welfare, I am honored to be a native of Charleston County. Not only is Charleston the first county to be deemed “no-kill" within the state – but the first “no-kill” throughout the entire Southeast. While this is tremendous progress, we need to make sure we stay informed with what is going on. Let’s keep in mind that “no-kill” does NOT mean that there’s no euthanasia. The phrase “no-kill” applies to animals that are labeled “adoptable.” For example, animals that are under tremendous amounts of stress while staying in a shelter and exhibit anxiety which turns into aggression? Most likely going to be put down. An owner surrender with a bite history? Most lowcountry dog 14

likely going to be put down. A starving animal that is food reactive? Most likely going to be put down. Let me be clear, we (Charleston County) have done an amazing job with our live-release rate, but I’m curious as to just how many are unjustly euthanized. For example, if an “owner” of a pet wants to put their perfectly healthy dog and/or cat down at a veterinarian’s office, the vet is allowed to do so without second guessing. Shouldn’t there be some type of protocol for this? What are the consequences for the people who choose to “humanely” kill their pet for no reason?

Now let’s focus on the animals that are adopted out from the shelter. While attending an adoption strategies seminar an attendee said, “Is it really the worst thing if an animal lives on a chain for the rest of their life?” Is it the worst thing? No. Do I expect society to do better than that? Abso-freakin’-lutely. We shouldn’t have to lower the standard of living for animals just because Charleston County is a no-kill district. Generally speaking, to not be criminally charged for animal neglect a human must provide shelter, clean water, and food, but don’t “we” expect more and want more than that? Don’t we want the animals we don’t kill to go on and live happy lives? This is somewhat difficult to say, but I would rather see adoptions with genuine “happily ever afters” even if that means a higher euthanasia percentage. Sure, a high live release rate is wonderful, but then we have to ask more questions. How many of those animals are returned? How many end up dead on the side of the road? How many are being neglected or abused in their new home? We need to make sure that the welfare for animals remains our first priority, the numbers game must come second. If you’re social within the Charleston area, it’s obvious that we’re an animal loving community. Almost every restaurant patio allows you to bring your dog and a cat café just opened downtown for goodness sake. While all of this is great, we need to take a minute and take off our rosecolored glasses. First of all, we need to realize that not all communities love and respect their animals as much as we do.

We need to realize that just two steps outside of our county (i.e. Berkeley, Colleton, Beaufort), animal welfare is not a priority and it gets even worse in the more rural areas. Many of the animal shelters are dilapidated, underfunded, have no veterinarian on staff, and/or have extremely little local support. It’s sad but true, and we need to make note of it. I’ve heard so many times: “Oh don’t support that shelter – they’re a KILL shelter.” Well, I can guarantee you that the kill shelter doesn’t want to operate that way; they have no choice. A shelter planted in an ignorant society has little hope. If humans like us don’t “support” kill shelters, then who comes out suffering? It isn’t the people, it’s the animals. Remember: not too long ago Charleston County was a “kill” community – everyone has to start somewhere. Your donation, volunteer hour(s), or just plain interest in a kill shelter could be just what they need to spark a whole new outlook on an animal welfare movement. I want to specifically emphasize how proud I am of Charleston County for everything we’ve accomplished on behalf of our animal friends. We have really set an extraordinary example. I would like for this opinion piece to not demean our success, but to remind us to not get too comfortable. Improvements can always be made, questions continuously need to be asked, and one less animal can be let down.

About the Cover "Captain's Journey" Captain the Great Dane is no stranger to Lowcountry Dog Magazine. He was one of our "Lowcountry Dogs of Instagram" in 2016 and also won our Halloween costume contest in 2015. In 2016, Captain was diagnosed with Wobbler's Syndrome, a debilitating disease that effects many large breeds. Read his story of perseverance and how he is living with this disease everyday!

Written by Jessica Harrell Photos by Southern Vintage Design & Photography

Captain's JOURNEY

lowcountry dog Â 18

A story of recovery & living with Wobbler Syndrome

Massive, strong, and regal are just a few words that are synonymous with Great Danes. However, when Alice Taylor came to Waters Edge Great Dane Rescue (WEGDR) to adopt one of these powerful dogs, she saw just the opposite. Captain, one of the rescues, was starved and severely neglected prior to rescue, so neglected that he had a body score of one out of nine. To this day, he was still the worst neglect case WEGDR has ever taken in. However, with a little bit of time and Alice’s help, Captain recovered and became a registered therapy dog in February 2016 at the age of 7, which is the avg life expectancy of Great Danes. On the evening of June 7, 2016, Alice noticed that Captain was walking differently than normal. He had just been playing in the water at Lake Murray with his brothers, Roc and Pawley, so Alice assumed that he was probably just sore from all of the physical activity. When she woke up, she was shocked to find that Captain’s walking had gotten worse; he was now disoriented and very wobbly. She immediately called the vet, but by the time they arrived, Captain was already paralyzed from the neck down. Their regular vet referred them to Dr. Draper, a canine neurologist.

At first, Dr. Draper thought that Captain had tick paralysis and checked him thoroughly for ticks. Despite the time of year, no ticks were found. Dr. Draper’s next thought was Wobbler Syndrome, so they scheduled an MRI for the following day. The results of the MRI finally told Alice what was wrong with Captain: he had Wobbler Syndrome and a herniated disk in his spine (IVDD). This means that Captain’s C6 and C7 vertebrae canals were narrowed due to Wobblers, and the disk he herniated was the one in between C6 and C7. When this disk ruptured, massive swelling and inflammation occurred in the area, and since his spinal cord canal was already very narrow, the swelling pinched his spinal cord, which caused the sudden paralysis. Wobbler Syndrome, or cervical spondylomyelopathy (CSM), is a disease of the cervical spine that is commonly seen amongst largebreed dogs. Breeds that are predisposed to this disease are Doberman Pinchers, Rottweilers, Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, and Basset Hounds. It occurs due to compression of the spinal cord and/or nerve roots, leading to neurological sings and/or neck pain.

This causes a wobbly walk, which is where the disease gets its name. Symptoms include wobbly walk, neck pain, stiffness, weakness, difficulty rising, and paralysis (partial or complete.) Now knowing what was wrong with Captain, Alice and Dr. Draper could focus on how to treat him. They decided the three best options were surgery, medication, or euthanization. Due to his age and symptom severity, they agreed surgery was not in his best interest. However, once he was put on medications, he was eating and drinking normally and regained his loving personality. Because of this improvement, Alice and Dr. Draper chose to keep him on medication for up to two weeks to see if he would further improve. After a few days on medication, Captain’s front legs had rapidly improved. He was finally able to sit up on his own! To further his treatment, Captain began working with a physical therapist at VCA in Columbia, SC. There, the physical therapists would lift him up in a harness and encourage him to walk with his front legs. Slowly, because of this technique, his back legs began to show signs of improvement.

Captain was finally able to come home after being in the ER for three weeks; however, he still needed 24/7 care. Because of this, Alice decided to put him in an intensive physical rehabilitation program at the Charleston Veterinary Referral Center. During his sessions, he worked on the underwater treadmill, navigated obstacle courses, performed strength and balance exercises on special equipment, had cold laser treatments, and had massage therapy. Additionally, Captain received acupuncture treatments with Chi on Wheels. Nine months later, Captain has finally returned to his loving, playful self! After learning about Captain’s journey, I asked a little more about what it’s like to live with a dog with Wobbler Syndrome. “It’s hard to find any pros about Wobbler Syndrome,” Alice told me, “but I try to look at the bright side of everything we have been through.” She has spent the past nine months side-by-side working with Captain, and she knows she will always be grateful for this special time with him. She stated, “It just created a bond between us that I'm not sure can be put into words.” However, the pros of learning about this disease not only helped their bond but others as well.

Captainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey has inspired others to fight hard for their dogs and never lose hope. Alice believes the most difficult thing about having a dog with Wobbler Syndrome is the lifestyle change. Either Alice or her husband has to be close by Captain at all times, and when they go out of town, Captain either has to travel with them or one of them has to stay behind.

Captain had rehab at VCA Columbia andÂ

You can support Captain's Recovery ! Buy a #TEAM CAPTAIN shirt

However, lifestyle changes didn’t only occur in their lives but their dogs’ as well. When Captain returned back home, Alice and her husband had to teach their other dogs Captain’s new limits. When I asked Alice to give me tips on how to care for a dog with Wobbler Syndrome, the first thing she told me was “Facebook.” By joining Facebook groups for owners with dogs with Wobblers, Alice was able to find support and new ways to help with his rehab. For example, on one Facebook group she learned about acupuncture, which, according to Alice, “has played a huge role in his recovery.” Recently, Alice was able to wean him off of pain meds and NSAIDS. He now uses Chinese herbs and CBD oil. “All of his doctors are amazed at how far he’s come,” Alice told me, “Captain has always been a survivor. He is the heart of our family and we knew we had to do everything we could to help him stay with us. Wobblers is a day by day disease- some days are great, some are average, and some days he struggles a bit, but he is the happiest dog in the world. He may need more rehab in the future, he may need more medications, but we will cross those bridges when we get there!”

Goose Creek Â NOW OPEN!

What will it take? In the 1990s the city of San Francisco implemented the first successful No Kill Shelter. Since then the movement has spread outwards around the nation. While many are familiar with the term “No Kill” few understand the true meaning. According to Abigail Kamleiter, No Kill South Carolina Project Manager, “We define No Kill as the saving of all the healthy and treatable animals in our community. While the healthy and treatable animals are saved, this does not mean all animals are saved." lowcountry dog 26

Written By Kelly Glasson

"Sometimes there are animals that are sick and suffering and it is humane for them to be euthanized.” For an animal in a No Kill shelter or community to be determined as healthy and adoptable, they undergo a qualitative evaluation performed by a veterinarian. Maddie’s Fund, a foundation dedicated to the no kill effort created in 1994 by Dave and Cheryl Duffield, helps to fund the veterinary evaluations, provide medical supplies to animals that are in need and has even implemented shelter medicine as a part of

veterinary college curriculum. Maddie’s Fund has also created the Pet Evolution Matrix, which according to www.maddiesfund.org, “categorizes the conditions as healthy, treatable-rehabilitatable, treatable-manageable or unhealthy and untreatable using Asilomar Accords definitions based on the standard of care an individual pet owner in that community would provide their pet.” Animals deemed healthy both behaviorally and mentally are considered adoptable. Animals labeled as treatablerehabilitatable are not currently healthy but could become healthy with either behavioral or medical treatment. Treatable- manageable means that animals may be missing a limb or have other medical issues that won’t get better but the animal can still live a good life, and lastly unhealthy and untreatable means that the animal will be euthanized. “The category of what is treatable is going to be different for each community,” said Kamleiter. “Things that might not be treatable in some places might be able to be treated in other places, so each community has developed their own standards as to what is treatable and what is not treatable.” Although euthanizations still occur, No Kill communities work to track what animals are being

euthanized and why so they know .where to focus their medical efforts. In 2007 the live release rate for the Charleston Animal Society was 35%, meaning 6-7 out of every 10 animals were being euthanized. Deciding to raise the bar and save more lives, Charleston Animal Society and other community programs partnered up with the ASPCA for a program spanning five years. This program educated the Charleston County Community in the no kill practices and how to implement them. When the ASPCA partnership ended in 2012 the live release rate in the Charleston community raised to 75%. Because of this vast improvement, Charleston Animal Society set a goal to make a No Kill Charleston by 2015. That goal was attained in only a year when in 2013 Charleston became the first no kill

community in the South East. After that goal was attained, the Charleston community set their sights on becoming a no kill state and in January 2016 No Kill South Carolina was born.

Lives of Abused, Abandoned, and Unwanted Animals, Fighting Animal Cruelty, Helping Families to Keep their Pets for Life, and Guiding Children to Grow Into Humanitarians”.

The cause has spanned out from Charleston through partnerships to include numerous county and private shelters across the state, including Dorchester County.

Some of the various benefits of partnering with No Kill South Carolina are participation in community events such as adoption events, free registration for quarterly trainings, social media and website promotions, shelter evaluations based upon ASV Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters, and access to Key Resource Centers, which include Charleston Animal Society, Greenville County Animal Care, Humane Society for Protection of Cruelty to Animals, Pawmetto Lifeline, City of Columbia Animal Services and Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare.

No Kill South Carolina partners with animal welfare organizations in South Carolina to spread the no kill cause by educating and coaching others on this strategy and how to implement this program successfully, as the ASPCA coached them. Once the partner has been educated then they will continue to spread this 10-point strategy to their surrounding community to help save the lives of the animals living in shelters. The following are included in the 10point no kill strategy according to NoKillSouthCarolina.org, “Finding Homes for Homeless Animals, High Volume Spay-Neuter Program, Reducing the Number of FreeRoaming Cats, Fostering the Most AtRisk Animals, Reuniting Loved Ones with their Families, Containing Outbreaks of Deadly Disease, Saving lowcountry dog 28

What is required of the partner with No Kill South Carolina includes developing and implementing leadership programs that follow the principles of No Kill South Carolina, providing daily care for animals that is deemed appropriate, ensure that no animal is being used for breeding purposes, sharing data via Shelter Animals Count, and actively upholding and striving to meet the goals of No Kill South Carolina.

Due to a lack of information when No Kill South Carolina began, an emphasis is placed upon its partners to begin share information on their shelter animals because according to Kamleiter, “Right now we don’t know how many animals are in the sheltering system in South Carolina, we don’t know how many animals we’re adopting or transferring or euthanizing. ShelterAnimalsCount.com is a new initiative aimed at addressing that gap nationwide, and we definitely encourage all our animal sheltering groups to participate.” Because of this lack of information, developing a statewide Pet Evolution Matrix in South Carolina to uphold a standard of qualitative evaluations for the animals in shelters becomes difficult. Project Managers like Kamleiter have no information to determine if the animals that are being euthanized in shelters across the state are healthy and treatable or if they are unhealthy and untreatable and are being humanely euthanized.

for more information on

click here

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 25 FINALISTS

Annual Cover CONTEST VOTE online April 1 to April 30

lowcountry dog 30

Rescue Spotlight

H.F. Help

This issue’s Rescue Spotlight focuses on H.F Help, a no-kill animal rescue located in Knightsville, South Carolina. I know that most people reading this will understand what I mean when I say that, in my opinion, dogs are among some of the most selfless and wonderful beings on the planet. They are heroes! My dogs save me every day - from loneliness, from a bad mood, from eating the whole sandwich on my own. However, the namesake of this shelter literally saved the life of one of its founders and he is honored each day they continue to save animals across the Lowcountry. sponsored by

Written by Julie Murray lowcountry dog 32

H.F. Help was founded in 1982 by two military veterans, Wes and Mary Collins. Wes served in the US Navy and fought in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Mary also served in the Navy as a Physical Therapy Nurse. They named the rescue after Major Harvey Fine, a German Shepard who saved the lives of Wes and his crew in Vietnam when he alerted them to an impending attack upon their Army Transport vessel. The bond between man and dog was so strong that Wes brought Maj. Fine back to Charleston with him after his last deployment at the U.S. Naval Station Sangley Point in the Republic of the Philippines. According to documentation found by volunteer Chris Maiden at the shelter, Maj. Fine traveled all the way from the Philippines to San Francisco, to Atlanta and finally ended up in Charleston where he was destined to become the inspiration for Wes and Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rescue.Â H.F Help is currently run by Sheri Frederick, who took over as director in 2016.

H.F. Help’s mission is to rescue dogs from high-kill shelters that are on the euthanasia list. In some cases, these dogs may have only hours to live when H.F. Help comes in and saves them. Once they arrive at the shelter, the dogs can take comfort, knowing that they will never again have to worry about a place to live, food in their bellies or a roof over their head. Wes and Mary insisted that each dog could remain at the shelter until they were adopted and this is a practice that is carried on to this day. If you visit the rescue's website, you can look at photos and bios of the animals up for adoption. The dogs come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and breeds, but one thing they have in common is how happy they all look! To be honest, I almost dropped everything and drove all the way up to their location once I saw the picture of Gronk, the 2 year old American Bulldog! There are 30+ dogs who currently reside at the HF Help, many are seniors and some have been with them for years, including 6 dogs that are still there from when Wes and Mary were here! With this demographic comes not only lots of experienced cuddling but, unfortunately, lots of medical expenses.

There is a great core of volunteers that are dedicated to ensuring the upkeep of the shelter and there has been an on-going restoration of the facility since 2016, with a second location in Summerville being started and hopefully completed in Fall 2017. Animal supplies, meds, maintenance, repairs and upkeep are costly and H.F. Help receives no state, federal or county funding. If you believe, as the Collins’ did, that animals bring out the very best in people and you want to help, you can click here to:

DONATE You can also mail a check or money order: H. F. Help, Inc., PO Box 90 Ladson, SC 29456. They are always in need of cleaning and grooming supplies, toys, flea meds and numerous other items. Even the smallest donation is greatly appreciated by this wonderful organization. If you are looking for a different way to help, the shelter offers many fulfilling volunteer opportunities. One such opportunity is the chance to be a dog’s FREEDOM RIDE! H.F. Help is looking for people to go pick up dogs from shelters to be transported to their facility.

Many of these dogs are on euthanasia lists and, as I mentioned before, could only have hours left to live. They are also looking for foster homes so that they can increase the number of lives they save. They have a great group of volunteers including Chris Maiden, their volunteer historian. He told me a little bit about his personal goals at the organization. "One of my goals as a volunteer is to make it known to other veteran groups that this shelter was founded by veterans and we have veterans who are volunteers. I also have a personal goal of building a memorial garden out in the front yard area in honor of Wes, Mary, Harvey, and all the dogs that passed away while in their care."

Chris is also currently going through boxes and boxes left behind by Wes and Mary after their passing and trying to piece together more from these extraordinary people's lives. You can feel the enthusiasm he has for this project even through email! If you want to join Chris and others like him in their quest to further the mission of H.F Help, please read more about all the volunteer opportunities available.

VOLUNTEER

ADOPT

Wes and Mary Collins dedicated their whole lives to the service of others - first in our nation’s military and then by opening an animal rescue. One of Mary’s personal mottos was “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and offering sanctuary, hope and love to the animals at their shelter is an excellent way of carrying on that value. My thanks to them and all of the other animal rescue heroes in the Lowcountry!

Victor

Mimi

Anna

Gronk

H.F. HELP Scarlette

Kodi

Adoptable Dogs! Click to see all available dogs! sponsored by

Bear

Bruno

Beaufort

Sushi

Abby

Tupper

Luke

Carson

Beau

Zeusy

Missy

Talia