DIGITAL DETAIL S
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NOTEWORTHY
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RECIPES
G O O D
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FE ATURES
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EVENTS
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GOOD NEIGHBOR
N E I G H B O R LY N E T TE
INTERVIEWED BY LESLIE CRISS
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S A N D LIN PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM
L
ynette Sandlin spends much of her time rescuing and raising furry friends, but that’s not all she does. Sandlin, who lives in Mooreville, has been a law enforcement officer for 24 years, and during her tenure, she has assisted with animal cruelty cases. By helping with the prosecution of such cases, Sandlin has saved many animals from lives of abuse and neglect. She and her husband, Joey, have a blended family of five children and 10 grandchildren.
Q:
When and how did you get involved with animal rescue organizations? A: My husband, Joey, and I got involved with rescue 16 years ago. In 2004, a friend told me about three puppies that had been dumped on a county road. I went to a barn where they were being helped and took one of the puppies into rescue. She became a foster failure, and we adopted her as Chloe and loved her until she passed in June 2020.
Q:
How many animals in need have you and your husband opened your hearts and home to through the years? A: We have taken in more than 300 animals via fostering, adopting or transporting to other rescues for adoption.
Q: What is it like to volunteer with multiple
rescue organizations? Volunteering is an emotional roller coaster. We see the most damaged, abused and neglected of all animals. We all work together to get the animal first to safety. From there, the animal is evaluated by a veterinarian, who administers shots and medicine to take care of internal parasites. We also make certain the animals are spayed and neutered. For the ones most severely neglected, surgery is often required. We work with local rescues as well as many others
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in the northern United States, including Storytellers Express, Powerful Paws Animal Rescue, Jericho Rescued Fur Babies, For the Love of Paws and For the Love of Dogs.
Q: What is the most important thing people can do to help diminish the number of dogs in need of rescue? A: Spaying and neutering each animal is vital to assist with overpopulation of animals in our area.
Q:
It must be so easy to become attached to foster dogs and very difficult to part with them when permanent homes are found. What makes you keep doing it? A: Fostering is so emotional. We get attached to every one that comes into our home. We have to know in our hearts when we take them that we are doing this so they will have a forever home and a person who will love them forever. Many tears are shed when these animals leave us.
