Local Animal Shelter Rescues 16 German Shepherds

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Local Animal Shelter Saves 16 German Shepherds in 165-Dog Cruelty Case

Images on this page courtesy of the Atlanta Humane Society

A neglect case involving 165 German Shepherds exposed horrific living conditions for dogs being housed on a property in a rural area of Southeast Georgia. Helping these dogs required collaboration across dozens of organizations, including the Brandywine Valley SPCA (BVSPCA). On Thursday, January 3, the Atlanta Humane Society’s Animal Cruelty Unit responded to a neglect case involving 165 German Shepherd Dogs on a property in Metter, Georgia. The dogs, ranging in age and health status, were found living in extremely neglectful conditions. They were housed in livestock pens with thick muck and minimal access to food and water. The owner of the property was arrested and faces animal cruelty charges. Fortunately all of the dogs were surrendered into the care of the Atlanta Humane Society. Atlanta Humane quickly marshalled their partners to assist, including the Brandywine Valley SPCA. “One look at the photos of the scene, and we knew right away we had to help,” said Adam Lamb, BVSPCA CEO. “Not only do we have experience with large intakes, our growing behavior program made us uniquely qualified to assist in this case.”

The Rescue Mission The BVSPCA deployed a team to the Candler County property, joining dozens of shelters and rescue groups ready to step up for these dogs. The team arrived on Sunday morning to see a line of vehicles waiting to pull dogs to safety. That was the heartwarming part. As they got closer, the conditions were hard to bear, and the dogs were clearly terrified of so many humans trying to secure them as safely as possible. The BVSPCA team removed 16 dogs and traveled with them overnight to arrive at the West Chester Campus early Monday morning. After 24 hours of straight travel, the team finally had the dogs to the first step in getting a better life.

Assessing the Dogs The dogs ranged in age from about one year old to three years old. Many were caked in dried muck with a foul odor, just one sign of the terrible life they were leaving behind. Some were underweight, others had fresh or partially healed wounds, and some bore the scars of what was likely a long period of neglect. All were frightened, but remarkably, none were defensive. They seemed to have little understanding of humans. That morning the BVSPCA completed medical exams so the dogs could begin receiving the medical and grooming care they so desperately needed. Each dog received an individual evaluation to determine the most appropriate next steps to assist in their recovery and, ultimately, placement with forever families. Taking on a dog from what was likely a puppy mill is no small project. Not only does the dog need to learn to trust humans, every single experience is new – from living inside, to hearing appliances, to walking up stairs, to wearing a leash. Despite the challenge, many people from the community came forward to help these dogs.

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Finding Suitable Placements

The BVSPCA’s placement requirement was families experienced with the breed and/or undersocialized dogs. As of the publication date, twelve of the dogs are either in a foster home or with a forever family. The families have all been reporting significant progress in trust and bonding. The first dog adopted was Dohanna. She went home with a kind person who lost her German Shepherd about six months ago and wasn’t sure she was ready for another, until she saw this rescue story. She welcomed the dog she now calls Brandy, a name the BVSPCA couldn’t help but love. Brandy’s adopter Diane reports, “She is doing beyond great. I never imagined the scared girl who I could barely get to let me get a leash on her the first night is this nosey pup that is my shadow. She’s great with my small blind pom mix, trying to romp a bit with her the last two days when we are outside.” The family who adopted Lee renamed him Atlas. “[Atlas] is perfect. We love him so much. He’s very shy but so gentle and so sweet.” One of the adopted dogs even has his own Instagram page, @zeke_ gs_rescue. “I now let the hoo-mans pet me and give me love. I’m even looking them in the eye and am not tucking my tail. I’m not even scared anymore.” Zeke has a female German Shepherd named Raven in the home showing him the ropes. Four of the dogs remain in the BVSPCA’s care at the Animal Rescue Center (ARC). The BVSPCA recently purchased the 11,500 square foot facility in Georgetown specifically for the purpose of helping animals needing more support to be ready for adoption. A BVSPCA team works with the German Shepherds daily on socialization, handling and enrichment. The hope is for those dogs to soon be ready for foster or forever placements.

The Journey Continues It’s a long journey for each of these dogs, but each day they live without a hunger or fear they make amazing progress. With the continued socialization and care required to rehabilitate these dogs, the BVSPCA asks for donations from the community at: bvspca.org/ form/gsd.html. Follow the BVSPCA on social media for updates on these special dogs: @Brandywine SPCA on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. www.livingwellmagazine.net

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