Rescue group brings positive changes to Marion County Animal Shelter

MULLINS — Betsy Stables and her mother, Linda, of Cary, N.C., found the newest member of their family in Marion County.

After searching for several months, a two-hour drive brought them to 5-year-old Lacey-Loo, a Schnauzer mix, who had been living at Paws to the Rescue animal shelter in Mullins.

“We found her on PetFinder.com,” Betsy Stables said.

Paws to the Rescue, a nonprofit animal rescue group located at the former Marion County Animal Shelter, is offering hope to many unwanted dogs and cats in Marion County. Before Paws to the Rescue took over for the county, the shelter had no heat, animals turned in to the shelter were disappearing and often, they were left with no food or water.

Betsy and Linda Stables said they can attest to the rescue’s good work.

“These people are wonderful. They are so helpful,” Linda Stables said.

Since taking over shelter operations from the county in October 2008, executive director Jen Nall has seen many positive changes come to the animals in the rescue’s care.

“I feel it’s a win-win situation because the county is very limited to how much they can do as far as running a shelter,” Nall said Thursday afternoon in between giving shots, treating dogs for injuries and assisting adopters with choosing a new pet. “... if you get a nonprofit organization in, they can solicit for donations, they can have volunteers come in and do a lot of things for the animals that the county isn’t able to do.”

Cathy Cimino of Myrtle Beach, who recently adopted a puppy from the rescue, has seen the changes first hand.

“We had adopted a cat here a few years ago. It was a mess, really dirty,” she said of the shelter. “It was really bad, so when I decided I wanted a dog, I knew I needed to come back here. I didn’t know that Paws to the Rescue had taken over and it’s really nice here now.”

Paws to the Rescue has made several changes to the shelter in the past year. The group has installed heaters in the dog runs and cat room, improved the living conditions for the animals turned in and provided medical care such as vaccinations and spaying and neutering of all cats and dogs adopted from the shelter. All dogs are tested for heartworm, and emergency care and treatment can begin right at the shelter if local veterinarians’ offices are closed.

Adult dogs and puppies are now kept separately to help guard against the risk of illnesses such as Parvo. The adult dogs are also allowed outside to play in large grassy areas while their kennels are cleaned every day.

“Mentally that’s very good for the dogs,” Nall said. “It keeps them from going cage crazy.”

The group also keeps male and female dogs separated to guard against fighting and more unwanted puppies.

Paws to the Rescue has also been able to team up with several rescue groups through out the county to transport dogs to shelters that have adopters waiting to provide homes for the unwanted animals. This weekend they will transport 20 dogs and puppies to rescues in the Northeast.

Volunteer Irene Miller uses Web sites such as PetFinder.com and Facebook to spread the word about the animals available for adoption from the shelter.
“I Facebook, I Tweet, I foster dogs,” Miller said. “I’ll do anything I can.”

Like all others shelters, Paws to the Rescue faces many challenges. The number of unwanted pets is staggering.

“We brought in 2,700 animals last year, which is two and one half the amount we thought we’d bring in,” Nall said. “We were able to get 750 either adopted or to rescue.”

Yet nearly 2,000 animals were euthanized by lethal injection at the shelter last year.

“We cry when we have to put them to sleep. We don’t want to do that,” Nall said.

Following the euthanasia, the bodies of those unwanted animals are dumped in the landfill.

“People don’t want to know that,” she said.

Overpopulation is a huge problem. The shelter houses 80 to 100 dogs and 30 to 50 cats at any given time and brings in 20 to 40 new animals each week either as strays or owner surrender. They also house all the dogs seized by the county for dog fighting or animal cruelty cases.

Mirroring a national trend, Paws to the Rescue also see a very large number of pit bulls pass through their door.

“When we do our euthanasia list every week, they top the list of dogs that get put to sleep,” Nall said.

Many times pit bulls are not adoptable because they have a bad reputation and sometimes the people looking to adopt them want to breed them, Nall said.

South Carolina law requires all animals adopted from a shelter or rescue be spayed or neutered.

“Once people find that out, they are no longer interested,” she said. “Don’t breed. The only reason people should be breeding is to better the breed, not for money, and not for fighting.”

Nall said she often has to explain that to people looking to adopt an animal from the shelter.

Funding is another challenge the rescue group faces.

“When funds get low it is directly related to how many animals are going to get put to sleep,” Nall said.

The group is always in need of monetary donations, but it also needs things to help with the daily care of the animals such as bleach, paper towels, blankets and dry puppy food. Donations of such daily supplies allow the group to use monetary funds for larger cost items such as spaying and neutering. The group works with veterinarians in both Marion and Mullins to ensure all cats and dogs receive proper medical care and spay/neuter surgeries before being placed in their new homes.

Despite the challenges Paws to the Rescue faces, Nall is proud of what the group has been able to accomplish in little more than a year and hopeful for the future. The contract with the county is renewable on a year-to-year basis and can be renegotiated after five years. Nall plans on being there to see it through.

The group is hoping to soon start a program in the schools called Pennies for Paws, a program Nall said she hopes will both raise funds for the shelter and educate children about proper animal care and the importance of spaying and neutering.

“Spaying and neutering is soooo important. It is the only way we are going to cut down on the huge intake numbers we have,” Nall said.

As for the Stables family, they couldn’t be happier with their new family member Lacey-Loo.

“We’ll have happy trip back up the road,” Linda said with a smile while wrapping the dog in a warm blanket for the ride to her new home.

Paws to the Rescue is located at 123 Dog and Cat Way, Mullins, S.C. for more information call (843) 423- 8370 or visit the dogs and cats available for adoption at the rescue by visiting http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/SC41.html