KHS joins Bissell Pet Foundation in Rescue of 270 Animals
KHS and 15 other animal shelters assist Humane Society of the Delta in Helena AR
Last week, the Kentucky Humane Society and 15 other animal shelters joined Bissell Pet Foundation on an urgent rescue mission in southeast Arkansas. The shelters transported out 240 dogs and 30 cats from the Humane Society of the Delta, an overcrowded and under-resourced shelter in Helena, where more than 100 dogs were living in outdoor kennels.
The animals will be going to shelters across the country, where they will be placed for adoption. KHS took in 11 dogs, including six who were ill from heartworms and a dog needing an amputation. KHS also transported an additional 10 dogs to Lexington Humane Society.
KHS Behavior Manager Melissa Pezzuto and Transport Coordinator Kim Foerster drove a KHS rescue vehicle to Helena AK on Monday, January 11. They spent Tuesday helping behaviorally assess dogs for transport before loading up the rescue vehicle on Wednesday for the seven-hour drive to Louisville.
“We are so thrilled to be asked to participate in Bissell Pet Foundation’s Support the Shelters Rescue Road, and to help give these dogs a second chance,” said Pezzuto. “Cathy Bissell is an incredible inspiration, and her foundation has helped countless shelter animals by supporting transport rescues and adoption events.”
Heartworms is a serious canine disease that can result in heart failure and death if left untreated. It is easily prevented with a monthly preventative, but it very expensive to treat once a dog is infected. At KHS, the ill dogs received medical assessments and treatment, and four dogs are recovering in foster homes. Others are up for adoption or will be ready for adoption later this week.
Bissell Pet Foundation (BPF) exists to assist animal welfare organizations in its partner network of 5,194 shelters and rescues. These organizations work tirelessly every day to address the pet overpopulation problem, and sometimes they need a little extra help. Support the Shelters Rescue Road is a BPF initiative created to alleviate overcrowded shelters.
For more about this rescue and BPF, see BPF’s January 16 press release.
See a video of the rescue from BPF’s Facebook page