FetchDelivers.com

Well, I survived the trip to the shelter in Kentucky. If I had to explain it in a word – Exhausting.
We left Thursday morning at 6:30 a.m. from Minneapolis. Fetch graciously donated food that was close to expiration so the dogs in the shelter had something to eat. As you can see by the photo, you really can stuff alot of stuff into a van.
We made it to Harlan, KY at 10:30 that night – a 16 hour trip. We all turned in to our hotel rooms and attempted to get a good nights sleep.
Many things went through my mind that night. What would I see when we got to the shelter? Would it be horrible?
It’s a weird scene. It’s located in the middle of an industrial area. The shelter is small, and surrounded by 8 foot chain link fencing and barbed wire (more like a prison). There’s no grass, it’s sharp grey rock.
The puppy room is to the left as you walk in the door. Thankfully, they made this into a puppy room to keep small puppies from coming in contact with viruses like parvo. It’s far from 100% but it’s better than it was.
The larger dog runs are in the back of the shelter. Cement floor, cement walls, no windows. Mostly adults are back here, although there are some litters of puppies in some of the runs.
I walk around the adult dog area. Looking at all the faces. Some are happy to see you, some just cower in the back of the run and yet others circle in their kennel, completely lost, staring blankly.

There’s so much more to tell. Part 2 soon!

While some of you may know me as Fetch Blog Girl extraordinaire… (ok, that’s pushing it maybe) I also volunteer much of my time with a local rescue called Safe Hands Animal Rescue. I’ve been with Safe Hands for the last 3 years, and have fostered 27 puppies in that time. I’ve also done everything else for them from helping with intake of new dogs, to adoptions to making long day trips to meet our transports 5 hours away.

In two weeks, I’ll be making my longest trip with them yet, to the shelter in Harlan, Kentucky that we rescue all of our dogs and pups from.

I’ve heard many stories about this place and felt that now was the time to see where it all began. From everything I’ve been told, I don’t know that there’s even a way to mentally prepare for what I’ll see.

It isn’t a happy place. It’s not a clean, bright, cheerful shelter where the dogs are all happy and the story always has a happy ending. It’s dark, over-crowded and dismal. If it weren’t for rescue, most of these dogs would never leave the shelter.

It’s a long drive there, followed by a day of mentally and physically draining work, followed by an even longer drive back home.
The drive home brings joy for the animals that we’re bringing back with us, who will find loving forever homes and sadness for the ones we couldn’t bring along.

I know these stories from the volunteers that have made the trip and not first hand. In a few weeks, I’ll be able to tell you what I’ve seen, first hand.

Stay tuned…