BOARD OF DIRECTORS
I have been rescuing animals for as long as I can remember. It all started as a child bringing home stray puppies and kittens (one time an entire litter with a mama - right before my family was about to move out of the country, zikes!). In 2010, I was driving in California’s central valley and almost hit a small dog with my car. It looked as if he had chewed through the bailing twine that he was tied up with. That day, I found out about the local shelter and that dog is now a happy family member. From that fateful day when I discovered the Wasco shelter in a small rural central valley town, I knew I would be involved with assisting the animals that end up there as well as the people that work so hard to help them. I began helping with transporting dogs to safety, often fostering them temporarily. Over the past two years, I have fostered multiple dogs and transported over 100 dogs to safety, including long trips in a horse trailer. While I plan to continue to help in this fashion, I also felt it was time to more formally address the rescue needs of some of the most impoverished shelter animals, society’s “underdogs”. Thus, the idea for Underdogz was formed. I am also a horsewoman and clinical psychologist by training. I have a strong belief in the benefits of incorporating animals into my clinical work and I currently employ the assistance of horses into my equine assisted psychotherapy practice. My hope is that Underdogz will be able to continue to assist with the rescue process for dogs, cats and horses in a more formal and organized fashion and create an additional support system for wonderful and dedicated rescues. Ann
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There are so many unwanted pets out there and in some places so few homes that the risk of being killed is very high. These “rescue” animals deserve a chance to live. It is our responsibility as humans to care for these animals who donʼt have a choice. I am proud of what the hard working staff at Underdogz does to provide homes for many of these abandoned shelter animals. Most horses spend a lifetime serving humans. Whether for performance, pleasure, working on a ranch or as a lesson horse, most horses are raised to have a job. What happens to those horses who can no longer do their job? Or the ones who were born as a result of poor breeding practice or for medical purposes like the Premarin foals? Many of these horses are treated as disposable and end up being killed. I believe that horses should be allowed the opportunity to have a purpose. There are many wonderful opportunities for horses to live as companion animals, therapy horses, or find a new loving owner if given the chance. I look forward to assisting with the horses at Underdogz.
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RESCUE COORDINATION
Carol P.
I suppose I began rescuing animals at age 6 when I schemed with my adult neighbor to help “place” a little red kitten on our outside stairs. When I went outside in the morning, I ran to tell my Mom "look, someone left us this kitten to take care of". How could she refuse?! Red became my first cat, and so, the beginning of a life of caring for small wildlife, cats and dogs.
After a counseling career in California, I moved to the pacific northwest and owned and operated a children's boutique for 14 years. During that time I added 3 more rescue dogs and one rescue cat to my family. I then had the epiphany that I had to work with animals. I studied animal massage, then animal Reiki and became second level animal reiki practitioner.
While at a reiki workshop, I came across a Petfinder post stating that a small shelter in central CA was about to kill 26 dogs. I could not comprehend this idea, and a friend and I worked together to spearhead an internet network that managed to save all of the dogs. Since that time, I have been the volunteer independent rescue coordinator of that shelter and helped coordinate for other small central CA shelters. I have been involved in fund-raising for all the medical necessities, transport costs, vetting, shelter supplies, spay/neuter, medical supplies and anything that might help the shelter animals as well as transports all over CA and to OR, WA and Canada. All this from Washington state.
It has been almost 3 years since I became involved in active rescue work which has become my passion. In that time, I have been involved in the rescue of over 700 dogs. This year, unbeknownst to me, I was nominated by fellow rescuers for the DogTime Petties Unsung Hero Award, for which I was a finalist. I believe that all rescuers are Unsung Heroes!
Debbie
Coming Soon!
Dana
Volunteer Extraordinaire: On the Frontlines
Dana has been instrumental in helping animals in the central valley, predominantly at the Wasco shelter. She can often be seen wearing her rubber boots, hose in one hand scrubber in the other, cleaning a kennel while simultaneously befriending the newest four –legged addition to the shelter. She has a large part in maintaining the Wasco Animal Shelter Facebook page as well as taking pictures and writing descriptions of many of the animals that come through. For those of you who know Wasco, you know that’s a lot of animals! She will transport animals, foster dogs (often those who need a lot of medical attention), volunteer her time at events and is an avid all around rescuer. She has been known to stop on her way both to and from work to feed stray dogs in hopes of earning enough of their trust to be able to catch them. That’s right – after all this, she works full time too! She is an awesome asset to our team and we often rely on her for the frontline details, information or assessments since she is in closest proximity to this shelter. Here’s her story:
I’ve loved animals all my life. I remember as a child petting every dog and cat on the way home from school. My mom didn’t like that though since my jackets always smelled of animals, lol! As a child I didn’t have many pets as my mom was old fashioned and thought animals should be outside. We didn’t have a fence so sadly, not too many stuck around.
The last 2 ½ years I’ve been volunteering at Wasco Animal Shelter. People ask why I do it. - it’s simple: because I love them and they are my therapy. Cleaning up messes and being around smells isn’t the typical “cup of tea” for most people but it is mine. I gave birth to one daughter Jasmyn Nicole when I was 19, but she passed away at nine days old. I never had another child and dealt with depression on a daily basis for years. My dogs are my children.
2 ½ years ago I saw a small piece of paper on the peg board at the local vet’s office, asking that anyone interested in making a difference at Wasco Shelter please call. I did and that’s the day I started living again. Thank you to Kim Ackerknecht and P.A.W.S for starting my new journey. Now I volunteer whenever I can at the shelter, do transports when I can and get to foster many doggies. I truly believe all of them are worth saving. I’ve fostered many dogs and it is never easy letting them go. I can’t understand why people can just throw their animals away. They bring me so much joy.
I am honored and grateful to be a part of Underdogz. Underdogz is making WONDERFUL things happen for Wasco Animal Shelter.
I’ve loved animals all my life. I remember as a child petting every dog and cat on the way home from school. My mom didn’t like that though since my jackets always smelled of animals, lol! As a child I didn’t have many pets as my mom was old fashioned and thought animals should be outside. We didn’t have a fence so sadly, not too many stuck around.
The last 2 ½ years I’ve been volunteering at Wasco Animal Shelter. People ask why I do it. - it’s simple: because I love them and they are my therapy. Cleaning up messes and being around smells isn’t the typical “cup of tea” for most people but it is mine. I gave birth to one daughter Jasmyn Nicole when I was 19, but she passed away at nine days old. I never had another child and dealt with depression on a daily basis for years. My dogs are my children.
2 ½ years ago I saw a small piece of paper on the peg board at the local vet’s office, asking that anyone interested in making a difference at Wasco Shelter please call. I did and that’s the day I started living again. Thank you to Kim Ackerknecht and P.A.W.S for starting my new journey. Now I volunteer whenever I can at the shelter, do transports when I can and get to foster many doggies. I truly believe all of them are worth saving. I’ve fostered many dogs and it is never easy letting them go. I can’t understand why people can just throw their animals away. They bring me so much joy.
I am honored and grateful to be a part of Underdogz. Underdogz is making WONDERFUL things happen for Wasco Animal Shelter.
Travis
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