Who Will Let the Dogs Out?

All over our rural south there are dogs waiting.

Some lucky dogs are in progressive shelters who have staff, resources, and community support that allow them to place all of their adoptable dogs through local adoptions and outside rescues.

Some not-so-lucky dogs are in open intake, high-kill shelters that are routinely forced to euthanize for space. Many of the people who work in these shelters try desperately to save every dog they can but our understaffed, underfunded, undersupported and overwhelmed.

And then there are the dogs left behind at tiny municipal pounds in rural communities on back roads people rarely travel.

These dogs live in sparse conditions with few resources and no extras. They are held in chainlink kennels until their owners come for them or they are euthanized when new dogs arrive to take their place. Their pictures are not on a shelter website or petfinder. Rarely is there anyone working to address their physical, emotional or behavioral needs, let alone search for an adopter. Their only chance beyond being claimed by their owners is for a rescue worker to drive down one of those long, lonely roads and ‘pull’ them, transporting them to rescues sometimes states away.

This site seeks to document the faces and stories of the forgotten dogs waiting to be let out.

We are a mother and son team with no real qualifications beyond open hearts who believe that the problem has never been that people don’t care—it’s that people don’t know.

By traveling to these shelters, we hope to shine a light on the forgotten dogs and inspire change.

If you’d like to help, spread the word, and consider donating what you can in terms of time or resources to help the dogs that have been forgotten. We will post a list of the shelters we visit, their mailing address, and their needs. Check back regularly as we update it along the way.

Subscribe to this blog to follow our journey or find us on Facebook at Who Will Let the Dogs Out?

Together, we can let the dogs out.

We are leaving Sunday June 23 and will gladly accept donations of high-quality dog food, harnesses, martingale collars, flea/tick preventative, heartworm preventative, deworming medicines, heavy-chewer toys, and dog treats. We also gladly welcome monetary donations that we can use to purchase supplies for shelters while we are there. You can donate through Facebook or by cash or Amazon, Pet Valu, Pet Smart, or Walmart gift card. By mail: Cara Achterberg, 1568 Deer Creek Road, New Freedom, PA 17349.

As mentioned, I will post mailing addresses and needs for each shelter that has the means to accept direct donations.