We Can Save "Mother" Too

Because of all of the attention we've been giving these poor animals, we almost overlooked the person that made the rescue of three wonderful dogs (and counting!) possible. As many of you know, the work we have accomplished together would not be possible without the selfless, extraordinary acts of . . . well, let's call her "Mother."* It was Mother who, upon realizing Charley was in critically bad health, hauled him in a suitcase to a more prosperous part of town in hopes of finding him a home. She did this, mind you, despite being in poor health herself, with two broken arms, and needing a cane to walk, by hopping on a bus with a suitcase filled with a sick puppy intending to "trade" him for food to feed to the sick dogs she left behind. It was Mother that, for a long time before any of us decided to take action, was feeding these poor dogs even though she is homeless and could not feed herself. And it is Mother that must fear for her safety now that our rescue has been brought to the attention of the residents of her neighborhood (many of whom also possess terribly ill or abused dogs) and the owner of the junkyard. This is, to be clear, an extremely dangerous neighborhood and one that I will not enter alone, so we are taking the threats to Mother's safety very seriously.

Well, you're probably asking yourself: "what can I do to help Mother?" Upon hearing the story that serves as the narrative for everything we are trying to do on this blog, many people are also wondering what Mother was doing hanging around junkyards in the first place. As it turns out, Mother cannot work because of an injury she sustained about a year ago. The injury appears to have been sustained during an incident that sounds a whole lot like a textbook Civil Rights Act case study, coupled with a case of simple negligence. Unfortunately, Paul said that he thinks he might have a conflict of interest if he represented her and that he cannot get involved, and neither Atlanta Legal Aid, nor Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation handle tort claims. We are trying to convince another excellent legal non-profit to handle this, but her case sort of "slips through the cracks" of what they typically handle, and finding representation by the traditional channels poses challenges. In sum, we must secure adequate, effective legal representation, whether through pro bono representation or otherwise, to allow Mother to recover what she has been deprived of. Do you or anyone you know think you might be able to help? If so, please contact me!

It is also clear that Mother is not receiving any disability benefits or food stamps, which would go a long way in helping her. Mother has said that she cannot receive food stamps or other benefits because she has an outstanding fine owing to Cobb County, which was originally $300.00, but has grown over time as a result of non-payment to $550.00. She said she has $105.00 that she can apply towards paying the fine, so I think we may need to just pony up and help her raise the rest. I understand that this requires a leap of faith. I also understand that it is not tax-deductible and that so many of you have already been so generous with contributions for the dogs. The only justification I can give you while imploring you to help her is to point to her unspeakable acts of kindness and selflessness towards these wonderful dogs. I am establishing a separate account on fund.com to help Mother. Anything you can give to help her would be greatly appreciated.

*We will use this pseudonym because Mother's acts, though noble to some, have instilled anger in others, and we now have reason to fear for Mother's safety.

Poor Some "Sugar" on Me

Chamblee, Paul and I went to the junkyard again on Sunday to pick up whatever additional dogs we could get our hands on. We wanted to get, at the very least, the dog in the greatest need of help. That dog was quickly determined to be the loving, gorgeous puppy pictured below.* She had already been given the name Sugar, which couldn't be more appropriate given how incredibly sweet she is, despite never having seen the inside of a house and having limited (probably negative) interactions with people throughout her life. We strongly suspect that Sugar is Kari's mom.

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Sugar's health problems are numerous--she suffers from mange, malnutrition, parasites, and skin infections. Thanks to all of your generous donations and the wonderful staff at Village Vets in Decatur, Sugar is already receiving proper medical care! My kind mother has graciously offered to foster Sugar until we can find her a permanent home. If any of you know of someone that might be interested in giving her a permanent home, please contact me. This is a remarkably sweet, well-behaved dog.



*Upon setting out on Sunday we were determined get at least one more dog, but upon Sugar's capture, the dogs quickly figured out that not all was right in Junkyardland, and spent the rest of the afternoon playing hide-and-go-seek.

Big Plans (Non-Profit and Otherwise)!

I want to thank all of you for helping me to realize that I want to move towards making a career out of helping animals like these. First things first, we are forming a non-profit so that all the kind people that have contributed can, in the future, receive a tax deduction. It also lends greater legitimacy and structure to the wonderful work we have already accomplished and creates a promise to continue, and hopefully expand, such work in the future. We obviously hope to focus on the very straightforward task of rescuing animals, restoring their health, and finding them homes. But if there is anything else you think we should address, please let me know. Much of this is being done for the first time, so your input, assistance, and participation are invaluable in this process.

I cannot emphasize enough that there is much work left to be done. In driving to the junkyard, the streets are packed with abused or merely neglected dogs. Many of us do not see this problem or recognize it because we do not regularly go to the neighborhoods where this is occuring. But throughout Westside, Intown Atlanta neighborhoods alone, there are likely thousands of dogs in the same condition (or worse) than the ones you see on this blog. We are looking forward to helping as many of them as we can.

While the organization is growing over the next several years, I intend to continue to help people buy and sell homes. This work has also been very satisfying, as it has allowed me to make many wonderful friends and help them find a perfect place to call home (I usually try to bring a kitten or puppy to the closing and say "but look at all the extra space you now have!"). In the course of this work, I will be pledging one percent of all commissions I receive to rescuing animals, with the intention of allocating the entire amount towards local, grass roots organizations.

This Is Who We're Trying to Help

Meet Kari. She is the affectionate "Forever Puppy" I rescued on my first trip to the junkyard. Today Kari is an energetic, loyal companion, and her personality is only now emerging. We took her to the mountains over the weekend and we heard her bark for the first time and also saw her run for the first time. She spent most of the weekend wagging her tail and waiting patiently for our attention--attention we were only too happy to give to her. It's hard not to spoil a cute dog that's been through what Kari has been through.

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Paul and I are fostering Kari, but she still needs a permanent home. She is the perfect size at about 35 pounds, fully grown. She also has the perfect demeanor, being calm, quiet, and respectful of cats and other animals. Whomever ends up taking Kari home will be an incredibly lucky to have her in their family. I want to keep Kari more than anything, but we already have several animals and are planning for children. Keeping Kari will make it harder for me to rescue more animals, so I must reluctantly give her to another friendly home.

The pictures below tell most of the tale on what kind of condition she was in when we first got her. She had a severe upper respiratory infection, causing her to break into deep, uncontrollable coughing fits with almost every breath. She could barely walk and she was covered in open, oozing sores. She lay motionless on her bed for almost two weeks.

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Lessons in Government (and Media) Intervention

One consistent response I have received to the catalog of outrageous pictures that many of you have now seen is this: "Lauren, please provide the name and address of this junkyard, I would like to immediately call [insert name of entity here, e.g., the police, ASPCA, Humane Society, etc.]."

I am highly sympathetic to this response and last week even acquiesced to the efforts of a wonderful, dear friend that had contacted the media. Without going into too much detail, I would like to summarize why we will no longer seek to accomplish our goals through government agencies, the local media, or large scale rescue organizations. To keep a long story short, the media's interest in these stories is passing, at best. Rescue organizations are over-run with animals and have little or no space for these dogs. Government agencies, including animal control and the police, are almost completely apathetic and one hundred percent ineffectual. The police were contacted and did next to nothing, with the exception of alerting alerting the owner of the junkyard, thereby imperiling the sympathetic woman who helped us find these animals in the first place and leading the owner to sequester a number of puppies that we had set our sights on getting. Animal control has done nothing, and because the dogs are in such bad shape they would likely just put them down. Please also keep in mind that there are literally hundreds of abused and neglected dogs in these neighborhoods.

I definitely appreciate all the passionate voices that want to help in every way possible, I just want to bring this up as a way of pointing out that we have proceeded in this manner because it is the only way we can think of to quickly get these dogs healthy, off the streets, and into loving homes. Thank you all for your help in our endeavors.

Sir Charles, Our First Success

The puppy that started it all, Charley swept into our lives as a squirming bundle of love, quickly seducing us with his puppy-calendar-perfect expressions and lively personality (even if Paul sometimes wished we could take a vacation from him). When we first got Charley, he was so flea-bitten that he had gnawed off the fur on his back foot and the tip of his tail, giving rise to the nicknames "Lil' Monkey Paw" and "Mr. Possum Tail".

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Now that his hair is growing back, he tends to go by the name "Sir Charles." Charley was twelve pounds back in late July, today he is a healthy 35 pounds and a model of good canine health. Below are some pictures we took when we first found Charley, followed by some more recent ones. Like many of you, Paul's aunts were overcome by Charley's story, and decided to take him on despite still coping with the loss of their beloved Murphy. Paul's aunt, Peggy, even keeps a blog about Charley, packed with pictures of what is quite possibly the cutest puppy that has ever existed. You can visit Peggy's blog here.

We are so happy that we have been able to find such a wonderful home for Charley, especially because it means that we will be close to Charley for years to come.

A New Blog and an Explanation

My Name is Lauren McKnight and I started this blog as a way of providing updates and giving thanks to the great number of you that have expressed your support and concern for the wonderful, tragic animals that unexpectedly entered our lives last July, and that will continue to enter our lives as quickly as we can take care of them.

Though many of you already know a little bit about the dogs and how we came to care for them, this is my story: last July, I was shopping a Kroger and was unexpectedly approached by a woman with a suitcase. She asked me if I wanted a puppy. I immediately said "no," because I have far too many animals right now and many more in my neighborhood that I hoped to save. Despite my refusal, the woman opened her suitcase, exposing the cutest little puppy sleeping inside. The woman explained to me that the puppy was sick and that she was homeless and did not have the means to provide the neccessary care for the puppy. The woman told me about where she lives, a junkyard located in South Atlanta. The owners of the junkyard have a bunch of dogs to protect the worthless crap located within the fence. Apparently, these dogs are not being taken care of and are even being shot at by the owners or various people in the neighborhood. I listened to her story, took the puppy, and gave her my number. I explained that I would do what I could to help and to please find a way to call me. I did not hear from her for three months.

When I finally heard from the woman again, she told me that the remaining dogs were in really bad shape and wanted to see if I could take a few of them. Unfortunately, I did not have the space or the financial means to take on three dogs and nurse them back to health. The first dog I took, Charley, cost me somewhere in the range of one thousand dollars. I told her I would be more than happy to drop offfood for the dogs. When I arrived at the junkyard with the food, I saw one of the dogs and realized that I could not leave her there. She looked as if she was about to die. I cannot take on all the junkyard dogs, but I could take her. I was capable of that. I took her home and it has been a long, expensive journey. She has been with me for a month now and is making great improvements. There is still a long way to go before she is healthy and adoptable.

Many more dogs are still in the junkyard, fighting for food, being shot at, needing medical attention. These dogs are very, very sweet. They are in desperate need of a foster home and financial help for their vet bills. I wish I could do all of this all myself, but I can't. I have spent close to two thousand dollars of my own money and cannot spend anymore. Anything helps. One amazing lady has offered to pay for the dogs to receive shots and get spayed/neutered.We are now looking for financial help to pay for other vet bills to get them healthy. If you or anyone you know is interested in making a donation or fostering a dog, please contact me.

I have long been an animal lover and an animal rescuer. Over the course of the past year, my sister and I have rescued and found homes for countless kittens, as well as a puppy, in the East Atlanta and Old Fourth Ward neighborhoods of Atlanta. This past summer, my boyfriend Paul and I were involved on a truly small-scale level in improving the lives of stray cats in our old neighborhood by feeding, trapping, spaying and giving vet checkups to dozens of homeless cats (and finding many of them homes). During the week before we moved to Reynoldstown, we spayed eleven cats!

A very small number of you have expressed skepticism with regard to my acts and intentions in bringing attention to these dogs and requesting contributions on their behalf. If this blog does not sufficiently ease your suspicions, perhaps you will take into account the non-profit we are now forming. You should otherwise feel free to call Inman Park Animal Hospital, with whom I have an intimate, decade-long relationship. You may also feel free to contact Village Vets in Decatur, who have graciously provided a discount on services for these dogs--they can tell you the true condition of these animals and how this money has been put to use.