As co-founder of Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary, an animal rescue center in Ontario, Danielle Eden is no stranger to animal adoption. She has visited countless animal shelters throughout the world and has saved many dogs from these shelters, especially the ones who need help most.
However, when she visited a dog shelter in Israel, she was shocked because this was the worst shelter she’d ever seen. More than 250 dogs were living in a rat-infested space designed for just 70 and the poor animals had to fight over scraps of food given to them.
“This is the worst shelter she had ever seen,” Clare Forndran, media director for Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary, tells The Dodo.
“Dogs were literally fighting over a loaf of bread,” Forndran says. “There were more rats than dogs.”
All of the animals in there were in such dire need of help that she didn’t know which one to save. So she picked them all. She bought the entire shelter, and she was determined to find forever homes for them.
Since then, Dog Tales has taken responsibility for all 250 dogs. For two months, they managed to move 90 dogs into shelters in Israel where they will be properly cared for and have a much better chance of being adopted. Another 25 were brought to the Sanctuary in Ontario. And so far, more than half of the dogs who are already in Ontario have been adopted.
The other 150 are still in the shelter, but thankfully, the shelter is undergoing some transformations. A team in Israel assigned the task of making the shelter more habitable and comfortable for the dogs. Once they are fit to travel, they will be moved to Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary in Ontario, where they can find loving homes.
We would like to take a moment to fill everyone in on an enormous project that we have taken on here at Dog Tales. The creation of our entire shelter was inspired by four incredible dogs that were rescued from the streets of Israel. In honour of this, our founders regularly travel to Israel to find dogs in need and bring them back to Canada for a second chance at a happy life. On our trips to Israel we visit local shelters and work with the staff and volunteers to make lists of 10-20 dogs at a time to bring to our rescue. On these trips we look for the difficult cases- dogs that are senior, dogs that have disabilities, and dogs that have been waiting for a home the longest. Making these lists is gut wrenching , however it is usually quite clear which dogs need our help the most.Earlier in the year we were taken to a shelter in Israel that we had never been to before. The conditions were shocking. To say that the shelter was overcrowded is an understatement, with more than 250 dogs crammed into a space with the capacity for 70. There were as many as 6 dogs in each cage, all fighting over the loaves of bread that they were being fed. Rats were everywhere, and the dogs, most of whom had been there for years, were terrified. For once, it was not obvious to us which dogs needed us the most. They all needed us. We realized that it would be impossible to make a list deciding which dogs would be rescued from this horrific life, and which would be left behind. We then made the decision to acquire the entire shelter, and take responsibility for all 250+ dogs. In the past two months, 90 have been relocated within Israel to more adequate shelters. 25 have already made the trip to Canada. 150 remain. We have assembled a team in Israel to clean up the shelter and make the dogs more comfortable until we have the space to bring them here. While in Israel veterinarians will be caring for the dogs to address any immediate health concerns. Staff will be working with the dogs every day to socialize them and teach them to trust again. The dogs will no longer be eating bread. To help these dogs, we need your help. Every dog that is adopted from our rescue creates space for another of these dogs to be brought to Canada. If you are not in a position to adopt, please consider sharing our page with your friends and family. The most important thing that we can do for these, and for all of our dogs, is to share their story and be their voice.In our most recent photos of our new dogs, a popular comment was that the dogs appear sad. We would like to share a short video with you that illustrates the conditions that these dogs have lived in for years, and their journey to Canada. In time, with patience and with love, we know that their expressions will change.
Posted by Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary on Friday, February 26, 2016
Thank you so much for everything you guys are doing for those poor dogs! The world has still good people and each of us could be one. Please share this story with your friends and family members!