Many dog rescue centers in Wisconsin would have a distinct Southern drawl if barks had accents, according to a recent observation made in Janesville.
Many stray and unwanted dogs from Texas find their way to Wisconsin, making it a popular destination for them.
Texas has a staggering number of stray dogs, which presents a significant problem for the state. Veterinarians.org reports that Texas ranks No.7 nationwide, with 10% of sheltered dogs being euthanized.
California has the highest number of dogs at 61,245, which accounts for 10% of all dogs in the United States.
Residing in the Texas Panhandle, Brenda Walsh dedicates her time and efforts towards finding rescues for dogs from two counties in the same area, through her involvement with Friends of Panhandle Shelter Pets.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the job.
According to Walsh, when it comes to dogs that are no longer wanted, some owners choose to surrender them, while others simply abandon them.
Walsh strives to rescue as many dogs as possible and relocate them out of state.
Many times, those who are left behind are unfortunately euthanized.
According to Walsh, the common suggestion of “just finding them a home” is easier said than done. The reality is, there simply aren’t enough available homes to accommodate all those in need.
According to Walsh, the key is to enforce existing laws, specifically those related to spaying and neutering. He notes that there seems to be a different mindset in the area.
“People often claim that they do not want to spay or neuter their pets, but then they end up with a litter of puppies and abandon them in a field,” said the speaker.
Small towns are not the only ones affected by this issue.
According to Walsh, Amarillo is the city closest to their location. He pointed out that despite being home to only 200,000 people, the city’s animal control shelter has an alarming number of dogs, equivalent to cities three times its size. This situation is worrisome and requires immediate attention.
“When visiting Austin, a more progressive city, the issue at hand seems to be less prevalent.”
Wisconsin Shelters Provide Assistance to Those in Need
Located in North Prairie, the Hoovers Hause All Dog Rescue serves as a new home for rescue dogs arriving from Texas. It’s the first Wisconsin residence for many of these dogs, and North Prairie is situated in Waukesha County, just 43 miles northeast of Janesville.
After her husband was transferred to Mississippi, Sharon Runkel was inspired to start a foster facility in North Prairie. While volunteering at a local shelter, she was taken aback by the overwhelming number of dogs in need of a loving home.
Stephanie Seitz, the manager of Hoovers Hause, shared that a van was loaded up and an adoption event was set up at Tractor Supply in Mukwonago. As a result, people began fostering dogs.
“We were surprised to discover that we had a facility in no time.”
Hoovers Hause, a shelter for dogs, has been in operation for 15 years. Initially, it was located in a rented facility in Mukwonago before moving to its current facility seven years ago. Over the course of 11 years, the shelter has successfully rescued 8,541 dogs.
Seitz stated that they usually find homes for around 600 to 800 dogs annually.
At any given time, the facility houses approximately 10 dogs.
Seitz explained that their main goal is to find loving homes for the dogs, particularly the puppies. As soon as the dogs arrive, they are placed in foster homes until they can be adopted by their forever families.
On Saturday afternoon, a group of five dogs made their way from the Texas Panhandle to their new home. Thanks to the kindness and generosity of members of Pilots N Paws Transport, who used their small private planes to transport the dogs, these furry friends were able to travel safely to their new destination. These dedicated pilots donate their time and cover all expenses, making roundtrips that can last anywhere from three to five hours.
Dave Farrell, a resident between Janesville and Milton, recently completed the delivery of the last flight. He has been an active member of Pilots N Paws since 2021. Farrell personally flew the dogs from Washington, Iowa to the Burlington Regional Airport, which is located approximately 30 miles from North Prairie.
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While Seitz patiently waited in her van at the Burlington airport, she had the company of several furry friends. Lorelei, a stunning 80-pound white Great Pyrenees, kept watch alongside two small Shih Tzu sisters, Sayge and Leonie, as well as two adorable puppies, Nellie, a Pointer mix, and Zia, a Border Collie mix.
Seitz drove the dogs to Hoovers Hause after loading them into his van.
The dogs underwent a thorough evaluation process to assess their ability to walk on a leash and their compatibility with other canines.
The volunteers snapped their photos and uploaded them on the Hoover Hause website, which can be found at www.hoovershausealldogrescue.com.
Seitz predicted that the two small Shih Tzus would be in high demand, as many people are seeking dogs of that breed. “I’m sure they’ll find homes quickly,” he said on Saturday.
As per Seitz’s prediction, the photos and descriptions of Sayge and Leonie were no longer available on the webpage by Monday. It was apparent that they had found their forever home.
Some dogs are not as fortunate.
Seitz expressed her concern about how pit bulls tend to stay in shelters for extended periods due to the negative stereotypes associated with them. “It’s unfortunate, but the reality is that pit bulls have a harder time finding homes, and as a result, they often end up staying in shelters for a longer time,” Seitz said.
Adopting out a shy and bashful pet may be a bit more challenging compared to other pets.
According to Seitz, dogs typically wait for around three weeks to be adopted.
According to Seitz, there is a furry friend who has been in foster care for three months now. The key is to match the dog with the perfect family.
According to her, they are quite selective when it comes to matching pets with families. Private appointments are arranged to ensure that the pet fits well with the family. She emphasized that adopting a pet is a lifelong commitment and hence, making the right decision is crucial.
On Tuesday, Hoovers Hause had a total of nine dogs on their premises, while 49 dogs that were previously at Hoovers Hause are currently in foster homes and waiting to be adopted.
The sheer volume of numbers can be quite daunting.
Regrettably, staying busy is not an issue for Seitz and other rescue facility managers in Wisconsin.
There is a surplus of stray and unwanted dogs in numerous states, particularly in the South. Seitz collaborates with three organizations in Texas and an additional one based in Tulsa, Oklahoma to address this issue.
According to Seitz, the stray dog population and the number of dogs surrendered by their owners in the South is so high that the existing facilities often run out of space to accommodate them all. This leads to the unfortunate situation where many dogs have to be euthanized due to lack of space.
Walsh and Seitz work closely together.
Seitz expressed concern that the dogs in the rural area have little chance of being adopted into a forever family. She emphasized the importance of their organization’s efforts to rescue and rehome as many of these dogs as possible.
According to Walsh, choosing the right dogs to transport out of Texas can be a daunting task. Walsh has been collaborating with a rescue facility based in Amarillo, Texas since 2018. At that time, the facility was struggling to find homes for only one or two dogs per month.
According to Walsh, spaying and neutering are not given the importance they deserve in this area. She reveals that there is a high number of unwanted litters, which can be attributed to the fact that people allow their dogs to roam freely.
When Walsh discovered that certain shelters were sending dogs to Colorado for adoption, she was eager for her own facility to follow suit. However, the owner was resistant to the idea, causing a setback for Walsh’s efforts.
According to Walsh, the woman expressed concern about not being able to meet with potential adopters. In response, he reassured her that there were no adopters currently in the picture.
When Walsh arrived at the Amarillo dog pound, he was met with a heartbreaking sight – numerous dogs were cramped up in the facility. Sadly, due to overcrowding, a lot of dogs had to be put down.
In 2019, Walsh took the initiative to volunteer himself for shelter management and also dedicated his time to establish an out-of-state transport program.
Although the director was open to new ideas, the budget was limited and funds were tight.
As per Walsh’s recollection, the response he received was, “Great. Your budget is zero,” from the person he was speaking to.
Without losing hope, Walsh dedicated six months to creating a transportation initiative. Collaborating with Pilots N Paws, she began focusing on smaller towns in the Panhandle, venturing out on her own.
The year 2020 saw the outbreak of COVID-19, which had a significant impact on the world.
Walsh said that being a part of Friends of Texas Panhandle Shelter Pets has been a blessing as it has redirected her focus.
Walsh entrusted rescue shelters to capture videos of the dogs, while she focused on finding them new homes. She took the dogs to the vets herself and collaborated with Pilots N Paws to ensure safe transportation for the furry friends.
Walsh, now operating as a nonprofit organization, has become adept at effectively transporting dogs from the Texas Panhandle.
She explained that Wisconsin is where most of her dogs end up going. She frequently relies on four rescue organizations in the state to place her dogs in loving homes.
Hoovers Hause is a popular destination for many dogs.
According to Walsh, the number was approximately 300 in the first year, but it increased to 450 in the previous year.
These individuals are considered fortunate.
It takes hours of hard work for Walsh to locate available Pilots N Paws pilots and arrange flights out of Texas. However, the sight of pictures of dogs that she has sent to other states and are now living happily with their forever families makes all her efforts worth it.
Walsh expressed his joy in seeing pictures of dogs who have found loving families. He acknowledged that many of these dogs were previously tied up in yards or other unfavorable conditions, but now have the opportunity to start anew and live a happy life.