Since taking on the task of helping to rehome pups at the Eufaula pound over a year ago, Paws N Claws founders, LaDonna Rhodes and Lori Powell-Fells have seen three times as many county pups tossed out on the road and left to starve to death if someone doesn’t intervene.
“Every single day we average 3-5 calls from different people who have driven by a dumped dog on the road or have picked it up and can’t keep it,” LaDonna Rhodes said. “Sadly all we can do is post these abandoned animals on our Facebook page and pray that we can somehow find a home for them even though our county is absolutely saturated. Even during Whole Hawg Days, Kelly Blurton with Lake Eufaula Association took home a pup that a lady was walking around with because she had to find it a home or take it to a shelter. People are constantly abandoning their pets; even Checotah Bark Resort has two dogs that are siblings and were left by their owner who never came back for them.
“Lori and I constantly have to tell people that we are just volunteers and we don’t have a facility personally to put these dogs in. In fact, we both have our homes full to the brim with rescues already but occasionally I still get suckered into taking on more rescues, like two different litters of pups in the last two months and a kitten most recently. I literally tend to over 20 animals morning and night with a full-time job at the newspaper. Lori also works and is a teacher at Oktaha.”
This is why Paws N Claws started visiting with McIntosh County Sheriff Kevin Ledbetter, McIntosh Deputy Chad Breazelle, County Commissioner Clifford McElhaney, State Rep. Tim Turner and Checotah City Councilman Jay Hayes about how desperately the county needs animal control and an animal control facility.
“We have seen so many animals abandoned, abused and neglected in our county,” Rhodes said. “I can share pictures of these pitiful animals that will just make you sick to your stomach. We have even turned in some cases that were so serious that they are now court cases. The problem is, it never stops, and the hands of these perpetrators are barely slapped. There definitely needs to be tougher laws and higher fines in place to hit them where it hurts – their pocketbook.
“Just this week we learned about ‘Buddy,’ an emaciated dump dog that was finally caught by Jodi Collins. She called him ‘Buddy’ because when she picked him up she told him ‘Ok Buddy we are going to take you home and get you better.’ Since putting him on our Paws N Claws page we have had several donors step up and bring dogfood, Pedialyte and even a doghouse was donated by Nick Kroge, the manager of Uncle Jimmy’s restaurant. Jodi said she’s even got someone interested already in giving ‘Buddy’ a new home once he’s all better, which may be a little bit because he was on death’s door.
“In Checotah, another call came in to us this weekend about another emaciated, dumped dog that was roaming around Sonic. Unfortunately animal control wouldn’t be in until Monday and this was Saturday. So what else can you do except feed and water the animal because there are no openings at any facilities. Shelters are full and running over and healthy animals are being euthanized all because people won’t spay and neuter their animals. This is why I leave food and water outside my office for all the strays. What’s crazy is we have one of the cheapest places in the county, Happy Paws, which fixes animals for under $100 so there really is no excuse. We just hope to shine a light on this serious county problem and then offer some solutions as well. We know it takes a village but we also know we can make a difference if we keep working together to get it done.”
