Volunteers with Rescue One’s emergency rescue and outreach teams have been hustling these past four days, working to save stray animals caught in the cold and to make sure pet owners have straw and/or dog houses to keep their furry friends safe.
Since Jan. 12, the emergency rescue team has taken in more than 50 animals who were roaming stray, lost or dumped in and around Greene County. The outreach team provided to pet owners enough straw to keep about 120 dogs and cats warm. Straw is preferred over hay and/or bedding to keep animals warm.
“Of course, we want people to bring (their pets) inside. But a lot of people aren’t going to do that,” said Rebekah Redwing with Rescue One.
Rescue One used its social media platforms to ask for donations of dog houses, which were then made available to those in need.
“We have a great community and a lot of people want to help,” Redwing said. “We are able to kind of help facilitate that need.”
Redwing advises pet owners who can’t or refuse to bring their animals inside during these below-freezing temperatures to at least provide some type of dog/cat house as shelter and use straw rather than hay or bedding (towels, blankets or cloth) to provide warmth for the animal. It’s also important for the opening on the dog house to be pointed east or south (away from the direction of the cold winds).
Redwing, who serves as Rescue One’s administrative manager, found herself rescuing strays caught in the cold over the weekend. According to neighboring property owners, a pair of dogs had been dumped Friday in the Southern Hills neighborhood. They were curled up together on the side of a house when Redwing found them on Sunday, and are now in Rescue One’s care.
“It seems like there’s more strays and lost animals than ever before,” she said. “They (the emergency rescue team) have traps set all around right now, trying to get dogs.
“It’s hard to sleep at night. We kind of hate wintertime,” Redwing said, “just thinking of the ones that are sitting outside.”
Team partners with daytime shelter to help keep pets safe
On Friday, volunteers with Rescue One learned of dogs tied to the chain link fence around the Veterans Coming Home Center, the daytime drop-in center for unsheltered people in downtown Springfield.
Due to past incidents, the Vets Center had a policy that all dogs remain outside. The Rescue One team worked with the center’s director to create a solution that would keep the animals safe and warm. The Vets Center will now allow pets inside when it’s 32 degrees or colder, so long as Rescue One provides food, crates, dog houses, straw and other supplies — which Rescue One quickly did.
The team set up crates and spaces for 13 large dogs in the basement of the center. Small dogs would be allowed upstairs with their humans on these freezing days.
On Sunday, Rescue One’s team learned of dogs tied up outside the Vets Center again, because the dogs were not up-to-date on their vaccinations.
The team gathered up vaccination supplies from Rescue One’s clinic and returned to the Vets Center to vaccinate 27 dogs on the spot.
Need help keeping your animal safe?
The goal of Rescue One’s outreach program is to reduce the number of animals coming into Rescue One by working with pet owners to keep their animals healthy. This is done by assisting with emergency food assistance or veterinary care such as vaccinations or spaying and neutering.
If you need help caring for your pet, email rescueoneinfo@gmail.com.
Want to help Rescue One?
There are multiple volunteer opportunities with Rescue One, Redwing said. From helping clean at the clinic to helping out at an adoption event.
The biggest volunteer need is for fosters, Redwing said. For those willing to foster an animal while it waits to be adopted, Rescue One provides for all necessary medical expenses and donates all of the basic supplies needed for fostering. Learn more about fostering here.
Learn more about the different ways to donate to Rescue One Springfield here.
