They filed out one by one, dogs and their puppies, for the start of their journey living the lives of companion dogs.
But before the first 75 were transported to rescue groups, the canines running loose on a 100-acre southwest Missouri breeding farm had to be rounded up.
“Today, we put our efforts into catching and wrangling these dogs,” says Rich Crook, the team leader who is heading the rescue effort of 200 dogs, including about a dozen pregnant females, confiscated by the state from an unlicensed breeder. “We hit the ground running and didn’t stop until it got dark.”
The team ended up catching a little more than 100, assessing them and sending them on their way with animal groups, or housing a few overnight in a barn on the property. Working with Best Friends were volunteers from California-based Noah’s Wish and officials with the Missouri State Department of Agriculture.
Two of the dogs leaving the property on the second day – where Best Friends’ rapid response team set up operations on February 26 – were black German shorthaired pointers – or, as communications field officer Kelli Orhtman called them, “the twins.”
“We couldn’t tell them apart,” she says. “We had our eye on them because they were so skinny. We wanted to be sure and catch them today.”
One of three ways to capture the twins and others was, if friendly, to lure them with food, and, when they’d get close enough, slip leads around their necks. “The second way,” Orhtman says, “was just sneaking up on them.”
“They live out on these fields so if we stayed away from an area for a while, the dogs would congregate and fall asleep. We snuck up on them, and the next thing they knew, they were on leashes.”
The third technique was live trapping. “They’re hungry, so we set up traps on the outskirts of the farm,” she says. “We probably trapped 15 dogs. There was no waiting for them. It was one after the other. It was almost like fishing in a stocked pond.”
There to do the job of catching the twins were Best Friends trainer Whitney Jones and caregiver Megan Larsen. It took patience and perseverance, but they eventually caught them. “They left [the farm] late this afternoon with a pointer group,” Orhtman says.
The pointer breed-specific group in Kansas City is one of a handful of rescue organizations taking in the dogs, who will be vaccinated, spayed/neutered and then placed in homes. Noah’s Wish will probably be taking a few, and Best Friends might take a couple too, says Crook, with follow-ups done afterward with all the groups to check on the dogs’ progress.
On February 28, the final 100 will be caught as well and also transported to waiting animal groups. A few errant dogs, roaming free outside the property fence, are being fed and are expected to be caught soon. Neighbors, Crook says, have agreed to watch out for them and pick up the last remaining dogs. They have access to water from three ponds on the property, and dog food is being replenished in a contained area left open for the stragglers, which Crook estimated to be around 30 or 40.
“These are dogs who are used to being in this area,” he says. “They’re nearby and roam on and off the property. They’ll come back, and we’ll get most of those dogs tomorrow.”
Then, the team plans to head back to Kanab. “We’ll be wrapping up by Saturday and leaving that night or Sunday morning,” Crook says. And, most probably, he adds, with two or three shorthairs and springer spaniels in tow.
For additional news, visit The Truth About the Pet Trade community and Rapid Response.
Follow the story:
Part 1: River Valley rescue
Part 3: River Valley wrap-up
Written by Cathy Scott
Photos by Gary Kalpakoff
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