A Shepherd and his LAMBS in the Wiregrass Corner of Alabama

“I hope this isn’t some wild-goose chase,” I warned Nancy as we headed south from Montgomery to visit our next shelter on the tour.I’d heard about SHARK (Safe Haven Animal Rescue Kennel) from a Humane Society representative. I’d asked her about shelters further south in Alabama and her immediate response was, “You have to go see SHARK. You won’t believe it.”She was right.As we drove south on Thursday afternoon, tired and overwhelmed by all we’d already seen, I wondered if this eight-hour detour to Abbeville, Alabama was a mistake.It wasn’t. In fact, it was quite possibly the most inspiring experience of the entire trip, which is saying something because we met some amazing people on this journey.SHARK’s director is Dave Rice, a 76-year-old disabled veteran. He is trained and certified as an Animal Control Officer, but the county doesn’t give him a salary. He says it’s because he’s too old. He’s supposed to bill them $10 for each call, but he doesn’t bother. The county gives him a $1000 annual stipend and the city $1200 to pay for the dogs in his care. Currently, there are 78.Even if you don’t make regular forays to the pet store for dog food, you can guess how far $2200 will go towards his annual grocery bill. Dave’s latest vet bill was $27,000 (and no that isn’t an extra zero).“We always pay it,” he says. “We find a way. The people around here are good folks.”Dave took over animal control when the county shut down the shelter and fired the former ACO. Dave had been a volunteer, but couldn’t let his “lambs” suffer, so he stepped up and helped form SHARK.Dave calls his dogs, mostly bully mixes, his lambs – Lower Alabama Mixed Breeds. As we followed him through the kennels and met the dogs, I’d have to agree, they were lambs. Big lambs, but sweethearts, every single one.The first kennel we visited was the original pound, located at the landfill (a common and convenient location for many dog pounds, we’ve discovered). It was a set of 10 chainlink kennels on a concrete slab with a roof and shades partially covering the sides.

I keep saying it and I won’t stop saying it—this is fixable, but people need to know. Awareness is the first step towards change. It’s not that people don’t care; it’s that they don’t know. We have to tell them.Please spread the word and if you haven’t already, subscribe to this blog so you can follow the stories and help work for change. You can also follow, comment, and share on Facebook and Instagram.#BeTheChangeUntil every cage is empty,Cara