Hope in Hayti (and a puppy rescue!)
The first time I talked to Dave Hollingshead, the street supervisor and defacto dogcatcher for Hayti, Missouri, I learned two things—1)You pronounce Hayti, not like the Caribbean country, but Hay-tie, as in a bale of hay and a tie that goes with your shirt.2) the dogs of Hayti are incredibly lucky to have Dave on their side.Hayti is the county in the boot heel of Missouri (or what I think looks more like the tail of Missouri that pokes down into Tennessee). It felt like a forgotten place—somewhere not really Missouri, but not a place Tennessee would claim either.
I assured her that her life would get better from here, as I carried her to Dave’s truck. Dave cut the zip ties to open the crate and we tucked her in with her brother.https://www.facebook.com/WhoWillLetTheDogsOut/videos/542659309706432/
Dave was already on the phone finding rescue for them. They would stay with him a few days and then head out on a transport through Paws to Care.I was pretty stoked to rescue the puppies. In fact, the rest of the day (and the next), every chance I got, I reminded Nancy—‘I rescued puppies!’ It was how I handled the tougher moments we encountered. By far, it was one of the best moments of my trip.We’d seen so much this week and been unable to do anything except write about it and take pictures. To get my hands on those puppies and know that now they are safe because of us was just what I needed. Now they won’t be hit by a car or grow up to be feral dogs that are eventually destroyed when they become a nuisance or a danger.I'm so glad the dogs of Hayti have a hero in this large, gentle man who is here not just to protect his community, but to protect the dogs too.
I was inspired by meeting Dave and listening to his dreams for the dogs of Hayti. There is hope even in the hopeless places. A week after I returned from our trip, I connected with Lori from Hayti, the woman who Dave mentioned had been helping him.Lori is a smart woman who has lived in Hayti all her life and can't believe she didn't know what was happening at their dog pound. She, along with Jeri Claire, have begun a nonprofit called Hayti Pound Puppies in the hopes of raising enough money to build a real shelter. They've already met with the county officials, created a 501c3, and found local supporters to help with fundraising. As she said, "We're like a diesel, we might be starting slow but we are powerful."I assured Dave and Lori that we would share their story. I encouraged Dave to create an Amazon wishlist to get the things that he needs. Patty, who works with Nancy and me, will get Lori information on grants Hayti can apply for to finally build that real shelter, and Diana from Paws to Care promised to be in touch with Lori to share what they've learned.The story is just beginning in Hayti, and it's gonna be a good one. Helping these people and rescuing puppies are what this journey has been all about.Finding safety and homes for animals who can’t do it for themselves. They have no voice, so we must be theirs.If you’d like to help Dave and the dogs of Hayti County, you can shop his Amazon wishlist. If you'd like to support the work of the Hayti Pound Puppy Rescue, follow them on Facebook.
Until every cage is empty,CaraPlease help us by subscribing (button on right side) and sharing this blog. You can also keep track of us on Facebook and Instagram.Who Will Let the Dogs Out (we call it Waldo for short) is an initiative of Operation Paws for Homes. If you’d like to contribute to our work, we encourage you to click on the how to help link above and give directly to a shelter. You can also donate to our work via OPH’s donation page by designating Who Will Let the Dogs Out in your comments.My upcoming book, One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues (Pegasus Books, July 7, 2020) tells the story of not only our foster experience but some of our shelter visits and how Who Will Let the Dogs Out began. It is available for preorder now and a portion of proceeds of every book sold will go to help unwanted animals in the south.
Dave was already on the phone finding rescue for them. They would stay with him a few days and then head out on a transport through Paws to Care.I was pretty stoked to rescue the puppies. In fact, the rest of the day (and the next), every chance I got, I reminded Nancy—‘I rescued puppies!’ It was how I handled the tougher moments we encountered. By far, it was one of the best moments of my trip.We’d seen so much this week and been unable to do anything except write about it and take pictures. To get my hands on those puppies and know that now they are safe because of us was just what I needed. Now they won’t be hit by a car or grow up to be feral dogs that are eventually destroyed when they become a nuisance or a danger.I'm so glad the dogs of Hayti have a hero in this large, gentle man who is here not just to protect his community, but to protect the dogs too.I was inspired by meeting Dave and listening to his dreams for the dogs of Hayti. There is hope even in the hopeless places. A week after I returned from our trip, I connected with Lori from Hayti, the woman who Dave mentioned had been helping him.Lori is a smart woman who has lived in Hayti all her life and can't believe she didn't know what was happening at their dog pound. She, along with Jeri Claire, have begun a nonprofit called Hayti Pound Puppies in the hopes of raising enough money to build a real shelter. They've already met with the county officials, created a 501c3, and found local supporters to help with fundraising. As she said, "We're like a diesel, we might be starting slow but we are powerful."I assured Dave and Lori that we would share their story. I encouraged Dave to create an Amazon wishlist to get the things that he needs. Patty, who works with Nancy and me, will get Lori information on grants Hayti can apply for to finally build that real shelter, and Diana from Paws to Care promised to be in touch with Lori to share what they've learned.The story is just beginning in Hayti, and it's gonna be a good one. Helping these people and rescuing puppies are what this journey has been all about.Finding safety and homes for animals who can’t do it for themselves. They have no voice, so we must be theirs.If you’d like to help Dave and the dogs of Hayti County, you can shop his Amazon wishlist. If you'd like to support the work of the Hayti Pound Puppy Rescue, follow them on Facebook.Until every cage is empty,CaraPlease help us by subscribing (button on right side) and sharing this blog. You can also keep track of us on Facebook and Instagram.Who Will Let the Dogs Out (we call it Waldo for short) is an initiative of Operation Paws for Homes. If you’d like to contribute to our work, we encourage you to click on the how to help link above and give directly to a shelter. You can also donate to our work via OPH’s donation page by designating Who Will Let the Dogs Out in your comments.My upcoming book, One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues (Pegasus Books, July 7, 2020) tells the story of not only our foster experience but some of our shelter visits and how Who Will Let the Dogs Out began. It is available for preorder now and a portion of proceeds of every book sold will go to help unwanted animals in the south.
