Help Transport Rescued Dogs to Out-of-State Shelters

We are Karen and David Garvin. We moved to Dothan, AL from Woodstock, GA 3 1/2 years ago. We had been rescuing dogs both privately and through Cherokee County Humane Society for more than a quarter of a century. It was our intention to quit rescue and enjoy our retirement. Prior to moving, we donated everything dog rescue-related to the Cherokee County Humane Society Thrift Store. We moved here to have a pond and keep ducks, having gotten into waterfowl rescue back home. Come to find out that our two-acre spring-fed pond was not only not spring fed but had a sand bottom and did not even hold water! Man plans, God laughs. We could not ignore the animal suffering that we saw everywhere and went back to fighting the good fight again. We have rescued 53 dogs since we have been here.

We have a family member suffering from Alzheimer's disease in the ATL area. We need to return home. We need to move out the dogs that we have that are adoptable to shelters. They have been here waaay too long, four as long fifteen months, one is a leftover from a rescue of six dumpees from July of 2023. I will have to pay for their ride, plus get Certificates of Health prior to their journeys. It will be costly. I am having a trainer come out to work with me on improving their manners to give them the best possible outcomes in their new lives. Anyone who has any ability in training dogs would be welcome to volunteer their services. We are lousy at training. Historically, our jobs were to save their lives, vet them, sterilize them, pay the bills, and move them out. It was never our intention for these dogs to stay. Just caring for them takes up every minute of every day, from six am until nine pm.

Also, we trapped a litter of five pups from the Colored Pine Straw field in Dothan (behind C.B.'s). We have trapped fifteen from there! (Right now, there is one pregnant dog there and one nursing bitch. I have yet to see her pups. One thing is for certain...we will not be rescuing her pups. Our intake is closed.) Being feral means a long stay with us for rehabbing. They were like baby coyotes when we brought them home. WAGS took one of them. We just had the remaining four spayed and neutered in Tallahassee at a cost of $400 for the dogs and $200 to rent a U-Haul van. Prior to that, we got their rabies and Bordetella vaccines at Walden Pond Animal Hospital for $200. We bought a six-pack of NexGard there for $140. We bought puppy vacs at Jeffers for $115 and wormer twice from Jeffer's for $120. The pups had ringworm and demodex and have had two vet visits for their skin at Ozark. I cannot find the receipts. Also, wormer from Walden Pond. I have gone through two bottles of medicated shampoo for $40. The incomplete total comes to $1215 for these pups, not counting feeding them and having to buy more crates and X-pens for them. Any help that we can get will be appreciated.