WE’RE ALL DUNROAMIN’

Posted On February 20, 2013

OPERATION DESERT DOGS

In January 2013, the Animal Rescue Corps (ARC) was called to assist with a case of animal hoarding in Palm Springs, California. The report suggested that a man was living in a small home with 20 – 30 dogs who were not being cared for. Once confronted, the owner surrendered 15 of these dogs to ARC; we are not sure how many were left behind.
The dogs were found to be in rough shape. Most of them had scars and wounds in various stages of healing, all apparently inflicted by other dogs in the home. There was fecal matter everywhere and the dogs were eating this filth before food was delivered by rescuers. I’m told that the owner was also known to have beaten the dogs.
Seven of the “Operation Desert Dogs” have since been transferred to DunRoamin’ Stray and Rescue. They were kept at the vet clinic in Florenceville for several days while they were examined (physically and mentally). One by one, they will be placed in foster homes where they can receive individualized attention and learn to trust people again.
The patriarch of the group is named King (short for King Kong). He is a three year old Saint Bernard cross with a heart of gold. He was a bit timid at first, but quickly came out of his shell, and was giving big sloppy kisses within an hour of his arrival. He loves to sleep on the couch or in your bed, give hugs, and go for a drive or a walk in the snow. None of the dogs seemed bothered by the snow which surprised all of us.

King is the father of the other six dogs we took in. Martin and Woody are both just shy of one year of age and resemble their father closely. They were a bit more timid than King on arrival, but both have progressed nicely, doing well on the leash, becoming house trained quickly and seeking attention from people they know.
The other four monsters have been a bit more difficult. They are black with white markings, also only 11 months old and are supposed to be the sons and daughter of King. They were marked as lab mixes, but you can make up your own mind as to their lineage. Kennedy, Tatiana, Luther and DJ have been much more difficult to win over.
DJ was the quickest to approach people, but he is the most vocal of the herd and will tell you exactly what he thinks (repeatedly). He is a super special-needs boy because he already has a severe heart murmur. We think he was born with a defect in his heart, and in all likelihood he will not be with us very long.
Tatiana is the only female and the most social of the black group, but she is also the biggest trouble-maker. She is far too smart for her own good, learning how to escape kennels, open doors, and even open windows (but that is a story for next time).
Kennedy was pretty shy at first but he is coming around nicely and will sit on your lap, let you rub his belly, oh – and feed him chicken fingers.
Luther is, in my opinion, the most handsome boy, but he has been the hardest one to win over. He is getting better by leaps and strides, but he’ll need time before he trusts people enough to seek out attention.
This rescue has touched us deeply. We hope that you will all stay tuned for updates. We wanted to say thank you once again to all of our supporters, to every single person who has offered a kind word, a visit to pat them on the head or take them for a walk. You have helped these dogs regain dignity and comfort where once there was none.