Memphis News Story

Here is footage from a news story I called in to ABC 24 after the Memphis Animal Shelter euthanized a very sweet and loving Red Nose Pit Bull I found an adopter for. After my adopter filled out the paperwork, they told us to wait while they ran a background check and arranged a home visit. We waited patiently, but it never happened, and when I went back to the shelter, worried about the dog, I found he had been put to sleep. We were given two contradictory reasons (signs of illness, and later, aggressive behavior), but no one could come up with proof or written records for either reason. This pit bull had an extremely mellow and sweet disposition. We temperament tested him, and he was neither dog nor people aggressive. As far as illness is concerned, I have my doubts about him being sick, since the vet does not remember him and there is no medical record to prove that he exhibited symptoms of illness advanced enough to warrant euthanasia when he had sponsorship and an adopter.

The shelter has supposedly improved since the widely publicized cruelty investigation in October, but from working there this past month, I saw very little change. We need massive reform!

You can read the full description of the story here, as well as see original footage of my handling the dog here.

RIP, you sweet and beautiful creature. We will do everything we can to fight for justice -- for you and all the other dogs who have suffered your same fate.

Lady Gaga

These are photographs

of Lady Gaga, our new foster from Liberty County Animal Control.

SARN member Shawn Ridgeway is currently fostering Maggie, a gray kitten who was abandoned at LCAC. Also, Lucky, the white and brindle American Bulldog in the picture with Gaga, was safely transported with the help of New Beginnings Animal Rescue and SARN from Georgia to Tennessee in late November. He is now currently living with a loving forever family in Memphis.

Current Adoptable Pets in Hinesville, GA

THANK YOU, STUDENTS!

I want to thank all student volunteers for their hard work and dedication throughout the 2008-2009 school year! We had many new members join and play a wide variety of roles -- adoption day volunteers, posters and promoters, transporters, fosters, adopters, petsitters, etc. Each and every action was equally significant. THANK YOU!

We will resume SARN efforts in September. I look forward to our group growing in the future, and I will be in contact with all of you when we're ready to get back to business.

Have a relaxing summer!

Updates and Success Stories

Today was a successful day at Savannah Animal Control. We were able to get three dogs out. Sascha, Nina, and Nellie all went to loving forever homes. They are pictured below.























I will be going to Hinesville this Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm. They have SO MANY kittens coming in, so we really need to get our foster network active. Is anyone interested in taking in a kitten or two? Or, if you're staying for the summer, perhaps you would like to foster a puppy?

There is room in my car, so please contact me if you are intersted. Liberty County Animal Control always needs more volunteers!

Make this weekend a meaningful one and do a little volunteering. I promise, you'll have fun and it will help alleviate some of the stress from your approaching finals!

ALSO: Special thanks to all the SCAD volunteers who came out to Chatham AC last Sunday for the adoption event. All of those dogs appreciated their baths! Sadly, some were euthanized in the following days, but I hope you realize that you made their last days a little brighter by getting them out of their cages and into the sunshine.

TWO VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

MORE SARN "HAPPY TAILS"

These animals have all been pulled out of high-kill environments and placed in foster or forever homes:




































































































Saturday: Weekly trip to Hinesville to work at Liberty County Animal Control and assist with adoptions. If you are interested in fostering or adopting a cat, kitten, puppy, or dog, I encourage you to come down as well. We have plenty of babies who need to get off death row immediately.

Time: 9am - 2 pm

I have room in my car for 3 other people, so just e-mail me at becca_johnson1@hotmail.com if you're interested.

Sunday: Adoption event at Savannah Animal Control from 1-5 pm. I really need volunteers out there to help potential adopters, photograph new pups for postings, and give baths to the dogs with a hose and a nice bucket of soapy water. I'll bring some flea spray, too. This way the dogs will look more presentable and will feel more comfortable in their cages.

Time: 1-5pm

Please contact me if you're interested in getting involved. This does NOT require a trip out of town.

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Update: Adopt-A-Thon

We have seven student volunteers traveling out to Hinesville on Saturday. Some will be working at the Adopt-a-Thon with the dogs, and some will be handling the kittens and cats back at Animal Control.

There is still room in our two cars, so if you're reading this and would like to join us, please let me know!

THANK YOU ALL for stepping up to the plate and helping out! I am looking forward to tomorrow very much!

SARN Teams Up With Berwick Animal Hospital and the Brunswick Police Department!

Great news, SARN members!

I have made a deal with Dr. DeAnna Douglas of Berwick Animal Hospital to receive a great discount for all Student Rescue members who use Berwick Animal Hospital for any of their fosters or adopted rescues! If you are an active SARN member and have alerted me of your planned vet visit, Dr. Douglas will take 25% off your bill!

In exchange for this generous discount, I am helping Dr. Douglas place some of her rescues in loving forever homes. If you would like to help place these animals, please contact me!

If you have not yet gotten involved with SARN, your first activity is only an e-mail away.

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Srgt. Russ Berger of the Brunswick Police Department has also contacted me in hopes of getting students involved in a propsal for a low-kill shelter they are hoping to build in the Brunswick area. I have gotten in touch with the chair of SCAD's wonderful interior design department, and we are currently working together to transform this into a class project for one of the rendering classes.

This is truly exciting news, and I'm very pleased to see SCAD's talented student body helping Georgia's rescue efforts -- all while improving their craft!


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Ready to volunteer?

Drop me a line at 901-338-0322 or e-mail me at becca_johnson1@hotmail.com

Let's show Savannah what SCAD students are capable of!

GREAT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY!

New Beginnings Rescue is holding an Adopt-A-Thon for some of our most loving and adoptable pups on death row!

We really need young and energetic dog enthusiasts to volunteer and spend time with the pups. You will love on the animals, play with them our in the field, and help to make potential adopters feel more comfortable with their meet-and-greets. When a person sees a dog interacting with another volunteer, they are much more likely to take interest in the adoption. Won't you help increase a dog's chance of finding a forever home?

I will be driving up to Hinesville this Saturday morning and have room in my car for 4 other volunteers. If you would like to get involved, please e-mail me at becca_johnson1@hotmail.com or call me at 901-338-0322.

Come on, SCAD Students. Volunteering has never been so much fun -- all you have to do is play with an awesome dog! It doesn't get easier than that...

Success Stories and Updates

Hi all,

I know it's been a long time since I last posted, but plenty has happened, including many wonderful success stories.

First of all, I want to thank SCAD students Kristin, Rachele, Kim, Shaun, and Christine for all of their help so far. Kristin helps with transports and fostering, Rachele provided a foster home for Penelope and got her placed quickly, Kim has fostered both cats and dogs in immediate danger, Shaun adopted one of our rescues, and Christine hand-fashioned several cat toys and donated a box full of clothing and books for the New Beginnings yard sale.

Excellent work, ladies!

Guys...what are you waiting for? Get involved! This isn't a girls club. Let's get our membership to grow! The more volunteers we have, the more lives we save. It's a simple equation, tried and true.

Take a few hours out of your week to be a part of something exciting. Get proactive! It's healthy for you!

We are taking our regular trip to Hinesville tomorrow morning. I will be handling cat adoptions in the front and some other NBAR volunteers will be doing the pups in the back. Hours are from 10 am - 1 pm. Please stop by or contact me tonight to carpool in the morning!

With Spring finally here, the animals are pouring in through the doors of Animal Control. We need foster homes now more than ever. Please contact me if you would like to get involved! (becca_johnson1@hotmail.com)

Here are pictures of our successful rescue babies from the last month:

NALA WILL BE EUTHANIZED ON MONDAY.

We found Nala abandoned under the bridge at the Louisville and Boundary Road intersection -- she was left to starve inside a shut-off construction area. The Humane Society in Savannah did not want to take her because she did not look "adoptable", so we were forced to bring her to Animal Control instead, where she will be put to sleep in FIVE DAYS from today. I felt terrible bringing her there, and I have vowed to do everything in my power to find her a home before then. (I would take her myself but I am a SCAD student who lives in student housing and there is simply no way I can have a dog.)

She is SUCH a sweet and beautiful girl. Medium sized, about 1 years old, and what looks to be a Shepherd Mix. She did not growl at us once -- she just needed to be comforted and fed. I am DESPERATE to find her a home -- I will even help you to secure a cheap voucher to get her spayed if she is not already.

Please, please, please save this poor dog's life. She was left for dead, and she deserves a second chance. I DO NOT WANT ANIMAL CONTROL TO PUT HER DOWN.

E-mail me immediately at sarn.sav@gmail.com

ARIEL: HIT BY CAR, LEFT TO DIE

Ariel was hit by a car and dragged herself to a woman's back porch where she lay helpless for THREE days until the woman finally decided to call Animal Control. How could she sleep at night knowing an animal was hurt and suffering right outside of her house?

Animal Control brought Ariel into their facility on Tuesday. She has been lying in her cell since then with a broken leg. Her pain is real, and though we have given her pain meds to help her sleep, we are not a vet clinic and cannot tend to the injury properly. We hate to euthanize a young, healthy, and kind-hearted dog when her broken leg can be fixed with a simple trip to the vet, but in order to do that, we need your donations!

Why donate?

Because we are volunteer run and do not have funding! We rely on your donations to help these hurt animals! Please pitch in if you can; even a few dollars to help get her to a vet ASAP. If you would like to donate you can e-mail pbrooks@scad.edu or sarn.sav@gmail.com. Petra, who is the wonderful woman collecting funds, will be glad to send you receipts for her vetting to make you feel comfortable knowing that your money IS going toward Ariel. Also know that your donation will be tax deductible. Please, please help Ariel!

Pictures of Ariel: