My Nonprofit Reviews

DDB has helped me free and spay/netuer chained and penned dogs on two occasions recently. On the first occasion, they launched an aggressive campaign on behalf on two dogs penned without shelter, suffering in the elements with little to no food and water. I have no idea how they lived through it. After 24 hours of phone calls and emails from DDW volunteers, the owner was cited with animal neglect and the dogs were no longer kept in the cages. Where I had no allies locally, the strong, kind-hearted and tenacious volunteers from across the globe acted as if this was happening in their own backyard.

On the second occasion, through the Hero Grant Fund, I was able to get three rescued chained dogs spayed and neutered. The fund provides $300 per dog to cover the cost of alteration, rabies, distemper, parvo shots, heart worm check or whatever you can get for that price. In my case, I was able to find a local spay/neuter clinic that operates largely on charity donations from the state license plate fund, Petsmart charities and other associations. Because of the reduced cost at this clinic, along with the Hero Fund, I was able to get three (3) spay/neuters, all the shots, heart worm checks, microchips and extra pain medication--all for $300 total. So 1 Hero Fund donation saved 3 lives in this case.

Here is why the spay/neuters literally "saved" three lives. The two male dogs were not neutered. It is my belief they broke off their chains to get to the third dog, a female in heat. Once in my house, it was chaos. I now had 7 large dogs. My dogs did not get along with the three off the street. All the male dogs wanted to do was hump the female. What made the situation more dangerous was that the two males had lots of fighting scars.They were large dogs and part pit bulls. Having observed their behavior, I surmised that the two boys were chained together. They were forced to compete for one food source and one water source. It was obvious there was never enough food or water. The boys had all the fighting scars of dogs forced to fight in pit fights. They may have been forced to fight other dogs, but I believe the two boys just fought each other.

In my house, all they wanted to do was hump the female. There was the constant threat they might fight each other. All they wanted to do was have sex with her and they never let up. She was forced to be crated most of the day and it was difficult to get her out of the crate and in to the yard without the boys forcing their way on top of her. My dogs responded to this aggressive energy. They were agitated and responding to the threat in their house. One of my neutered dogs started humping my newest young rescued female who had not yet had her first heat cycle. Keeping the males separated from the female at all times and away from my four dogs was a 24 hour nightmare. To make matters worse, I was unable to stop the males from having sex with her on the first day I had them.

I could not leave the house, I could not sleep long or well. I was worried about the neighbors possibly complaining about the barking, which was hard to control. I reached a near breaking point. It was so miserable, even as a former rescuer, I did not think I could continue this. I called animal control to inquire about them picking up the dogs. I came to the sober realization that the 2 boys with the fighting scars with most definitely not even be put up for adoption. They would deem them un-adoptable and kill them. The female would also not stand much of a chance. So I would be sending 3 dogs to their deaths. Even though they were not my dogs, I would be the one responsible for ending their lives.

Getting the dogs fixed was an immediate NECESSITY. It would ease the situation in the house significantly, so I could manage the dogs. If I could manage the dogs, then I could suck it up and foster the dogs until I could start searching for homes. That’s exactly what getting the spay/neuters did. It kept the dogs from being killed. I was able to manage them better. They are now friends with the female and don’t try to hump her. The house is calmer and manageable. I can’t think of a time where getting dogs fixed was absolutely necessary in saving their lives.

To complicate matters, I was unemployed and near broke at the time. There was no way I could afford the fixes. Because of the DDB Hero Fund and the excellent low cost spay/neuter clinic, I was able to get all three fixed with all shots, heart worm check, fecal exam and meds and microchips. Now all three have everything they need to be adopted out. They are 100% ready.

I am currently fostering these dogs and looking for forever homes. Each day things get a little easier in the routine. I mean this when I say that getting them fixed kept them from being sent to animal control. The situation was so dire. Now there is breathing room. The dogs are healing, gaining weight and receiving love.

I am the kind of person who puts himself out in the trenches, so to speak, to help animals. If you would like to support other people like me, then please donate money to the Hero Fund. It is such a great partnership. If you have money, but not the ability to rescue off the streets, you can be help people like me do this work. It’s not money you can’t trace. It directly changes lives and is measurable. I am not a man of much financial means. But I have the resilience to rescue dogs in the streets and care for them in my home. Financial donors help people like me help animals. Money and effort partnering is saving lives where and when we can.

Thank you to whoever has donated to the Hero Fund!!! You have saved three lives with $300 in my case. What a great charity!

Finally, Robin Budin at DDB has made all this happen. She picks up the phone, seven day a week whenever you call. She is relentless in her efforts to help the animals. She is so dedicated and always makes herself available to advise and help. She is the face of DDB to me. All the lives I have saved are attributed to her tireless efforts, warm heart and tenacity.