If you aren’t familiar with Lori Weise or Downtown Dog Rescue I encourage you to check them out. They do amazing work and have a program the SUFP Foundation loves and has contributed to financially called the “Shelter Intervention Program.” How it works is, when people arrive at the shelter to surrender their dogs they first must meet with intervention volunteers to discuss why they are relinquishing the pet/pets. The reasons range from “she has fleas” to “he keeps getting out of the yard because my fence is broken and I don’t have the money to fix it” to “I cannot afford to get him/her fixed.” You name it, they’ve heard it. The reasons are endless but then DDR steps in, assesses and does what they can to, for example, fix that fence, spay and neuter and take care of the flea issue. They also educate the owners and keep those pets in loving homes. Many people, who are not “bad” people have no knowledge of what owning a pet entails and aren’t equipped or educated on how to handle pet issues resulting in many pets ending up in shelters when it could have been prevented. Last year the intervention program prevented 138 animals from entering the South LA Shelter. Lori created this program and is now implementing it at other shelters. This kind of thinking goes beyond treating the symptom and focusses on fixing the problem. This kind of thinking creates change and change is what is needed in order for us to one day finally get off the giant hamster wheel of rescue. Your support of the SUFP Foundation allows us the opportunity to help programs like this, so thank you. For more information on DDR go to downtowndogrescue.org. #standupforpits #rescue #adopt #betheirvoice #educate #endabuse #TRUTH
