Tara Harper, CoFounder of Paws in the CityOn a Mission to Save Dogs and Cats from Being Euthanized in the City of Dallas!
Adoptable foster Kermit and former foster Maddie
The family, Heather, Mark and children Cam (not pictured) and Josephine founded Handsome Dan's Rescue
Heather and Mark with Handsome Dan and former fosters Betsy and Gozer (dogs left to right) Sasha Levine Reports In a well-known 2007 court case, NFL star quarterback Michael Vick was found guilty for all charges related to conducting an illegal dog-fighting ring on his premises for over five years. People were shocked. Anyone who had even a slight fondness of dogs was aghast at the cruel treatment these animals were forced to endure. Vick was sentenced to serve 23 months in prison. The trial was over. But what would happen to the 66 dogs (55 of whom were Pit Bulls) that were removed from his property? Even most animal advocacy groups thought these dogs to be too vicious for anything but euthanasia. In a world where some people electrocute and beat dogs to death for poor fighting performance, there are also those who exist way on the other end of the spectrum, whose kindness and wisdom create a safe haven for beings otherwise thought to be beyond rehabilitation. Heather Gutshall and Mark Stoutzenberger have been rescuing, training, and rehabilitating mistreated dogs for many years. After Best Friends Animal Society was granted custody of 22 of the dogs who considered to be suffering from the most psychological and emotional trauma, Heather and Mark decided to offer one of the most timid of the bunch a forever home. A recent update from www.Bestfriends.org reads the following: “Handsome Dan used to pace and walk in circles because he was so terrified of the world. Even trying to get him to go on a walk would send him running. But with the help and love of his trainers and caregivers, Dan became quite a confident boy! January 1, 2011, marked the one-year anniversary when Handsome Dan was officially adopted into his home… It’s been a busy year for this celebrity of a dog ever since.” Heather is a Professional Dog Trainer and a C.L.A.S.S. (APDT’s Canine Life and Social Skills) Evaluator, and Mark runs a home for at-risk teenage boys. The couple founded Outbound Hounds—a business that offers group park trips, training, and pet sitting services—to help fund their true passion: Handsome Dan’s Rescue. They formed the rescue for Pit Bull-type dogs with the intention of fostering and placing dogs who have been rescued from severe abuse and neglect, often including the victims of dog fighting. According to Heather, Handsome Dan’s Rescue also provides training and behavior support to newly adopted Pit Bull-type dogs from Providence shelters and a grant program for free spay/neuter vouchers. Because the dogs in their program typically require extra care, including medical, training, and rehabilitation, the rescue is small by design. “At the time we started fostering, we had two dogs of our own. We found the rescue group PAWS New England through a poignant video on the internet that sent out a heart wrenching plea for two dogs, Trinity and Oscar, both victims of dog fighting. Fortunately, those two particular dogs were already in foster homes by the time we spoke with JoAnne Hutchinson (co-founder of PAWS), but she knew right away that we would make a great foster home for some other dogs who were in dire need of our help. Three days later we picked up our first foster dog and we haven’t looked back.” After a placing about 30 foster dogs into forever homes, Heather and Mark knew they were ready to start their own rescue group. Heather explains that Handsome Dan’s Rescue allows them to go a bit further into the background of potential applicants, enlist and support positive training techniques with foster dogs, form relationships with local shelters, and take in dogs that others would not. One such example was a dog, said to be highly dog aggressive, who was surrendered to the Providence Animal Rescue League. “We took our Australian Cattle Dog, Ocean, who we use as a sort of barometer to help us evaluate the behavior of potential foster dogs, to meet the pup, and after observing him for a few hours we knew we could manage his issues, even help him to be better with dogs and teach him some manners,” says Heather. After several months of training in a positive and healthy environment, the pup—now named Gozer—met his new dad, Patrick, and has become a terrific companion. A few years later, Patrick’s girlfriend adopted another foster from Handsome Dan’s Rescue, a Pit Bull dog named Betsy. “When Betsy first came to Providence Animal Control her white paws were so yellow from having to stand in her own urine for several weeks at a time that it took us two weeks with a special shampoo just to get the white back. She had infections in both eyes and all four paws. She was so fearful that she cowered in the corner of her kennel run every time a person would walk by her.” But after the right amount of love and care, Betsy was ready to go home and live in her new forever home. Heather says that these were just two examples of wonderful dogs who would never have stood a chance in a shelter, but now after just a little extra effort, they are thriving. Currently awaiting adoption from Handsome Dan’s Rescue is Kermit (a.k.a. Kermit the Dog). He is described as a stunning red adolescent male rescued by the PSPCA on April 11, 2011 from a fighting operation. “Sadly, one-year-old Kermie was born into the world of dog fighting, a world of neglect and cruelty. But don’t worry; he is not a monster... just the opposite! He is sweet and loving to all people he has met, young and old. (Including the wide range of children he has encountered in his foster home!)” Heather says that the world has failed Kermit up to this point, but he deserves a happily ever after ending, as well. If you think you might be able to provide Kermit with a loving home or if you would like to learn more about Outbound Hounds located in Providence, Rhode Island and Handsome Dan’s Rescue, visit www.obhounds.com or follow “Handsome Dan” on his Facebook page.
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