Elle Wittelsbach, founder and president of Strangest Angels Animal Rescue in Los Angeles, is not your average rescuer. If you crossed Mother Theresa with Anna Nicole Smith (sans drugs and bloat) and added a shockingly childlike voice that articulates an emotional and informed animal rights point of view, you might capture a glimpse of what this enigmatic woman is about. Of all the things she is"”a photographer, an activist; tall, blond, sexy, tattooed, earthy, spiritual, vegan, strong, silly with a twisted sense of humor - she is primarily a savior to death-row dogs.
Elle doesn't only save dogs. "We take in all breeds and allanimals," she says, adding, "Most rescues focus on a specific breed or on young animals. We take the seniors, the disabled, and animals who need medical treatment. We concentrate on the euthanasia list"”the ones about to be killed due to overcrowding, back yard breeders, and the public not spaying and neutering their animals. We rescue many "˜special needs' animals. Many are missing an eye or legs, or are genetically disabled. It really floors me that someone can have their fur kid until they are ten years old, and then just dump the dog at the pound. Maybe their children will do that to them at the old folks' home."
Most of the animals taken in by Strangest Angels Rescue are placed in foster homes, where they undergo temperament testing, to learn which type of environment best suits their needs.
When Elle was a child, she would bring home stray rats and dying wild birds. She would show them to her father and he would say, "You're one strange angel." She says the name stuck, and that's how she named her non-profit rescue organization.
When asked about a rescue she did that sticks out in her mind, she recounts the story of one particular dog. "I was driving," Elle recalls. "It was raining and I saw a brown, matted ball of fur on a chain. I pulled my car over. This poor dog was filthy, his fur so over grown you could not tell if he had eyes. His collar was so tight I wondered how he could breathe. There was no water bowl for him, just some rotten chicken with maggots. I asked around about the dog's animal guardians. One neighbor said they had moved. I unchained this baby and took him home with the help of my friend Theresa Dern. We both cut out his mats full of trash, sticks, rocks and gum. He seemed so happy after that! We dropped him off at the groomer's and when we returned to pick him up, I almost fell on the floor!
Underneath that dirty, brown, matted coat was a little, silver poodle mix. We got him on KTLA, a Los Angeles television station that features adoptable pets, and we received a phone call from actress and model Rebecca Romijn. She fell in love with him. Talk about your rags-to-riches story!"
Of the animals she saves, Elle says, "They are all angels in a strange way. All animals who want nothing but to love and be loved are just angels in disguise.
For more information or to make a donation: www.strangestangels.org
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