Greyhound Training to Dog Saving
I love a story of redemption. This is that kind of story. Hang with me.
Meet Aspen. She’s available for adoption.
Read on….
VictoryLand in Shorter, Alabama (near Montgomery) closed their their dog racing track back in 2011, claiming that electronic bingo (which had been under a great deal of scrutiny) had been propping up the dog tracks. Therefore, down the road, the Greyhound training facility which was utilized by VictoryLand at the height of the dog racing era was closed and went up for sale.
Another pertinent data point for this tale of redemption is, as my my rescue friends know, the intake rate at shelters around the country increased by 8% in 2021. According to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (where I spent a fabulous fall in 2001) the kill rate for dogs in shelters around the country has also risen for the first time in 5 years.
Now for the good news and redemption piece….. In September thanks to Big Dog Ranch Rescue, the land and buildings that were previously used to house and train dogs for the tracks at VictoryLand in Macon County, AL reopened its doors wide to homeless dogs from around the Southeast. At 100 acres, Big Dog Ranch Rescue is the largest cage-free, no-kill shelter in the US, serving nine states including Tennessee. This rescue, rehabilitation and adoption facility is preparing to offer physical and emotional aid with onsite Veterinarians and state of the art facilities before rehoming 10,000 dogs each year.
Additionally, Big Dog Ranch Rescue is working with the Veteran Service Dog Training Program to train rescue dogs to serve veterans with a variety of needs. These dogs will be life-long companions for our military veterans who can benefit from the animal-human bond.
So there is a new place with new hope for dogs around the Southeast who might otherwise meet an untimely demise. They can be physically and emotionally cared for in a beautiful facility in Shorter, AL while they are waiting for their forever home. I’m grateful for the leadership and the donors that make Big Dog Ranch Rescue possible. I’m also grateful for Ondrea Johnson and the staff and volunteers at Williamson County Animal Center who are working everyday to create a better life for Williamson County’s homeless pets. Heroes are all around us!
Animals saved for a better life; land redeemed for a higher purpose. Isn’t that just a little good news?