'Everybody deserves a second chance': ASNN rescues over 500 dogs from kill shelters
The Animal Shelter of Northeast Nebraska is celebrating an unbelievable milestone, officially rescuing over 500 dogs from kill shelters.
By News Channel NebraskaNORFOLK, Neb. -- The Animal Shelter of Northeast Nebraska is celebrating an unbelievable milestone, officially rescuing over 500 dogs from kill shelters.
In 2017, the shelter started taking in dogs from Texas.
Lisa Doescher, the shelter manager of ASNN, said the idea to rescue these dogs came from a former staff member.
"He was visiting some friends down in Texas and found out about the shelter that was near, that these dogs needed rescuing and we're just like, hey you're going to be down there anyway, why don't you bring a few dogs back," she said. "That was the beginning of a wonderful program for us."
Since then, Doescher said hundreds of shelters in the Lone Star State have reached out to ASNN.
Dogs are either transported by car or plane to the shelter.
ASNN tries to help adopt as many as possible.
"These are perfectly healthy, perfectly happy dogs. Sometimes they're pregnant, sometimes they have puppies, sometimes they are puppies," Doescher said. "It's hard to pick and choose, but we try to pick the most adoptable so the faster we get them adopted, the more we can take."
But, the shelter has now begun taking dogs with medical problems, like Lieutenant Dan, a new rescue at the shelter.
"Now Dan is our first that we saved because he's paralyzed," Doescher said.
Dan is a miniature poodle mix.
He utilizes a wheelchair to get around since his two back legs are paralyzed.
"Knowing that nobody was going to tag him, and the fact that we have two paralyzed cats here, we figured why not? I certainly didn't want him to get euthanized in a shelter just because he had special needs," Doescher said. "We're very confident we'll find a good home for him."
Cats Swiffer and Superbaby are two more animals taken in by the shelter looking for new homes.
Doescher said the shelter has the ability to take in these animals because they are fortunate to work with veterinarians in the area.
"Everybody deserves a second chance," Doescher said.