A new dog rescue group is building its presence and hopes to be building its own facility within two years. First, though, it needs people.
Michele Amendola, one of three women who launched DogsHome, said her group not only rescues and fosters dogs, but they also place them for adoption and train them, even after the dogs are in their new permanent homes with an adopting family.
“We spent a lot of time thinking about what we wanted to do and what makes us different,” Amendola said. “We offer training so that when adopters come to DogsHome to adopt, they’ll get a trained dog. Not only will they get a trained dog but, even after the adoption, we will be there for the entire life of the dog, supporting them with training, advice and any behavior issues.”
She said DogsHome would remain a “hot line” for the adopting families.
And if they can’t place a dog they’ve taken in as a rescue, DogsHome will keep the animal for the remainder of its life. Amendola was emphatic: “We are a no-kill rescue.”
“No healthy, friendly animal is going to be euthanized,” Amendola said.
However, she and Carin Ford, another of the founders, both said that any situations regarding an overly aggressive dog, one that bites, would be examined and that no dangerous dog will be placed in society.
“If that dog can’t be rehomed, that dog will stay with us,” Ford said.
Ford said the combination of training and the ongoing support is rare and what sets DogsHome apart. Regular shelters don’t do that.
“I have watched wonderful dogs deteriorate the longer they’re kept confined in a small cage with limited exercise and with none of their basic [social] needs being met…They’re dogs, they need to bark and chew and scratch and dig and sniff. They need to run,” Ford said.
Ford added that she, Amendola, a third partner and all eight members of the board — which includes animal behaviorists and veterinarians — have more than 200 years combined experience in dog training, sheltering and animal welfare. Ford herself is a certified dog trainer and Amendola is currently taking courses for her certification.
“We want to provide these dogs with what they need to thrive. Not just survive, but to thrive,” Ford said. “When you come to adopt from us, or even foster, you’re not getting a dog that’s been leaping and throwing its body against a cage to a point where his tail and half his body turned into a bloody mess.”
Amendola said DogsHome also makes sure all their dogs have been examined by veterinarians, are up to date of their shots, are micro-chipped and are spayed or neutered. Those veterinary services and the training are included in the $250 adoption fee.
“You’re getting as clean a bill of health, both behaviorally and physically as anybody can give you," Ford said.
The number of dogs they can rescue is dependent on the number of volunteers and fostering families they can get.
DogsHome just launched and will accept any breed of dog and any size. So far they are working with two dogs, Timmy, a 1-year-old pit bull and Finn, a 12-year-old cairn terrier mix that “looks like Toto from the Wizard of Oz,” according go Amendola.
Finn, short for Finnegan, belonged to a Philadelphia woman who died of cancer. Her family could not take care of Finn after her death.
Timmy was a rescue from a home in Delaware County where, for his first 10 months, he was kept in a crate and otherwise ignored, hollered at or slapped. The owners were thinking about taking it to a shelter.
Ford said Timmy was unable to walk on a leash and even shied away from being petted. After two months working with Ford, Timmy’s command set now includes sit, down, come, wait, drop it, shake, heel and turn around. He’s also started agility training and is taking swimming lessons to get him accustomed to deep water.
Timmy is currently being boarded at a local facility while waiting for a permanent home, but Ford works with him daily.
Amendola, Ford and the others began their efforts to create DogsHome in April 2014. While they have two dogs now, they’re looking for a facility of their own so they can rescue and work with more animals. But they also need money and volunteers who are willing to foster to help bring their dream to fruition.
For more information, visit http://www.dogshomepa.org or send an e-mail to ContactUs@DogsHomePA.org. For a more immediate response, phone Amendola at 610-574-8275.
(Top photo: Michele Amendola, of Dogs Home, works with Timmy, a 1-year-old pit.)
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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