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Hero Story: Guardians of Rescue Saved Over 2,000 Animals Just This Year

There have been a lot of changes since COVID took center stage, and one of them has been an increase in the number of reported cases to Guardians of Rescue. The organization's mission is to help rescue abused and mistreated animals, and it has had a busy year doing just that. With more people staying at home, they have been witness to the animal abuse going on around them, and have been taking steps to help bring it to an end.

"This year we have been extremely busy helping animals around the country," explains Robert Misseri, president and founder of Guardians of Rescue. "Not only do we get calls from individuals who want to report animal abuse taking place, but we also work with other smaller organizations, so we have been able to do a lot of work, thanks to the help we receive from our community of supporters."

Guardians of Rescue works with many law enforcement agencies around the nation, who lack the resources to go after those suspected of animal abuse. The organization helps them by investigating animal abuse calls it receives from individuals, as well as by working with small animal rescue organizations that are in more rural areas. In those areas, the organizations tend to work with police and the sheriff's department to go after illegal puppy mills and hoarders. Guardians steps in whenever it is needed, and it has done over 2,000 animal rescues, and its investigations have led to multiple arrests.

Some of the cases they have been working on this year include:

  • Tennessee Bone yard Dogs — Grundy County, TN, Jan. 16, 2021 – Guardians rescued over 200 dogs from a hoarder/puppy mill, where there were dog bones and skulls lying around. Hundreds of dogs had suffered and died there on the property, with their remains still scattered about. The dogs that were rescued required immediate medical attention. The woman who ran the place was arrested and charged with many counts of animal cruelty.
  • Cat Hoarding Hell — Mingo County, WV, Feb. 6, 2021 – Guardians worked with others in Mingo County to help rescue over 100 cats from horrible conditions. They were in freezing conditions, and there were was no fresh water or food around. The cats were suffering and fighting for survival, including turning to cannibalism. 
  • Cold and Dark Nightmare for Chihuahuas — Mason County, KY, Feb. 18, 2021 – Guardians was urgently called to rescue about 20 little dogs who had been trying to survive in a shuttered home, left on their own with no food or water, for two weeks. This house had no electricity or heat. Even the toilet bowls were frozen. The dogs were freezing and ill. They were in need of immediate medical care.
  • Dumped Mountaintop Dogs — West VA, Jan. 24 and March 2021 – Over 70 dogs, many chained, were living without shelter on a mountaintop in a remote area of West Virginia. Guardians was contacted by local authorities about this bad situation in Mingo County, West Virginia. Our team, along with our placement partners, rescued these heartlessly dumped dogs.
  • Kentucky Hellhole Puppy Mill — 300+ dogs, March 25, 2021 – Guardians was called to Kentucky to get hundreds of desperate dogs out of a hellish puppy mill facility. The conditions were horrific on this property. It was infested with large rats, and there were remains of dead dogs all over the property. All of the dogs had been used for profit and were abused and living in prisons.
  • Chester County, TN — May 22, 2021, 50-plus dogs removed from nightmare – Guardians got an urgent plea for help from the Chester County Sheriff's Dept. — 50+ dogs needed immediate help. The animals were living in a hell. They were rescued and all adopted out.
  • Hart County, KY — May 20, 2021 — 65+ dogs needed to get out. Guardians received a disturbing call about a potential hoarding/breeding operation, so our investigation team reached out to law enforcement and expressed our concerns. When law enforcement made contact with the owner, it was found there were 65+ dogs on this property, some needing immediate veterinary care.
  • Philadelphia, PA — June 2021, Guardians on the ground in Philly. The team distributed over 1,000 pounds of pet food, collars, harnesses, pet shampoo, and feral cat houses. These items helped homeless animals. Additionally, it investigated reports of animal cruelty in the area.

"We are so glad that we could be so productive and help so many animals in the last six months," added Misseri. "We can't do all this work without the donations of those who support what we do. Every bit helps and adds up to keep us doing this work. Please consider making a donation so that the second half of the year we can continue to fund our mission."

Guardians of Rescue provides assistance to animals out on the streets and investigates animal cruelty cases. It is located in New York, but it helps animals in many places around the country. It is also instrumental in helping military members with their pets. To learn more, get involved, or to make a donation to support the Guardians of Rescue, log onto www.guardiansofrescue.org.

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