LAWRENCE TWP. – Rocky ran down the stairs and ran to greet Andrea Rutledge.
The tanned miniature pit bull is a ball of energy, his tail wagging quickly as he checked everyone in the room.
“He’s got a big, big personality,” she said as he chased a yellow tennis ball around the room. “He’s just a happy little boy.”
Rocky, one of Forty Corners Animal Rescue’s 11 dogs, was housed there about a year after being handed over by his former owner, said Rutledge, director of the rescue operation.
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But Rocky had reason to celebrate Friday. Hours later, new owners were due to arrive to take the nearly 3-year-old dog to Pittsburgh.
It’s touching for Rutledge and the other rescue workers, even though they’re happy that Rocky has his forever home.
Forty Corners Animal Rescue a dream come true
Forty Corners Animal Rescue, at 11643 Forty Corners Road NW, began in fall 2020.
The nonprofit was founded by Nancy Farina, who divides her time between her home in Lawrence Township and Hawaii.
Rutledge said Farina, who loved animals, had a heart of gold and dreamed of launching her own rescue.
For a little over a year, the group has been welcoming homeless dogs and cats and looking for new homes.
The rescue welcomes animals abandoned by their owners as well as other submerged animal rescues.
Most of the dogs that have spent time at Forty Corners Animal Rescue come from shelters outside of Houston and West Virginia, Rutledge said.
This year, Forty Corners Animal Rescue is hoping to welcome dogs and cats from local shelters, which have been overwhelmed with homeless animals.
According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, approximately 70 million homeless dogs and cats struggle to survive in the United States.
In County Stark, the Humane Society reported last month that their book was overcrowded.
Massive surrender of pets and hoarding situations explain part of the surplus population of humanitarian society.
Forty Corners Animal Rescue said the rate of homeless dogs and cats is overwhelming and they’ve seen up to 20 dogs in the rescue at a time, but Rutledge says the rescue is best equipped to serve around 10. at a time.
Host families needed
The Animals to the Rescue live in a 2,360 square foot two story home with Rutledge. Each dog has its own space.
The spacious property has several large fenced yards for dogs to run and play. Sometimes, Rutledge said, they are in control of the house.
A converted detached garage houses the nearly 20 felines who call for help under the care of Lauren LeCount-Hughes. The walls are equipped with shelves on which the cats can climb.
Officials said they get daily calls about stray cats.
Cheyenne Johnson, who deals with cat adoptions and other things, said acceptance of cats is currently on hold, a tough decision considering there are so many more felines in need of help.
Johnson said they need foster families to welcome animals, especially cats, to prepare them for a new home.
“It’s great to have them in a home environment,” said employee Janine Ortiz. Since September, she has been welcoming a dog who arrived at the shelter after being found on an oil rig in Texas with a litter of puppies.
Everything is provided for the foster families, said Rutledge, adding that they provide food, vaccines and other treatment as well as being sterilized or sterilized.
Rutledge and six animal care workers aim to teach dogs basic skills like sitting and walking on a leash before they are adopted.
For more difficult cases, they call on Canton’s canine trainer Libby Smith from Cosmic K-9.
Dogs and cats available for adoption are placed on Animal detector and Adopt a pet. They are also part of the organization The Facebook page.
Anyone wishing to adopt a pet from Forty Corners Animal Rescue must go through an application process that includes a background check.
Rutledge said they get to know potential new owners long before a rescue starts.
She suggests that anyone adopt a wildlife reserve time to be with their new pet for the first few days. They suggest picking them up on a weekend so you can spend more time helping them adjust.
“With COVID, we’ve been very lucky. We have a lot of people who stay home or work from home,” Rutledge said. “Some of our animals have been here for a year and others have only been here for two weeks.”
Contact Amy at 330-775-1135 or [email protected]
On Twitter: @aknappINDE
Want to help?
Contact Forty Corners Animal Rescue at 330-869-7359 or email [email protected] to make an appointment to meet an animal or to learn more about taking care of a cat or dog.
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