The PR people for Shutterfly sent us these photos of Jenna Dewan Tatum with two beautiful dogs. These aren’t Jenna and Channing’s actual dogs; they’re rescue dogs available from Hope For Paws animal rescue, which has a network of foster homes for pups centered in Los Angeles. Shutterfly is promoting their new pet accessories line, which offers custom photo tags, bowls and pet placemats. (No one paid us for this ad, I just saw puppies and got distracted.) Kaiser, Bedhead and I were oohing and ahhing over how adorable these dogs are. They picked the prettiest dogs for this shoot, and the most heartbreaking. I was going to make this story about Jenna explaining how she got her two dogs used to her newborn baby, but I found the rescue information for these dogs and I think we should talk about that instead. Both of them have incredible backstories.
The female Old English Sheepdog Jenna is cuddling, Shayna, was rescued wandering near some railroad tracks. I found her rescue video and it’s making me cry. (Seriously, you may want to wait to watch this until you’re alone or with people you don’t mind seeing you cry.) When they found Shayna, she couldn’t even see because her fur was so overgrown. They gave her a bath, cleaned her up and found her a good foster home. (They were able to locate her former owners, who said they could no longer care for her. Of course they couldn’t, how could anyone do this?) As far as I know, Shayna still looking for a forever home but I bet she gets adopted quickly.
The rescue video for this pitbull, Thor, is not posted yet but Hope for Paws shared his story on their Facebook page. He was found earlier this month living among piles of debris in a construction site. This is an actual photo of where Thor was found.
Here is the story of Thor’s rescue that Eldad Hagar, Hope for Paws co-founder, posted on Facebook:
CrAzY rescue!!! I have no idea why any stray dog would pick this dangerous spot, but THOR did, and it made this rescue quite difficult. Lisa Arturo joined me on this rescue, and together we were able to accomplish this dangerous rescue safely. I posted the whole story with many more photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eldad75/
Hope For Paws did the rescue and we will of course handle his medical care. Our friends from LA Animal Rescue.org will begin fostering him next week, and together we will find him an amazing home! He is so sweet, and so loving, and the transformation you will see in this video that is coming up soon will just melt your heart. I will post this rescue video soon here: http://www.HopeForPaws.org/
Special thanks to Waste Management for calling us about Thor, and for allowing us to get on the property (and on that pile of trash) in order to save his life.
Please share his story.
Thanks!
Eldad
Hope for Paws’ Flickr has photos of Thor being rescued and given a bath. Eldad writes “Thor was covered with fleas, ticks, and dirt. We gave him a bath, and in the next couple of days he will move to his foster home (after he will be neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and have his injured paw taken care of medically). This kid is so cute and so happy now.”
I’m kind of glad that Thor doesn’t have a rescue video up yet or I would be bawling. Kudos to Hope For Paws and all their volunteers and foster parents for all the work that they do on behalf of these loving dogs. You can help contribute to the cause and learn about dogs available for adoption at HopeForPaws.org and the Hope For Paws facebook page. Look at what a difference they’ve made in these dogs’ lives!
photo credit: Hope for Paws and Getty Images for Shutterfly
OMG, that was horrific.
I am simultaneously disgusted and overwhelmed with admiration for the human race right now. And I want to take Thor home with me.
I agree. Humans have such a capacity for cruelty and such potential for goodness.
Have you guys been following Humans of New York at all? So good!
My nephew does and he has sent me some great links. I love it.
If you go to the youtube channel of that organisation and watch Jordan’s Journey. God… I have no words for this. This will haunt me for a long, long time…
Gah! You should have a warning somewhere. I hate crying at work.
I want that Pit so bad!!
I did post a warning!
Oh. Just kidding.
*slinks out of room*
I mean I didn’t bold it or anything but I said don’t watch the video if you don’t want people seeing you cry. I get that the pit bull photos are tear-inducing too though.
CB, you should check out some of Eldad’s other videos. Just so amazing. There’s one video where he was called about a pit bull wandering the streets. When he found her, he could tell she had recently given birth, and he didn’t want to leave her puppies. So he played the sound of puppies crying until the momma dog got so concerned, she went to check on her own puppies. He followed here there and rescued all (although I think one of the puppies had already died). That one really struck a chord with me because volunteering at our local shelter, I sometimes see dogs brought in that have obviously just given birth, and I’ll ask where the puppies are. The answer is usually “Puppies??? What puppies?” So for him to take that time to find her puppies rather than leave them to certain death… *sniffle*.
He used the also have an ebook on his website. For every download, the rescue would receive 10 cents. That’s all you had to do. Download the ebook.
I teared up just reading this and looking at those sad faces, don’t need to see the video. I tried to avoid this post due to my heightened sensitivity for animals but my curiosity got the best of me.
@Rachel: I’m going to piggyback on your comment, since it’s high up and chime in to let people know that you can select Hope For Paws as your beneficiary in the Amazon Smile program.
Eldad and Hope For Paws do such amazing work and with every purchase, if you select them as your beneficiary, they get a percentage. There are a couple Hope For Paws when you do the charity search. They are the one listed in BH, CA.
Claire, thank you! I’m heading over to Amazon Smile to update w/ Hope for Paws as my beneficiary :). and thanks to CB for covering this.
Hope For Paws, in partnership with other rescues, does amazing work in LA, going where others, including animal control, cannot or will not go. Their videos may be shocking to others, but for those of us involved in LA rescue, we see this everyday.
Why isn’t more being done? Believe me, there are many people and groups trying, and I applaud any celebrity who brings attention to the cause. Why is this happening in such a wealthy place? Well, it has to do with income disparity as LA is actually one of the poorest big cities in the U.S.
As Dowtown Dog Rescue, another group here, says: It’s not a pet problem but a POVERTY problem. If you care to know more about it, please permit me to shamelessly repost this article, CB, hope it’s okay: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/shelter-intervention-programs-changing-animal-rescue-by-helping-people-keep-their-pets/
p.s. As most rescues here will not transport for out-of-state adoptions due to cost and risk, those moved by Hope For Paws should donate – $5 or $10 from everyone on this thread could pay the cost of minimal vetcare for a dog like Thor.
How is abandoning your dog on the streets a poverty problem? How is brutalizing and animal and throwing it in the trash a poverty problem??
I understand that an animal can be expensive, especially if it needs special care. And although I myself would probably eat gruel for the next few years before I’d part from my pets, I get it that for some people a pet is too much of a burden if there are money problems. BUT you have the damn duty to find another owner or at the very least bring your pet to an animal shelter center. There are groups and institutions out there to help in these cases, to find a new home etc. However what we see in the videos of Hope for Paws is the result of incredible cruelty. So even if you give the original owners money to keep their dog, I doubt they have a high level of responsibility for them.
I WANT BOTH OF THEM! I got super bad chills, and had to skim over this. I’m sleep deprived and emotional as f— lately haha.
Let’s go Kitten – roadtrip time. I’m going to go ahead and drive on down to Mass. and I’ll collect you on the way- California is getting some great weather (which all of my CA clients keep reminding me when they call. OH. It’s only 50 in Nova Scotia?! Bahahah), we can get out of the ‘spring’ and also save the dogs. Win win.
50 sounds awesome to me, let’s swap for the summer cuz it was 80 yesterday already in NorCal.
See, I don’t think I can handle 80. And I feel bad that you’re already dealing with that haha. Well. I did 80 at Disney… lol.
I live on the SW coast of NS, so we’re cooled during the summer – but our house is super sheltered with trees. Temperatures above 85 are super rare here. Our falls are actually warmer than our springs because of the ocean temps. We also get almost 200 days of fog a year haha. It’s the humidity that drives me nuts… you just feel so sticky and my hair gets so frizzy some days – and I have pretty straight hair. There must be some underlying curl genetics in there, because the humidity turns it into a wavy mess.
I’d be happiest with about a 70 right now.
Why aren’t you talking to me in Celsius?! 😉
I’m in! I’ll bring the Cheez-Its and unfunny comebacks.
because my customers ruined me, mimif. I’ve had so many be like ‘what? 25 degrees!? That’s below freezing!?’ haha.
Honestly – there’s been customers who honestly aren’t sure how we get to the ‘mainland’ from Nova Scotia once winter comes.
I love dogs so very much. Ugh, I can’t take all the loves I am feeling right now. I just want to cuddle and nurture these guys!
I cringe when friends tell me they “bought” a dog. There are so many hearts in shelters and on the streets…why do people still buy pets:(
OMG Thor! He’s so beautiful.
Those eyes! *flood of tears*
I can’t watch. I don’t want my coworkers to see me exude any human emotions. Ruin my office cred.
I went to a pet rescue adoption day this past weekend. There were so many pits it was ridiculous. Mr. Ho had to walk me away with tears in my eyes.
Do you have pit potato puppies??!?
No. I want one. I don’t a have a proper yard for a puppy, but a rescued pit would be a dream. I know how loveable they can be. They get such a bad rep and it’s so sad to see rescue kennels full of them. I hate seeing any dog without a home but it just hurts my potato heart to see so many forgotten babies. One that I saw this weekend was a girl and she was so quiet and timid, but such a sweetheart. Her eyes just lit up when I started talking to her.
I have to stop now because I’m crying again.
Pitato Puppy!! You’d be the best pit momma ever, tater! And now go here cuz it’s lotsa pibble love:
badrap.org
@mimif
I want to be a pit momma. I have to convince husband to build a fence. I also have to convince all my cats that “the big slobbering alien thingy” will respect their place as ruler of all dominions. They’re gonna be the biggest hurdle…
http://media.giphy.com/media/vPN3zK9dNL236/giphy.gif
mimif did you see the puppy on that homepage with the motorcycle goggles on? This is all too much cute smushed into a morning.
@Abot yassss!
@pitater fence fence fence!
Aw man. I went browsing over at my local humane society website and they put bunny ears on the dogs for Easter and it’s all too much.
Dogs and babies always gets me.
If I watch Hope for Paws Videos my day ends up in Shambles, along with my makeup and my wallet and To Boot I end up letting my dogs run Roughshod on me all weekend Cause I hear “angel” playing … I need to do more volunteering work for the puppies, I hope those babies get saved Quickly
Well I’m glad I’m not the only one who ends up massively overcompensating with their own dog due to the suffering of others and yes, broke and streaked and perusing all the local dog rescue sites to see if I can find another one…
Both My dogs are rescues but the second one clearly was on the streets a while (and he was still like under a year when I got him) and came to me so skinny and scared and missing so Much hair it always shocks me how FAT he is now but i can tell it was bad out there cause he CLINGS to me like dear life still and when he is angry homey LASHES out crazy… That one I hug and spoil so so bad
My boy was a rescue too, and must have been on the streets for a long time because we had to introduce him to EVERYTHING when he came to use at about a year old. He had to learn not to be afraid of: us, the car, doors, going up stairs, going down stairs, men, vacuums, hardwood floors, loud noises, a kennel, water… everything. We couldn’t leave him alone for the first 6 months because he was so terrified of everything, so if I went somewhere that he couldn’t go, I’d have to drop him in doggy daycare. But he has adapted and mellowed, and is the sweetest and most devoted companion!
My darling boy is a rescue who arrived starving with his hip bones jutting out and covered in fleas, limping and terrified. He was four months old. Like Bridget it took me six months to bring him around, he’s a different dog now and I wouldn’t swap him for the world. There are so many like him, that’s why I refuse to buy puppies, why continue breeding dogs when there are so many unwanted and unloved, beautiful animals out there?
Oh, QQ’s little min pins are the cutest.
QQ, I knew there was another reason to like you 😉
Oh. My heart. Abandoned animals get me right in the gut every time. Especially if they’re suffering abuse. Thank you for posting this story and focusing on the dogs.
I fell down the rabbit hole and watched a bunch of Hope for Paws videos. So heartbreaking, and yet so wonderful that they help these animals. I swear, if I ever hit the lottery, I’m going to buy a ranch and adopt as many animals as I can.
You and me both, Jenns.
Will you adopt me? I’ll live on the ranch and fight wild boars for you.
We sold our place and moved! To a flat magical land with a pool and power, and the neighbor has peacocks and the cutest baby piglets that don’t kill the dogs. And more weed growing than you could shake a stick at. 😉
Did you say PIGLETS???
*puts on muumuu, grabs bathing suit*
Me three, that’s my dream, right there.
All Hope for Paws videos make me cry, watch this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q3PDuU17P4
You are evil. I’m bawling here!
Omg!! Sweet little Jordan!! Out of all the Hope for Paws rescues, this one always turns me into a blubbering mess. His poor little face when he’s in the hospital – he’d given up on life. To see him come back from the brink was just increbible. Huge respect for Eldad and his team. And I hope Jordan’s previous owner rots in hell.
I know. Tears, every time! Sometimes I just watch the beginning and end, because I can’t handle the middle part and seeing just how bad off these animals were.
WHY did I watch that!! omg. Crying at work. Gotta go home and cuddle my girl now. And make a donation to the local animal shelter.
Jordan update: He has found a forever home!!! So very happy for this brave little soul 🙂
We need Puppy Post Fridays.
Yeah!
Like old school hot guy Friday… But better
My vote too. Please do this CB
I fifth this motion.
I sixth it!!
Given me animals and always links/info on how to help. I lost my baby (kitty) a year and 5 months ago, I don’t know that I have it in me to love and lose another. But I always want to help, to contribute, in whatever capacity I can.
Animals are far superior to all of humanity, consider our plea(s) CB – less celebrity “reality” and one or two extra posts on genuine animal reality a week.
It doesn’t need to make me cry, sarah mclachlan style, just a furry, scaled, feathered, finned soul to root for <3
*stepping off my soapbox*
I’m so sorry you lost your kitty, antisocial.
Any animal friend would be lucky to have someone as big-hearted as you.
I used to buy those super cute and pricey name tags but my dog insists on losing them. Now she has one that is cheap and plain and it’s never been lost. Go figure.
I didn’t bother clicking on the links, I was already blubbering at the word “rescue.” Our five rescue cats scattered, because when I cry, I grab the nearest cat to cry into and cuddle. Good for Jenna to bring some attention to animals looking for forever homes. I don’t trust people who don’t like animals.
LOL Hawkeye, thanks for that image. Reminds me of being upset and forlornly stalking a cat through the house pleading them to come back and LOVE ME DAMMIT! 😉
I didn’t even watch the video and I’m crying…. My two rescue babies are getting extra treats today
Those hope for paws vids and stories always get me. I saw the first pic and started crying. Damn, people can be so heartless. Those are some adorable dogs I cannot understand how can anyone just discard them like trash.
Grabs Bengal rescue kitty for some major kisses and cuddles. I’ve cried more over animals than humans. Thanks for bringing attention to this issue!
Thor seems so sweet. Shayna is gorgeous – and look at her paws!
That Sheepdog is beautiful. How could anyone let that precious dog get in that terrible condition? When I look at my dogs all I see is love wrapped in fur. It takes a cruel cruel heart to abandon or hurt an animal.
This makes me so terribly sad.
Adopt DON’T Shop.
And please, please PLEASE consider adopting a Senior Dog.
So many fall through the cracks simply because they are not puppies or considered “broken” due to age. It’s insane.
Check our Susie’s Senior Dogs on FB/Instagram/Twitter … Doing so much for adoption and shedding light on the often forgotten older dogs nobody wants! xox.
A big THANK-YOU to all the rescues for all that they do!!!
Absolutely. I went looking for a puppy but ended up falling in love with an older dog, 7 yrs old. I only got 7 yrs with him but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. He was trained when I got him, he was house broken, sat on commmand and played fetch ( my other dog never did, I’m no good at discipline)
When I’m ready for another dog I will only look at senior dogs. Puppies are adorable but a lot of hard work – I say give a senior a chance. You will not regret it
Say yes to older dogs! They are especially great for 1st time dog owners or anyone who has limited time or motivation to train a dog. My 12 year old Peanut was 7 when I adopted him from a rescue. (He was surrendered due to a divorce.) His owners did such a great job of socializing and training him. I did not have to do any training at all.
layla, I love Susie’s Senior Dogs, not the least of which because I have two rescued ones of my own.
As I like to say, puppies are cute, but seniors are sweeter!
I can’t watch, in part because I have rescued both cats and dogs in skinny, suffering shape.
The sheepdog reminds me of the Great Pyr who is now my great buddy. He was abandoned, had clearly been mistreated and was bony hips under matted fur. He had no idea what a treat was (he thought everything was a potential weapon at that point). He is now a thriving boy, and I hope all the animals receive a similar chance. Opportunities abound to help homeless animals, in whatever way we can.
It has a happy ending, though. So don’t go away feeling sad. He gets all cleaned up and is romping in the yard with a dog buddy, looking happy and healthy.
Oh, good to know. Sometimes the before photos are just hard to take.
Very hard. I can’t even watch those commercials with the sad animals to “Arms of the Angels” – I have to turn the channel.
Eldad Hagar is amazing. He and his wife give me hope for humanity.
Oh sweet Shayna is such a beauty and a sweetheart. You can see her smile when she is all cleaned up and running with her buddies. Shayna will find a furever home very quickly I am sure, but there are still so many equally sweet pups who need love as well.
Eldad Hagar does amazing work. I’ve seen several of his rescue videos. The only reason I can is because they have happy endings, but the stories and the things those people see are absolutely horrific. I used to volunteer at an organization that does similar work and it really gets to you. I’ll never forget XXX Felon (yup, that was the name her former owner gave her) racing across the room, broken legs and all in her casts to launch and give me a huge hug. I’m tearing up thinking about it. She was renamed Spunky and got a fabulous home.
I’m crying at work 🙁
CB posted a warning and I’m glad I waited until I was alone in the office to click. I’ve got tears streaming and my nose is plugging up. I’m so happy that Shayna and Thor were rescued. I just want to cuddle them both and give them treats. Those Hope for Paws vids get me right in the heart. And make me miss my Gizmo so much.
My rescue pittie is curled up under the covers after a long night of “snug-ups” with me. She was the baby spoon last night. When we rescued her seven years ago, she was emaciated, hated having her head touched, and to this day still has a pellet lodged in her ear canal from some asshole sbooting directly into her ear. She is the sweetest, kindest creature I’ve ever known. To any of you considering a shelter rescue, I urge you to consider this amazing breed. I know several excellect rescue organizations in NorCal and SoOregon and pitties are ALWAYS the hardest to place. They have suffered such an injustice at the hands of humans and it truly is heartbreaking what some of them go thru before (if) they find homes. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to spend the rest of the day spoiling Princess Pibble. And crying cause I can’t save ALL the dogs…….
I adore dogs but alas, have to be a cat owner due to my condo rules against dogs. That being said both my kittehs were rescue cats – one had been in an abusive home where the men were horrible to her and to this day she runs from the room if a man comes into the house (not that it happens very frequently….*SIGH*). The other had been through several neglectful homes before I got her. They are the rays of the sun personified (or should I say catified) as both were such a mess when I got them and so wonderful now 10 years later. God bless all dog and cat rescue owners – you make the world a better place.
It’s so cool of Jenna to do this. I love the pit bull love here. I’m so glad Thor was rescued and I hope he finds a loving home. I loved a pit bull for ~12 years. She slept on my bed with me her whole life. She was so sweet – fawn and white with floppy ears. I still cry sometimes when I think of her. One day I’ll see her again. When my daughters go off to college, I want to rescue again.
Its terrible how many people do not spay or neuter their pets, esp some of the pit owners when they already have such a hard time getting adopted
Thank you so much for sticking to the heart of the story. I follow Hope for Paws on Facebook and weep on a near daily basis… these dogs definitely deserve a bigger platform, and I’m so excited you ignored Jenna and focused on them instead.
Spay and neuter your pets, people. And don’t support breeders. There are too many dogs who need a home desperately.
Just look at Thor’s eyes in the picture taken in the car. That says it all, and it breaks my heart. Can’t watch the videos now, I’ll start crying in front of the family. I have two rescue cats and I love them to pieces but I really miss having a dog. We can’t have one where we currently live and I can’t wait to be able to move and adopt one (or two). I will never understand how people can harm these precious animals or just discard them like trash. My dream would be to have a huge property with a veterinary staff so I could take in every stray possible. Animals are better than a lot of people. They love you unconditionally, are loyal, protective, and handle illness and death with the utmost dignity.
Looking at this makes me cry. I want them alllllllll
I’m obsessed with Shayna’s paws in that last photo! Hope for Paws does SUCH great work!
I couldn’t resist! Those pups deserve all the love!
The snark… Strappy heels and a white sweater top to visit puppies? No. Cute outfit, but wrong.
Awww I needed this. We’re starting the tedious cat introduction phase at my house with our new rescue kitten Leroy and this will see me through. God cats are just SO intractable lol.
Aw, I love Shayna.
Jenna is so pretty. I watched some lifetime movie she was in based on a true crime story, and I couldn’t get over how striking she is.