Andy a beautiful hound mix was sponsored by Tina C. from Afghanistan pictured below, and saved from being euthanized on April 14, 2010. Tina and I are elated to know that Andy has found his forever home, with a great family. According to Michele Shanley at the Tulare County Animal Shelter, Visalia, CA. "Andy has a forever home! The family is very nice, and they just fell in love with him...I'm so happy!" This special pup will have the life he so deserves. Yet there are
many more dogs in need of being rescued just like Andy. Can you find it in your heart to sponsor a dog on death row today? Many more dogs are deserving of a chance at a happy ending.
Tina C. and her Dogs Gabi and Maggie at Mt Cowless CA.
Never underestimate the immense power of the worldwide internet. A dog I featured on Facebook was sponsored by a wonderful Danish Soldier deployed in Afghanistan! Facebook has played an intrinsic role spreading the word of animals in desperate need of rescue. Shelters, rescues, fosters, sponsors, and passionate animal lovers alike, have all come together to help save the lives of dogs, cats, horses ect.. in kill shelters all across the world! I’ve witnessed this wonderful phenomenon with my own eyes, seeing it all unfold in rescue efforts by so many extremely persistent and knowledgeable group of Facebook friends. There are many who work behind the scenes, pulling, and strategizing transport efforts all to save these precious dogs from being euthanized. Most do this work without personal recognition, but only for the deep satisfaction of saving animals.
Dogs have always been a deep passion of mine, featuring dogs on death row on my blog and now on facebook! Spreading the word can mean the difference between life and death for a dog who is to be euthanized within days or even hours. I’ve also come in email contact with many wonderful shelter workers, who have done everything in their power to save their shelter animals!
This is how Andy a 1year old hound pup I featured on my blog and on facebook was saved from being put down on April 14, 2010. I could tell from Andy’s photo he was special, so I composed a post and placed a photo of Andy to my facebook. One of my facebook friends Tina C. a Danish Army soldier stationed in Afghanistan came to Andy’s rescue on his last day! Tina and I met through facebook and a our deep love for animals. I was truly amazed and inspired by Tina's compassion to sponsor a dog here in the U.S. Tina is also married to a soldier from the U.S. I was very touched by Tina’s love and generosity, so I wanted to know more about her. Here is my interesting interview with Tina C.:
Where are you originally from?
I was born on the Faroe Islands back in 1973, but my mom moved to Denmark with my dad, so I am raised in Denmark!...
Are there kill shelters where you are stationed there in Afghanistan?
Well... if there only were shelters here - there´s not :( Afghanistan is truely a horribly place for dogs to live! NOWZAD Dogs is a UK charity organisation that helps soldiers (who has found a dog) get their dogs outta here... http://www.nowzaddogs.co.uk/ and http://www.baghdadcatrescue.com/
Absolutely wonderful people - take a look at their websites! I obviously support them as much as I can in any way I can!
What made you decide to sponsor Andy, and how does sponsoring Andy benefit you!
When I saw Andy´s beautiful face and eyes, I just couldn´t let him get put to sleep! I wanted to buy him more time to find a FURever home! Unfortunately I cannot save them all, but there are always dogs that really touches your heart! So I decided to give Andy a full sponsorship, that gives him another month to find a home!... At least I know, that I might have saved one dog, and saving a dogs life, is a pretty damn good feeling!... I love dogs... always have... and I love saving the few I can!
My one dog Maggie is from Iraq! She was found back in 2004 by the Danish Embassador! He took her in, and she stayed at the Embassy in Baghdad. There were some Special Operations Force guys there at the Embassy, and when a buddy of mine came there, he took Maggie in and she really got to him - he is also a huge dog lover! He knew, that he needed to get her out of the country! So he called me and asked if I could take her! And 3 months later, she arrived in Denmark!
When I was in Kabul in 2006, a U.S. pilot found a little puppy - we called her Kaia since she was found at Kabul Internatinal Airport, also known as KAIA! My buddy was there at the same time and again - we wanted to save this girl... After really putting our heads together, we managed to get her out of the country and to Denmark!
So saving dogs has always been a passion of mine! I lived in Poland for 3 years from 2000-2003, and I supported a local shelter there, raising money and food for them, and even bought puppies from the shelter, and brought them to Denmark to a FURever home - the shelters there were overcrowded, but they did the best they could with what they had for the dogs - it was heartbreaking!!!!!
Where do you and your husband want to live permanently!
Well he lives in the U.S. and I live in Denmark! For now! He is in the U.S. Military, but will retire in a couple of years, and we haven't decided where we want to settle yet. In the Army - I work 24 hr shifts in Denmark, so that gives me a lot of time off in between shifts. That time I spend with my dogs, Gabi (weimaraner) and Maggie (my iraqi mutt), and when we settle, we'll have plenty of time to go explore Europe, and hike all over the place :)
Do you have animals and what are their names?
We have 2 dogs, Gabi and Maggie! Gabi is our beautiful weimaraner and Maggie is our amazing Iraqi mutt... They are both 6½ years old and currently living it up with their dad in the U.S., while I am deployed! Cannot wait to see them again - I miss them all so much!
Tina and rescued pup Kaia in KAIA Kabul 2006.
Tina's Maggie pup rescued from Iraq! Isn't she adorable!!
The love of animals outstretches continents and spreads throughout all the world! Thanks Tina for sponsoring Andy, and sharing your wonderful information and cool photos about your life and deployment with us! The world is a better place because of you, and your deep love for dogs! You inspire us all to go another level, to make a difference in the lives of dogs on death row. Tina and I hope to bring awareness to the kill shelter plight, and many ways you can help a kill shelter pet!
According to the Humane Society of The United States, it’s estimated that 6-8 million dogs and cats are cared for in U.S. shelters every year! Out of that sadly an astonishing HALF 3-4 million are euthanized. If you can please sponsor, foster, or adopt a dog or cat in a kill shelter today. Your sponsorship will help with immunizations, neutering, and newspaper ads, and much more to help find these dogs find a permanent and loving home. Just one more way we can work together to save more dogs and cats and keep them from being euthanized!
Meanwhile I'll strive in my mission to continue my writing featuring dogs and cats in life threatening need, and give them the broad exposure they most truly deserve.
Thanks for stopping by, and as always stay right here Literally In The Moment!
Photos: Copyright and Courtesy of Tina C. and Petfinder!
