On January 16, 22 dogs were seized from a vehicle in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart in Salem, NH . Nine of those dogs were believed to have come from a puppy mill from northern Maine. Those dogs are being held in the kennel of the Salem Animal Rescue League. Animal control officer Kelly Demers is working on securing the full release of these animals so he can turn them over to SARL for proper treatment. Once in our custody all the dogs will receive full vet exams and much needed medical assistance. None of these dogs are available for adoption at this time. Donations to help these neglected dogs will be greatly appreciated. Click here for continuing updates!

1/20/08 - All 9 dogs are currently in the custody of Salem Animal Control and being cared for by ACO & the staff of the Salem Animal Rescue League. As mentioned before these dogs are not available for adoption at this time. All 9 dogs were taken to a vet on Friday, January 18 and each one was given an initial physical. All dogs were observed to have multiple fleas, ticks & worms. Most were heavily matted and covered in feces. All were diagnosed with moderate to severe dental disease. Several of these dogs will need further testing to determine if they are suffering from heart, kidney or other major organ disease. All dogs were placed on a regimen of medication. They are currently resting in our facility.

1/22/08 - Teamwork and sharing of information lead the Maine Dept. of Agriculture to the house that the dogs Salem Animal Control officer Kelly Demers recovered in the Walmart parking lot, were reportedly from. 67 dogs living in horrific conditions were removed from Fern Clarks residence in Sommerville Maine. The district attorney will decide if Clark will face criminal charges later this week. SOMERVILLE PET CASE: Animals' conditions 'horrific'

1-23-08 - Some of the dogs are settling in and beginning to allow us to touch them. Many are very unsocialized and still need a very slow approach. Dispensing medicines to them twice a day has proved to be a very difficult chore. We have had to separate them into individual pens to keep them from mating and hurting each other. All the dogs are mature and of breeding age and none of them are altered.

1-24-08 - We had a major break through this evening as we were trying to administer the daily medications all of the dogs have been prescribed. One of the little Chihuahua dogs who has been so distrustful from the start allowed one of our volunteers to pick him up. Once in her arms he must have felt the love and protectiveness of her body because after a short struggle he started to let his body go limp and within 10 minutes he was snuggling into her neck. His eyes so wide with apprehension but so full of wonder. Even our seasoned shelter workers stood in amazement as we witnessed the transformation in this neglected little boy. This was the moment we had all been looking for. We can only hope the other 8 dogs will follow his lead.

1-25-08 - The breakthrough we had yesterday apparently is permanent for his little boy as he was the first to approach the front of the kennel for feeding time this morning. He ran forward to meet us, bounced back with a bit of apprehension then quickly jumped forward to lick our hands through the kennel door. He couldn't stop jumping and licking. He does not have a name at this time but we hope to provide new names to all the dogs soon. They are scheduled for baths and grooming on Monday and hope to get some new pics to share. Although we still do not have official custody of these dogs we are continuing forward with all their medical needs as needed.

1-26-08 - Today was a busy day at the kennel with many people stopping by during our open hours. The little crew of dogs ventured into their outside pens every once in a while to look at the curious visitors. Although they are still in need of a good grooming they were the stars of the day. It is wonderful to see that they are beginning to seek out attention. They are scheduled for vaccines this week and that will allow us to begin to handle them much easier. Their future is unfolding right in front of our eyes and we are very pleased with the initial progress.

1-28-08 - Today was a special day for all the dogs. They all received a complete beauty treatment compliments of the volunteers at the rescue league, one of which happens to be a groomer. All received nail trims, a full haircut and a bubble bath. Surprisingly they all tolerated the handling well and some actually enjoyed themselves. In the end we had dogs that looked like little puppies again. Although most of these dogs are in the 8 - 10 year old range they seemed to perk right up once given a clean body. One of these dogs, his name is Brad, went from an orange mop without a discernible difference from his front or his back into a handsome boy who allowed his personality to shine through after his bath and trim. See the before and after pic.

Before	After

1-30-08 - A quiet day at the shelter today. The dogs are settling in nicely and beginning to enjoy the company of our volunteers when they approach their kennels. Emma is a very timid 6 yr. old short haired Chihuahua. She is always tucked under or behind a few other dogs for her protection. She does not feel comfortable at all around strangers and has a tendency to bolt when anyone approaches her kennel. She was the shyest and the squirmiest dog we held on Monday during the grooming session however she never tried to bite and once picked up she settled down and seemed to enjoy the stroking of her neck. Every day we are encouraged by the small little steps.

1-31-08 - Another one of the older dogs has touched our hearts as he continues to reach out to us for comfort. Noah is around 10 yrs old and is a long haired Chihuahua. He enjoys being picked up and comes right to the front of the kennel when anyone approaches. Among other vet needs, Noah will need a complete dental as most of his teeth are rotten beyond saving. His sweet demeanor overshadows the neglect this poor dog endured as he looks you in the eye and seems to say, "I feel good today, let's not dwell on the past, I am here and I am ready for my new family, what are we waiting for?" These dogs say the darndest things.....

Emma	Noah

2-2-08 - The news we have been waiting for has finally arrived!  The dogs have been officially surrendered to the Town of Salem and the paperwork is in process to turn them over to the Salem Animal Rescue League. SARL will now be able to provide them with all the necessary medical they will need. This begins the journey to new permanent homes.

2-4-08 -The dogs are scheduled to receive physicals by our vet tomorrow. This will give us the information we will need to help them on their way to new families. Some will be neutered, some will have blood tests, all will get their rabies & distemper vaccines. A heartworm test will be drawn for each dog to make sure they do not have this life threatening disease. Once we have a thorough workup on each dog we will begin the process of looking through all of the applications that have come through in an effort to match some of these dogs into new homes.

Special Update - Mainer faces felony charges linked to seizure of 71 pets - Fosters

2-5-08 - Today was vetting day. Every dog was carefully evaluated and a medical plan was developed for each dog. All received rabies vaccines, distemper & a microchip and all dogs tested were heartworm negative. Two of the dogs, Danny Boy & Brad were neutered and both cleared for adoption. Kori was determined to be in heat and will need to go into a foster home for a month before she can be safely spayed. Emma, Vicky & Lizzy have been cleared for a spay and will be done next Monday. Noah is an older boy who had a blood panel drawn to determine if it is safe to put him under anesthesia. That leaves us with Willie & Peggy.

Willie is an 11 yr old who almost passed out when we tried to draw blood. He has an enlarged heart, difficulty breathing and is in need of a dental because every tooth in his head is rotten. Willie will be sent to our local vet office where he can be put on oxygen to get a blood sample so we can determine our next course of action. We will be looking for an understanding foster home for Willie as he will be under medical care for some time.

Peggy has the most severe medical issues at this time. Peggy is virtually blind, she has no tear ducts and will need daily eye drops. She also has two lumps that has been identified as a cancerous mast cell tumors. The tumors will be removed during her spay but we are told that there is no guarantee that they will not return. Peggy is a sweet affectionate 10 yr old Shih Tzu that would benefit greatly from a loving foster home at this time. If you feel you have the ability to deal with this type of hospice situation please contact us.

It has been a trying day processing all this new information. We are determined to help each and every dog with any and all medical needs. As you can imagine the X-rays, spays, neuters, blood tests, vaccines, heartworm medication, ultrasounds and surgeries that are now scheduled will drastically impact our budget. Every time we provide extraordinary care like we are planning for Peggy,Willie and some of the other dogs we deplete our resources… making us less prepared for the next time there is an animal in need. Donations for these dogs are needed more than ever and greatly appreciated. Our costs have reached $1500 to date. As we schedule the spays, neuters, special testing and surgeries we expect that to rise at least 3 times that much. Our thanks to those who have already sent in a donation to help these special little dogs. As you can see they are so worth the effort and with your help we will aspire to happy endings for each and every one. Thank You!

Peggy	Willie

2-8-08 - One down eight to go.....Danny Boy was the first lucky boy to find his new home. He sat in the car as if he understood that it was going to be his lucky day. His new dad was equally excited. As they drove off we smiled thinking that this was the first of 9 happy endings. Knowing where he came from and where he was finally off too was so exciting. We savored the moment.... as it was a wonderful feeling!

Medical reports started coming back with better than anticipated results. Willie's report indicated that his heart is not nearly as bad as we originally thought and that his condition of pulmonary disease of the lungs may be controlled by daily medication. He is also at no significant risk of developing cardiac related complications during anesthesia so we will be scheduling his neuter and a full dental to relive him of his infected teeth. We believe we have a great foster home for Willie so he will be well cared for and treated like royalty during his treatment.

Danny Boy	Willie & Friend

2-12-08 - Today is spay day for all the girls. This brings them one step closer to being ready for their new home. The five girls are all so different in personalities. They range from Emma who is so shy she is afraid of her own shadow. She is currently in a wonderful foster home who reports that it took two days for her to stop shaking however she has found a favorite spot. She enjoys sleeping in the jacket of her foster dad...while he is wearing it! Lizzie is a darling and likes to go with the flow. Kori is cute as a button and has a little devilish side to her.  Vicky is the youngest but the most untrusting. She is constantly watching and never lets her guard down and finally there is Peggy, the most loving of the bunch. With all that Peggy is dealing with you would think she would be the grumpiest but her personality just shines. Sweetie Pie should be her nickname. We are still looking for a couple of foster homes for some of the girls as they recuperate from their surgeries.

2-14-08 - Happy Valentine's Day! - We received a sweet update on little Willie who is blossoming in foster care. His foster mom reports that Willie is beginning to get the housebreaking idea and is doing very well. His spirit is upbeat and his infectious personality forces smiles from every one he meets. Willie received his very first Valentine's Day gift yesterday and as you can see below he is absolutely content and happy. As they say... "A picture is worth a thousand words" In this case maybe a million!

2-15-08 Life in the kennel is getting quieter every day. Lizzy went into foster to adopt yesterday. She went to live with another recently rescued Shih Tzu and first reports are that she did well her first night. Vicky also left our shelter this week to join a wonderful foster family. She continues to be very shy around people but has decided that nice people are really good to be around. She has begun to follow her new mom Joan all over the house. Still too timid to be approached without running but appreciative of all the attention nonetheless. Vicky has been affectionately been renamed Miss Vikki. She is responding to the extra kindness and the name seems to fit. Peggy continues to heal from her surgery and is blossoming every day. She is currently in a temporary foster home but we are still searching for someone who would be able to care for her long-term. She takes her medicine like a champ and her sweet eyes continues to shower anyone in the room with her with love. What a sweet dog she is.

Lizzy in her new home

2-16-08 - Brad found his new home today! He left our shelter wiggling his tail all the way to the car. We were so excited to see another one of these great dogs go into a home. Unfortunately that did leave Noah in his kennel all alone. Poor boy was not happy to be spending his time without his buddy. At 10 years young this very affectionate little Chihuahua is looking for his turn. Noah is on a 10 day course of antibiotics for a cautionary treatment before his dental and neuter on the 26th of February. During that time we would love to find someone to foster him. His housetraing needs a lot of work but if you have the proper environment and the patience this little dog will worm his way into your lap and into your heart. He loves to give kisses.

2-18-08 - Another adoption to report. Emma found her way into the hearts and home of a family that already has two Chihuahua's. The meeting went well with Emma a bit frightened to be around all the new activity but seemed to warm up to her new little buddies. We think this is a great environment for Emma and we were delighted to find her this wonderful home. Willie continues to experience new things in life. His sporty new coat took a few minutes to get used to but then he pranced around seemingly trying to show it off. He is doing incredibly well in his foster home. Look at the picture below. Puppy, yes! 10 years old.. no way!!!

2-19-08 One of our current foster homes felt bad for Noah and decided to take him into their home to be with Miss Vikki. When he arrived and saw Vikki for the first time it was like he found his long lost friend. It was a great reunion with them jumping and frolicking and just being a happy dogs. Joan reports that Noah is a joy to have and although three dogs are pushing it she is so happy to have him. He rewards her with extra kisses everytime she picks him up. Noah will have his surgery on February 26 and should be available for adoption after that.

2-20-08 Peggy is still looking for her foster home. She is such a wonderful dog and many people have inquired but most do not want to get attached without knowing what her future will bring. Fostering can be very rewarding but is also quite emotional. In Peggy's case we just want to find someone who can provide a quiet environment while she continues to heal. We do not know what the future will bring but we are very optimistic and just know that currently she is feeling great and is trying to be a normal little dog. We want to give her the opportunity to know real love from a real family. She is waiting patiently for someone to come along and give her what she so desperately deserves. If you think you might have what it takes to be that home please contact us.

2-25-08 Not much to report lately as all of the dogs are in foster care and surgery dates have not come up yet. Peggy is still looking for an understanding foster or adoptive home but is comfortable & healing nicely in one of our volunteer's home. Noah, Willie & Lizzy are all scheduled for surgeries during the next few weeks. Once successful surgery is behind them we anticipate adoptions on all three.

2-29-08 - Noah's surgery was completed and he is now recovering nicely from his neuter and removal of all but one tooth. His foster mom reports that despite his discomfort he is still the sweetest dog she has ever met and will be officially making him part of her family. Lizzy & Willie's appointments are not until late next month.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the wonderful people who have opened their wallets, hearts and homes for these wonderful dogs. They came to us in terrible condition but with your help we were able to offer them the best medical care available and place them in loving homes. It is bittersweet knowing where they came from and what they had to endure however the outcome for all of these dogs are what makes this all worth the journey.

I will post an update on Willie & Lizzy's surgeries later in the month once they are completed. I will also keep you informed of Peggy's progress. As mentioned above, Peggy may have some past health issues but she is doing so well now and is so deserving of a loving home like her siblings and former housemates, we will continue to wait for that special home to come along.

3-07-08 - Updates from some of the newly adopted dogs new families are just wonderful. Here are just a few:

"It has been 3 weeks and Emma is coming along just nicely.  She has adjusted to the house and the other dogs.  She goes to bathroom outdoors, (no accidents) and she sleeps with us at night.  They all have their special spot in bed.  During the day she spends her time on couch or in her open kennel where sometimes she needs to be.  Eating well she still isn't doing as well as I'd like.  I think the other two are benefiting from the treats.  She weighs 5.5 lbs.  has started with an attitude towards my youngest pup.  Its cute.  I tried to send you some pictures hope you get them..She has grown attached to my husband mon-tues-wed.  myself the rest of the week.  I believe she'll be fine.  she just needs to know LOVE!!! thank you."

"I just wanted to send a quick note to give you an up date on Kori. She is so good. She only spent a week in her travel crate (when we weren't home & to sleep ) She has been sleeping with us in our bed (with our shih tzu of 10 yrs) She has free roam of the house. She is such a lovable dog.She follows me evrywhere. She is slowly trusting others. You would think that her & Peanut have been together forever. They are so good together. "

Update - 2-17-08 - Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Lizzy was spayed last week and as soon as the surgery was complete she was adopted into her permanent home. She is doing so well and her foster (now permanent) home is excited to have her in their lives.

Miss Vikki has finally settled down in her very own perfect home. Her temporary foster home did such a great job working with her that she was finally ready to take the big step. She was adopted by a wonderful family that already shares their home with a sweet little 2 yr. old dog. They were looking for a companion and another fluff ball to love. Vikki not only fit the bill she took over as soon as she set her paws in the house. Running and playing was her top order of business and she seemed to say right from the beginning I am HOME!

Noah was adopted on Sunday. He is just the sweetest little one toothed guy going. He is such a snuggle bug! After letting Miss Vikki leave, his foster Mom just couldn't let him go too and we certainly couldn't blame her. He is staying with his foster Mom forever!

And last but certainly not least.....

Our two very serious medical cases....

Peggy was ADOPTED! A GREAT family heard about this little girl and after loosing two of their three Shih Tzu's to old age they just had to meet her. It was love at first sight. This little cancer survivor is now enjoying a pampered life with a family that now adores her. How good does it get??? We are just delighted!

And finally...
Willie, Our favorite little champ was able to have his surgery last week and he came through with flying colors. The surgery was difficult as he needed to have assistance breathing because of his weakened condition and without the services of a very experienced group of vets at the Salem Animal Hospital he might not have survived but Willie is running around like a two year old now and is very happy to be alive. He is in a temporary foster home while his adoptive mother is dealing with a family emergency down south. When everything settles down Willie will be adopted which is a wonderful ending to this story.

This brings us full circle. We took in 9 very neglected, very sick and very sad little dogs and we cared for them and nurtured them until every last one was given the opportunity to heal and then live a life a dog should live. I would like to take this opportunity to thank a whole lot of people of which we could not have completed this case without.

A huge thank you to the vets whose skill brought them all through to good health, the foster homes whose dedication to providing time, patience and tons of love brought them to a place where they could be adopted, the volunteers at SARL who without them this would never have had a happy ending and you the caring donors who came through with donations to help us care for these sweet little guys. Our task is completed with this great group of dogs but of course our work is never done. This case was very successful and with the grace of God we now move on to the next one and continue on.  We are very proud of this work and we want you to know that your help gives us the funding and energy to continue. Thank you... Until the next time...
Sincerely Yours,
Lori J. Bertrand
President