Close to Nowhere

Anita Barnett and Louanne Tomlinson have been friends since high school. One of the traits they’ve always shared has been compassion for unwanted animals.

After Anita’s husband, Heath Barnett, passed away several years ago, she and Louanne began to seriously rescue dogs. Today, along with other volunteers, they run a no-kill shelter, Abandoned To Adored.

She did this out of her house for a while but she had so many dogs in her house she had to do something.

After her mother and her husband passed away she felt the need to save something. Her daughters found an abandoned German Shepard in a field that was so debilitated it couldn’t walk. They picked it up and carried it home and that was the beginning.

It snowballed to around 120 dogs.

Anita and Louanne started a charitable foundation and bought a shelter. They have dog runs, indoor and outdoor cages, indoor and outdoor play yards.

One of the ways they have been raising money was a Boston butt sale over the Labor Day weekend. Not sure who cooked them but the one I bought was big, tender, juicy and quite tasty.

At the moment they are closed for intake as they have so many dogs. They are desperately seeking fosters for some of the dogs. If someone could take a dog for a couple of weeks or months they could take in a few more of the abandoned and abused dogs.

If you can’t take a dog in, they have a site on Facebook (Abandoned to Adored) where you can donate dog food or money. They also have wish lists on Chewy, Walmart.com, Amazon, TSC and Booker Hardware.

They use Willow Bend Animal Clinic for veterinarians and are pretty sure they’d appreciate help with the vet bills. The vets have to treat heart worms, tick and flea infestations and have even had to amputate in some cases.

Autumn and Katlin, who work at Willow Bend, took in six Cane Corso newborn puppies to bottle feed. The puppies are thriving now and several have already gone to their forever homes.

Anita has about 55 dogs in her home, Louanne has about 85, most of them puppies. There are 45 more at the shelter.

All these animals desperately need a foster or forever home and food. Someone to walk them or help at the shelter would be an excellent way to help.

We all need help now and then. These fragile dogs need help now.

Facebook Abandoned to Adore; website: www.abandonedtoadored.com.