By Nance Ebert, Contributing Writer
Westborough – Staci Colby has always had a love for animals. Twenty-five years ago, she adopted a cat from the MetroWest Humane Society and, at that time, decided to become a foster owner. She became heavily involved with that organization and she served on the Board of Directors for 20 years before recently resigning.
With a bit more time on her hands (although she also works full time), she felt a void and realized she still very much wanted to help animals find good homes. Searching online, she came across Lumberjack Rescue, which is based out of rural Louisiana, a nonprofit dedicated to saving the lives of abused and abandoned dogs in Springhill, La., and the surrounding areas.
With no animal control in the area, according to the group’s website, there was a huge problem with overpopulation and the future for many animals was bleak.
“I’ve never been to a shelter in Louisiana, but I understand that many do not spay or neuter their animals. The culture is that a dog is a piece of property more so than here, where a dog is actually a family member. There are free spay and neuter programs [nearby] but many do not utilize these resources,” said Colby.
With her numerous Massachusetts contacts, Colby set the “wheels in motion” to start transporting dogs taken in by Lumberjack Rescue to local shelters, including Save A Dog in Sudbury, Animal Shelter, Inc., in Sterling, and Greyhound Friends in Hopkinton. She is now the organization’s volunteer animal transport manager.
The transports start from Serepta, La., or Texas, usually with two transporters on each vehicle so drivers can take turns during the long ride. Lumberjack pays the upfront fees but the New England shelters reimburse for the transports. The animals are all crated and stacked and, while the traveling can be stressful for many of these dogs and puppies, the rewards once they arrive are well worth it.
“We are not doing direct adoptions. All of these are going to approved Massachusetts shelters to receive out-of-state dogs, licensed by the U.S. [Department of Agriculture] for out-of-state guidelines. They also go into a two-day quarantine,” said Colby.
Lumberjack Rescue, Save A Dog and Greyhound Friends are all “no-kill” shelters. Since the first transport from Louisiana to Massachusetts in May 2015, 52 dogs have been brought to the local shelters. All but two have been adopted so far and most of them within the first week.
All of the dogs being transported have to be vetted and have a health certificate. The protocol of the receiving shelters also has to be followed.
Colby feels that all the effort is worth it.
“What I get out of this personally is knowing that these animals that are languishing in the southern shelters are coming here and getting homes quickly, if not immediately,” Colby said. “To be able to help these animals, well, that is extremely satisfying.”
To donate or for more information, visit www.lumberjackrescue.com or www.greyhoundfds.org.
