Situated just 15 minutes east of Montgomery, Alabama, in a town called Shorter, is a 100-acre no-kill rescue shelter for dogs in the United States.
The Big Dog Ranch Rescue not only rescues and saves dogs, but this new shelter will also work to help deal with the pet overpopulation crisis that the southeastern portion of the country has to deal with. The Alabama kennel is an extension of the original shelter, which is located in Florida.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue’s mission, which can be found on their website, says it’s their mission to “Rescue, Rehabilitate and Educate until every dog has a loving and safe place to call home. We believe we can, and we will see an end to dog homelessness and abuse through legislative efforts, hard work and strategic partnerships near and far. We will never give up and we will never back down from the needs of all heartbeats because every life matters.”
The kennel, which is still undergoing a massive renovation, used to be an old greyhound training center. There are 16 kennel buildings with more than 1800-square feet of cooled and heated areas, as well as another 1800-square feet of open air attached to it to give the dogs space to move around. The facility has the ability to save, rehabilitate and keep up to 5,000 dogs per year until they are ready to be adopted.
The most crucial structures were renovated first, such as the Veterinary Healing Center, as well as staff housing on the grounds. The first buildings were done in September of 2022, while the founders continue their fund raising efforts to finish up the rest of what is needed. This new location will serve the areas in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana and Tennessee, all with the hopes to rehome dogs in need.
As explained by the Big Dog Ranch Recue Founder and CEO, Lauree Simmons, in a statement, “The opening of a second Big Dog Ranch Rescue location is something I’ve prayed for over the years. It’s a great day for us and, more importantly, it’s a great day for the dogs.”
Since they first began their rescue efforts, the organization has saved an estimated 53,000 dogs from being euthanized. Since it first started, at least three buildings have been renovated, including space for at least 100 dogs, as well as the veterinary center. Moreover, another 13 kennels are currently under construction.
In addition to these areas, the shelter also includes a number of work centers for noble causes, such as a unit that combines veterans dealing with PTSD with abandoned service dogs. Another one is to match senior dogs that have lost their older owners with senior citizens looking for a new dog companion.
See more about this amazing dog haven in the video below.
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