CNY animal shelters open up about daily difficulties as two abandoned dogs go viral

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR–TV) — It’s hard to believe during the dog days of summer, someone would abandon two pups.

“We were really sad, heartbreak, surprised because we didn’t know where we were going to go with the dogs,” said Racquel Doris, one of the people who found the dogs.

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Doris took Linda and Lucky to a vet, who was able to use their chips to track down their owners, except they didn’t want them back. They tried bringing the dogs to the CNYSPCA, BnR Bunkhouse, Helping Hounds, and other places, all with no luck.

“We’re so deep in the trenches, our phones, our emails, all day long from the minute you wake up to the minute you go to bed,” said Maureen Davison, the executive director for HumaneCNY. “People asking for help, begging for help, threatening to harm animals because you won’t help. We are so bogged down.”

These rescues see people turn over pets due to financial issues, evictions, and new dogs not getting along with old dogs. They say there needs to be accountability.

“The dogs aren’t coming from the mayor’s office. I don’t have a solution. I’m not going to stand here and tell you I have a solution,” said Maria Limberg, the director of BnR Bunkhouse. “I’m just saying the problem is the number of dogs and breed of dog.”

Which these groups have almost no control over.

“There are so many layers to the problem. It is overwhelming for individual groups like my rescue or the number of other rescues in the city or folks who run shelters,” said Steve Reiss, the co-founder of Seventh Heaven Rescue. “We don’t have a solution because it’s multi-level.”

So, for now, the search continues to find a new home for Linda and Lucky.

If you’re interested in adopting or fostering, you can contact Racquel Doris at 315-744-2428 or rgugger@me.com.

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