Heralding a Hound Heroine: Woman Rescues Abandoned Hunting Dogs
When Tracie Mitchum first found a hunting dog on the side of a country road, the selfless volunteer from South Carolina immediately decided to try to find the dog’s owner, Care2 reports. But Mitchum became puzzled when the pup’s so-called guardian was less than thrilled by the reunion, and even rejected Mitchum’s offer to get the dog spayed.
Eventually, when Mitchum began seeing other hounds—sometimes as many as five or 10 at a time—wandering on the roadside, she knew she’d uncovered a disturbing trend: hunters who abandon dogs that become too expensive or fail to perform.
“That’s my only regret,” says Tracie, mournfully. “I wish I had known back then what was going on. I can’t stand to think of what happened to those dogs once I returned them to their families.”
Mitchum explains that some heartless hunters instruct their dogs sit and stay, and then leave them to starve to death. “They die there in the woods because some hunters feel it’s cheaper to replace the dogs with new ones next season than to feed them all year long. Hounds are the best dogs out there and it’s hard to understand how someone could betray them.”
Between placing hunting dogs and other animals in new homes, raising money to spay and neuter stray cats and dogs, last year Tracie spent $15,000 out of pocket caring for rescued animals. While Tracie’s boyfriend helped with some of the expenses, the rest went on credit cards. Tracie spends Saturdays organizing animal adoptions at the local Whole Foods and raises funds for veterinary expenses. “I need to be there on weekends because if I can squeeze out another $50, I can save another life," she says.
Fellow activist Laura Simpson, founder of Harmony Fund International, has set up a special fund to help Tracie with her work. “She can’t hold on for long without outside assistance,” Simpson explains, “and we’re not about to see her turn animals away for lack of funding alone.”
Click here to help Tracie Mitchum's rescue efforts.
Check out some of Tracie's adorable rescues here.
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