When WAN learned that an Arkansas rescue facility had been broken into recently by sub-humans that released their own attack dogs onto the property to use the rescued animals as “bait” to practice dog fighting, we were horrified, angry, and moved to find out more about this unfathomable occurrence.
To learn that the Humane Society of the Delta was broken into again over the weekend, and more dogs were injured, is heart-wrenching. This time, the perpetrators pitted the shelter’s own dogs against each other, forcing them to fight one another.
These barbaric criminals must be caught and stopped from ever having the opportunity to hurt an innocent animal again!
WAN talked with the Humane Society of the Delta’s President, Gloria Higginpotham and its Director, Beth Florek last week about the travesty as well as the urgent needs of the rescue which include a security system, new fencing, air-conditioning, volunteers, and financial donations.
Higginpotham and Florek explained to WAN that the Humane Society of the Delta is run by female volunteers who range in age from 50-years-old to 70-years-old.
Making the situation exceptionally challenging for these compassionate women is the fact that Humane Society of the Delta, is located in Phillips County, Arkansas which is the 13th poorest county in the nation.
“This community is apathetic towards animals,” Higginpotham, who has self-financed the rescue until recently running out of personal funds, told WAN. “People don’t have dogs.”
The dogs that are found abandoned in the area, were most-likely used by drug dealers who use them for protection. As the criminals move from one place to another to avoid being caught, they leave the dogs behind chained to trees with limited chance of survival.
“The fire department and the police call us when they find animals,” Higginpotham said, further explaining that the Humane Society of the Delta also serves as the rural area’s unofficial Animal Control since one does not exist.
The no-kill shelter, which receives between 16 to 18 dogs a day because there is no law ensuring the animals are spayed or neutered, credits Wings of Rescue with helping to transport many of its healthy puppies to safe locations; primarily in Connecticut, New York, and Maine.
When the trespassers cut the chain link fence to gain access to the 5-acre-facility on October 10th, nearly every dog was hurt, the worst was a 10-year-old hound-mix named Rubio who suffered more than 20 puncture wounds in his face and body. Fortunately, he is recovering.
“To say we are disgusted is an understatement. Our shelter was targeted again last night,” stated a post on the Humane Society of the Delta’s Facebook page. “Five dogs were injured, but none as severely as before.”
“This is what we are dealing with,” the post continued along with photos of some of the injured animals.
