For Ada Flaherty, it’s a drive up North.
For her clients – animals in need of homes – it’s a new life story.
Every week, Flaherty drops by the Sullivan County Animal Shelter seeking a new group of pets she’ll eventually send to homes in other places.
“Through the northern connections and the rescue groups, I’ve been able to save a lot of lives,” said Flaherty, who calls her effort the “For Pete’s Sake Animal Rescue.”
So far, she said, she has rescued more than 150 animals from the shelter.
“The reason I adopt about 85 percent of my dogs up North … is because they do not have the overpopulation in their shelters like we have here,” she said.
The work started after Hurricane Katrina, when Flaherty, who lives in Bristol, Tenn., took part in an “underground railroad” rescue effort for animals left without owners in New Orleans.
Flaherty said stricter spay and neuter laws in northern states mean fewer animals are available for adoption in those areas, so potential pet owners often look South.
“Down here we have a lot of dogs that are a year or younger ... most of them are un-neutered males,” Flaherty said.
The first thing Flaherty does when she rescues an animal is take it to the vet’s office for a wellness check.
“All our animals are fully vetted with health certificates,” she said.
Then the animal goes homes with Flaherty, or she places it in a foster home while she looks for a suitable, permanent match.
“There’s criminal background checks, there’s do-not-adopt checks,” Flaherty said.
Once she finds a home, Flaherty drives the animal there herself, wherever it might be.
It’s a rags to riches story for many of her animals, Flaherty said.
“One of my dogs that came from our Sullivan County Animal Shelter was in a Fourth of July parade on Martha’s Vineyard,” she said.
mhipolit@11connects | (423) 232-8754
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