Woman saves lives of Sullivan County, Tenn., animals by sending them north
11 CONNECTS
Ada Flaherty has rescued more than 150 animals by finding homes for them in northern states
Published: November 8, 2009
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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Reader Reactions
I was so glad to see all the help Ada has given these animals.
Ada, do you need help? I’m unemployed but I could lend a hand.
My sister has a Newfoundland she rescued from the Sullivan Co. Animal Shelter but she can’t keep it. Could you help her? Contact me if you can help her or if you have a need for my help.
Thanks for all you do.
I’m so glad Ada is getting the credit she deserves! She is a God send to our area for helping these helpless animals. I know her personally and have fostered 2 dogs for her and adopted a dog from her. All 3 of these dogs were literally minutes from being euthanized.I could not thank Ada enough for her HARD work, and the world needs more people as loving as her!
I know Ada personally. I have worked with her group for a couple years now. She is not only a fellow rescuer she is a very dear friend. We are located in Patrick Co VA, but together we have managed to save a few lives. I have witnessed first hand the awesome work if this lady. We share a common love, and that is animals.
She has to be one of the most unselfish caring persons I have ever met. This fact was really driven home one weekend while my husband and I was visiting Ada to help her do some chores at her rescue. We were out late one night and happened on a stray dog that had been shot and some uncaring,cold hearted person left laying in a ditch dieing choking on her own blood. We scooped the gasping dog up and placed her in our vehicle. God only knows how long the poor thing had laid there gurgling and strangling trying to breathe. Ada,named the beautiful border collie “Hope”, because we hoped with all our might she would be ok. We prayed so hard she would make it. The dog was put down due to her injuries after every effort was made to save her. Ada’s kindness was not in vain, because I know the dog knew she was a kind soul who was there to help,and Hope knew what it was to be touched by kind hands. I will never forget that night ever as long as I live. That night I saw first hand what compassion is in it’s true form! Compassion and love radiates from Ada’s very soul.
Ada does wonderful work,if any of you would like to help she needs foster homes to care for the dogs she pulls from the shelters until she can get them to a new home up north. Many times what determines if a dog can be saved is the fact of it having somewhere to go once it is pulled from the shelter.
it is very sad that there are so many unwanted and mistreated animals in our country
Does the tri-cities have any No-kill shelters ?
Ada thank you for what you do
Thank you Miss Ada, for all that you do.
What Flaherty and other rescuers like her are doing is fabulous and we are so thankful for their rescue efforts. If only more people would be so proactive in trying to find homes for dogs.
The article does inspire one question though, in as far as the shelters in the North being so very successful in their spay and neuter campaigns that they now have to import dogs fro the South. What happens when there are no more dogs available from the South because they too have been “that” successful? Will they then import the dogs from south of the boarder or overseas where Veterinary care is virtually nonexistent? Will they then bring in dogs of poor quality and poor health to satisfy man’s need for canine companionship? I know I personally would never want to live without my dogs. It is something to think about isn’t it? After all look at what people are doing when they want to adopt a child here in the states and are unable to get one for whatever reason. They import them from overseas or south of the border. They purchase them on the black market. They kidnap them (read the news if you do not believe this).
No indeed. Mandatory spay and neuter is not the answer we are looking for.
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