As the grisly situation unfolded, representatives of rescue and shelter operations felt sick to their stomachs while tending to an animal hoarding and abuse case last August at a woman’s home in West Plains.
The scene was a fraught with dozens upon dozens of malnourished, unkempt and imprisoned dogs, cats and other animals, many of which were suffering from visible symptoms and wounds – or barely even alive. But thanks to the efforts of those workers (and others from multiple state agencies and the Howell County Sheriff’s Department), the helpless victims were removed from their surreal, undeserved circumstances and most are now well down the road to recovery.
Many of the rescued animals were taken in by local operations, including The Animal Shelter of Texas County in Houston (TASTC), and Diana’s Grove Dog Rescue in Cabool. Others were transported to shelters in St. Louis and other areas, and still others were taken in by individuals or relocated by state agencies.
Regardless of where they ended up, all were given a new lease on life.
“Both the animals that were surrendered before the state got involved and those that were taken by the state have all been placed,” TASTC manager Marsha Martin said. “They’re no longer living in cages, and seeing little or no sunlight. They’re living the good life now.
“With the help of all the people who were involved, these animals have gone from ‘bow to wow.’ It’s remarkable how everybody was able to pull together.”
Among the dogs taken in by Diana’s Grove were two Italian greyhounds that were turned over to a rescue organization that specializes in that breed, while five other dogs were placed in foster homes and eventually adopted in the Chesterfield area. Another 14 were transported to shelters in St. Louis and made ready for adoption there.
“Even the ones that were high-need went into wonderful foster homes for the period that it was questionable that we had full possession of them or not,” Diana’s Grove founder Cynthea Jones said. “Now they’ve all been adopted by those same homes. The recovery process has been pretty intense for some of them, because they were in such bad condition.
“But they’re all doing well now, and they’re so appreciative.”
Jones said the outpouring of caring that followed the elaborate rescue operation was a pleasant experience.
“We were really happy with the community’s response in getting these dogs the care and attention they needed,” she said.
Martin said that while the extreme nature of the West Plains case makes it worse than most similar incidents, there’s a characteristic they all share.
“This is another example of how people start with good intentions but end up getting overwhelmed,” she said. “You see that so often – they just don’t know when to stop.”
In better hands now
Two of the animals that attracted a lot of attention after being rescued were a small female dog and – of all things – a large female horse.
The dog was in horrific condition after being caged and neglected for a year or more, and the horse was emaciated and sickly after not seeing real grass for a lengthy period and getting barely enough food to survive.
When Houston resident Laura Franks learned of the pitiful-looking pup from a news report about the case on a Springfield TV station, she felt an immediate urge to adopt it. She contacted TASTC and was told that it had been placed in a foster home in the St. Louis area.
“I said, ‘can I go get her?’” Franks said. “‘I want her.’ I went to St. Louis and picked her up; she was all matted and stinking – I’d never smelled anything like it in my life.”
The 8-year-old poodle-mix, named Mitzi, had been taken to a vet and tested negative for heartworms.
“She didn’t even have any fleas,” Franks said. “It’s like a lady I spoke to said, ‘when it’s too bad for fleas, it’s really a bad situation.’”
When Franks got Mitzi home, the dog was unable to walk. Her legs didn’t work after she was forced to exist in a small cage for so long, and open sores and infections dotted her entire body.
“She was so sick she couldn’t even hold her head up,” Franks said. “She spent most of the first two weeks in my lap, and it took about four weeks before she could stand up straight and move. For a while she would just kind of crawl on the floor, because she couldn’t straighten her legs, and would hide in the dark, especially in the laundry room.
“When I knew she was finally coming out of it was when she got one of my shirts out of the laundry basket and put it on top of the bedding I had put down for her and laid down on it.”
Franks eventually got Mitzi cleaned up, cut the mats from her fur, and put her on a regimen of antibiotics. The lucky mutt is now thriving; her wounds have healed, her legs have regained strength, and a brightness has returned to her eyes. She also eats vigorously, after being almost unable to eat due to being denied a proper diet for so long.
“She loves being outside and she’s doing fine now,” Franks said. “And she’s just as sweet as she can be. She’ll be even prettier when her hair grows out. It hasn’t had time to grow back where some of the bad wounds were.
“She just needed some tender loving care.”
Mitzi was spayed a couple of weeks ago, and her adoption by Franks became official at the beginning of this week.
A new and better purpose
Similar to Franks’ reaction to finding out about Mitzi, Yukon resident Jim Kidwell knew he had to adopt the horse when he saw her pictured in TV and newspaper reports.
“I was thinking, ‘how can anybody do that?’” he said. “But I guess you can look anywhere and see mistreated horses. And this will probably get me in trouble – but I don’t care – but some people won’t buy something to take care of an animal and keep it from starving, but they’ll drink beer.”
The 14-year-old draft horse, named Abigale, was so malnourished when Kidwell and his wife Karen took her in that her hip bones were literally wearing through her hide, and her ribs were protruding like a row of fence posts. Her countenance was gloomy, and she moved around like it was a chore.
But having spent time hanging out in green pastures alongside Highway 137 and being fed a balanced diet, Abigale’s body has filled out and her chipper personality is back.
“I just wish she wouldn’t put her head right next to my ear and blow snot in my hearing aid,” Kidwell said. “I think she thinks that’s funny.”
Abby’s new owner has plans to make the largest animal ever adopted from TASTC a great big therapy animal. The lifelong horseman has been in contact with at least one local nursing home and intends to let the gentle giant visit with elderly residents.
“I really want to make sure she’s OK to do it first,” Kidwell said, “but I think she will. Nothing seems to bother her or get her excited. We’ve had her next to the road when cars and trucks go by, and she doesn’t care about our goats or chickens being around her, even when she eats. And our radio is going in the barn pretty much 24/7, but she doesn’t pay any attention.”
Back where he used to live in northern Illinois, Kidwell has a friend who takes horses to nursing homes.
“He listens to the stories they tell back when they were young and were involved with horses,” Kidwell said. “He said when he leaves, he’s actually cried because he sees these old people come alive for a few minutes and their eyes just sparkle. Some of the nurses say they haven’t seen that much activity out of a particular patient in years.”
If and when Abby and Kidwell make appearances together, it won’t be in an “official” capacity.
“If you’re going to have a therapist title, you’re supposed to have an elongated education and a bunch of papers,” Kidwell said. “We’re not going to be doing therapy, we’re just going to be visiting. But if grandma reaches up and pets the nose on that horse, and it’s as soft as a marshmallow, and she smiles, what more therapy can you ask for?”
Kidwell said he has a hard time trying to explain his motivation for using Abby as a visitation animal and how he intends to work the idea, but he just knows it’s his calling.
“Someone said to me that if I can do that, then my heart has done swelled up to the size of a hay seed,” Kidwell said. “But if I can help and old person reminisce for a few moments and see a smile on their face, then that’s it – it’s worth it.
“I just hope I have time to do this, because now that I’m retired we’re so busy doing nothing we don’t have time to do anything.”
They’re no longer living in cages, and seeing little or no sunlight. They’re living the good life now.”