Whew! We’ve had a busy few first weeks since Carolina Hearts “opened its doors”. As usual, the world of rescue is a roller-coaster of ups and downs as our wonderful dogs are adopted to loving homes, and we bring in more victims of neglect and abuse. The reasons for abandoning dogs is endless, though most of the time we don’t know why the dogs we rescue end up in the awful places they do.

Sometimes, we may have a decent idea – like with Nemo, our Aussie/Bernese Mountain Dog mix. He’s 11 months old and weighs 80 pounds already! This sweet guy, who’s sleeping at my feet as I write this, was a victim of an ill-prepared owner who didn’t take owning a dog of this size seriously. There’s not a thing wrong with Nemo – he loves everyone, is crate trained and knows basic commands – but he’s a big boy with lots of energy!

Then there’s dogs like Carson and Jasper. Carson was surrendered to animal control with no reason given. He’s the sweetest, cutest little miniature Aussie boy ever! And what a unique color – I’m pretty sure he’s a dilute red tricolor. Jasper is a stunner, but found himself labeled a stray in a pretty awful county shelter in North Carolina. This dog knows it all, is beyond gorgeous, but nobody came for him!

And then there’s our newest arrivals… Frazier, Niles, and Roz. These babies are simply victims of greed and ignorance. They are lethal white “Aussiedoodles” – bred to be “designer dogs” by someone who obviously didn’t know what happens when you cross two merle dogs. They are barely 6 weeks old, full of worms, covered in fleas, starved, and all have differing degrees of hearing and vision impairment. Niles, our solid white little boy, is completely blind and deaf.

As sad, frustrating, infuriating as it all may be – this is why we’re here. This is why our homes are covered in dog fur, why we spend every week at the vet, why the pet store knows us by name… it’s because we’re the voice and the light in the dark for the ones that get let behind when “life” is too busy, too expensive, too much for everyone else.