Published: October 19, 2009 07:00 am      

Group focuses on rescuing animals

TRAVERSE CITY -- A new animal rescue group is making a difference one wag at a time.

Launched officially in June, HANDDS -- short for Helping Abused, Neglected, Disabled and Displaced Souls -- is dedicated to saving dogs on the verge of being euthanized.

Animal shelters and county animal controls are packed, with a tight economy bringing more animals every day into already over-capacity facilities.

Finding a good home or providing a transitional foster care haven prompted Dee Sheldon, of Lake Ann, Patti Goudey, of Traverse City, and Dorothy DeCoeur, of Thompsonville, to launch the organization. Spinning off from another animal rescue group, HANDDS now has 30 dogs, one an expectant mama, living in a network of volunteer foster homes.

While the group also has a handful of cats, the women focus on dogs. Their logic is that other area groups focus more on cats, such as UN-Cats and A.C. Paws.

Whether feline or canine, abused or abandoned, the bottom line is the same.

"We are here for the animals, 100 percent for the animals," said Sheldon of HANDDS, which is waiting for 501c3 approval to receive nonprofit status. "I live for the dogs, the dogs come first."

Networking and traveling to adoption events around the region and state, HANDDS founders and volunteers also bring dogs many Saturdays to Tractor Supply on U.S. 31 South. Next Saturday they will take dogs to Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

The most recent adoption outreach was "Dancing for Dogs," held this Saturday outside Beledi Dance Studio at Logan's Landing in Traverse City. The connection among all involved, from HANDDS to studio dancers demonstrating their moves to Beledi owner Penny Morris, was obvious: the dogs need help. While no dogs found a home that day, visitors met and petted them while also learning about the fledgling group.

"This draws attention to them," said Morris, who has a student involved in HANDDS, a connection that sparked the outreach event.

Joan Hughes, of Traverse City, stopped by to finalize adoption paperwork for "Dot," a boxer mix she had previously taken home for a trial period. In order to facilitate successful adoptions, HANDDS policy includes a week tryout. This time ensures that both dog and human, as well as any other residents or prior pets, get along -- and that people realize the commitment required.

"It's been a wonderful experience," said Hughes, who also has another rescue dog, of the adoption process. "I'm so impressed about how much these people cared about the dogs."

Wanting to rescue every dog in need -- her partners have her on a strict "choke chain" to prevent this -- Dee Sheldon chafes at limitations of space, funding and time. So she makes sure that those she can save are as well cared for and placed as possible.

For Sheldon, the ultimate reward is seeing a sad, pitiful animal transform and move into a happy, loving home.

"I do it for the wagging tails and the people grinning ear to ear," she said.

For more information about HANDDS, contact Dee Sheldon at 360-DOGS, Patti Goudey at 645-6040 or Dorothy DeCoeur at 409-4833.