From Joe

Hi Steve:
I just wanted to tell you how great it was to see the dogs out enjoying their hill at the sanctuary yesterday morning. My wife Robyn has gotten to come over and make donations and sends checks when possible. But so far I have only gotten to drive by. We got to spend Saturday night at our place there and were heading home yesterday when we drove past your place. It is really great to see the dogs out enjoying themselves and what you have done so far is miraculous. It sure is nice to know that there are others who care for the animals.

Posted on October 26, 2009 | Link

Fox News Interview

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Posted on October 24, 2009 | Link

From Karen

Hi Steve, i just read about your place, your mission and your dogs! Much admiration from me to you.

Posted on October 21, 2009 | Link

Phoenix and Hercules

Phoenix came to us from New York, where he had been racking up bite incidents for several years on Long Island; after a few months of rehab in a shelter in Orange County, NY, it was determined that Phoenix was always going to pose a risk, so in July, Steve flew with him from JFK and brought him to Olympic Animal Sanctuary. His most recent bite incident broke Steve's hand (click if you're not squeamish). An old man with inoperable joint deterioration, Phoenix spends most of his time lying around, relaxing, but when a Great Dane named Hercules arrived at the Sanctuary, that changed. Hercules was a temporary resident of the Sanctuary, originally picked up as a loose dog and claimed a week later.

The following photos show Phoenix playing with his gigantic new friend:

Posted on October 20, 2009 | Link

Seattle Fundraiser: November 10

Click to view with Adobe Reader:

Posted on October 16, 2009 | Link

Hoh Reservation Rescue

Friday, October 9, Steve was brought a six week old puppy that had been born on the Hoh reservation, about thirty miles south of Forks in Jefferson County; the next day, he went to 'the rez' with Patt Doyle from Friends of Forks Animals to catch the rest of the puppies and their mother, who had been 'semi-feral' all her life and had killed other dogs. The mother dog had originally come from Queets, on the Quinault reservation, south of Kalaloch, but was brought to the Hoh reservation where she continued to run wild.

When Steve and Patt arrived at Hoh housing, they found the mother right away, sleeping on a driveway next to a male rottweiler who is most likely the father of some, if not all, of her litter. The puppies were in the woods behind the house, where their mother was keeping them in a den beneath an old tree stump. There were quite a few hollow logs that they were also hiding inside. The forests on the western side of the Olympic Peninsula are damp and dense, not unlike a tropical rain forest, with a few exceptions: the thorns on the plants are shorter, and it takes much longer for wood and leaf litter to decompose. Moving about in this environment can be a challenge.

When Steve approached the den site, the puppies were out in plain view; there were scraps of deer and elk carcasses, dead birds, and garbage scattered around, and the dogs looked healthy and well-fed. As Steve approached, the puppies hid in their den and inside a hollow log. He had originally been told that there were four puppies remaining, but he and Patt caught six, Steve pulling them out of their hiding places and handing them off to Patt to carry back to the truck. The first three came from a hollow log, and the next two from the den under the tree stump. The last puppy, shown in the series of images below, had initially been in the hollow log, but had run to the den before Steve could catch him; then, when Steve began pulling the puppies from the den, he ran down the inside of a rotted-out tree root, about eight feet. Steve was able to pull apart the root and coax the puppy back toward the den, where he eventually captured him. Having not been handled by human beings before, all of the puppies were frightened and defensive, but at their age they learn very quickly not to fear people. It was crucial that the puppies be caught as soon as possible, before they could become truly feral.

The first 11 images below were shot on-site with a camera phone; the rest were taken later.

A view of the terrain	Steve approaching the den	Making his way through the dry brush	Crawling under the stump to access the den
	Pulling the last puppy from the den as he bites Steve's hand	The little guy was very afraid and put up quite a fight.	Steve sat with him for about five minutes until he was calm before crawling back out of the den area.
Back through the brush			Safe in the crate with his six sisters
Mom got to ride up front.	Mom and puppies at Olympic Animal Sanctuary -- two have already been adopted, including the little boy from the pictures above.

Steve reports that mother and puppies are doing well; when he went into their room Sunday morning and lay on the ground, the mother dog began licking his face, and some of the babies joined in. The mother will stay at Olympic Animal Sanctuary; her history of killing other dogs and propensity for running at large make her a poor candidate for adoption. The remaining puppies will go to a local rescue group for adoption; for more information, contact us.

Animal welfare work can be a challenge on tribal lands; cultural differences and often-tricky political situations can lead to missteps and misunderstandings when rescue groups try to help 'rez dogs'. Because Native American lands are under federal jurisdiction, county animal ordinances do not apply, and animal control officers have no authority to respond to cruelty and neglect complaints. Since only federal and tribal laws apply on the reservations, it is common to see situations that would be illegal just a few miles away; federal law pertains primarily to commercial breeding operations, not to pets. Unchecked breeding, mange, starvation, and parvo and distemper outbreaks are a few of the more common problems. It is the position of Olympic Animal Sanctuary that any rescue work conducted on tribal lands must be undertaken with respect for residents' culture, history, and rights. The people best equipped to affect positive change in animal welfare on Native American lands are Native Americans, who understand the structure and customs of their own communities. We are guests, and as such, we can only do what is requested of us. We hope to continue to cultivate relationships with members of the tribes in our area for the purpose of supporting them in their efforts to improve the quality of life for animals on their native lands.

Posted on October 11, 2009 | Link