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March 14, 2008 - 6:21AM
Dogs rescued in Tucson make Valley debut
Comments | RecommendKatie McDevitt, Tribune
A dog with a missing paw, another with fur so matted it had to be shaven and a tiny two-week old puppy who was the only survivor in a litter.
See the slideshow of rescued dogs
VIDEO: Meet the rescued dogs
VIDEO: Meet the rescued dogs
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These dogs and about 10 others made a stop to the parking lot at Arizona Mills mall Thursday evening to be handed to foster parents after they were taken Wednesday from an elderly couple's rural home near Tucson.
About 800 small dogs were found in filthy conditions.
"I was overwhelmed and about as emotional as I've ever been," said President and co-founder of local non-profit Arizona Chihuahua Rescue, Barbera Rabe. "I don't know why they did that."
Rabe, who held a pudgy chihuahua with no teeth, said she will foster some of the dogs for at least two weeks until they can be adopted out to the public.
More than 90 dogs - Chihuahuas, terriers, Pomeranians and mixed breeds - have been brought up to the Valley from the Tucson area and the non-profit group is traveling down again on Saturday to pick up more dogs, said Melissa Gable, an Arizona Chihuahua Rescue volunteer. Seventeen dogs are currently in the hospital and volunteers have discovered many are also sick or pregnant.
Jenny Rose, a spokeswoman for the Humane Society of Southern Arizona said on Wednesday that the dogs were kept in a triple-wide mobile home that was littered with urine and feces. The dogs were surprisingly in decent shape, officials said.
Arizona Chihuahua Rescue's more than 20 members will foster as many dogs as they can and then find volunteers to foster the rest. Those who are interested in temporarily caring for the dogs must go through an application process, said Amy Hatcher.
After the dogs are observed and treated for at least two weeks, the organization will post photos and information on the animals and allow the public to adopt them for $150 to $250.
Hatcher said the group doesn't profit off the adoption fees, because they often spend thousands on medical treatments.
To make a donation of puppy food, doggie formula or other help, visit Arizona Chihuahua Rescue at www.azchihuahuarescue.org/ or call (480) 844-2447.
The Associated Press Contributed To This Report.
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