This past weekend, we hit the road to rescue a family of eight dogs, including five puppies and an injured momma dog.

This poor momma dog had been caught in a coyote trap and her left front leg was severely injured by it.

We drove far out into the woods (we never would have found the location without our guide!) and spent hours rounding up the puppies and adults. The puppies were hiding under the house, and it took more than one person crawling under the house and porch to flush them out.

Lawrence (below), the young adult male dog was very shy, and it took quite a while to catch him. He is sweet as can be, but he was very nervous about all the new people.

The momma of the five puppies is named Brownie (below), and she ran into the surrounding woods before we could catch her. However, we haven’t given up on her, and rescue efforts are ongoing. Unfortunately, in the meantime, she is still at risk of injury in the woods due to the coyote traps that have been set up in the area.

Louise (below), the older momma dog, is a heartbreaking example of the damage caused by such traps.

She has suffered a terrible compression laceration and her attempts to escape the trap created bone fragments that are embedded in the skin beneath her paw. Neurophysiologists explain that the pressure and impact of these steel leghold traps is equivalent to slamming your own hand in a car door and leaving it there for 24 hours.

In addition to tendon and ligament damage, Louise’s lower leg is severely swollen and infected. It is not uncommon for animals that have been caught in steel leghold traps to develop gangrene due to the vascular damage caused by the trap snapping shut on their foot. Without getting proper circulation, the affected tissue becomes infected and begins to die.

While we are hopeful that she made it to us in time for the antibiotics to reverse some of this damage, we won’t know for a few days. In the meantime, she is on pain meds, oral antibiotics, and her wounds are being treated topically as well.

Louise has a long, expensive medical journey ahead of her, but with your help, we can make sure she gets everything she needs to make it through this ordeal. Together, we will give her a new life full of safety, warmth, and love.

Over 100 countries have banned steel leghold traps, including Iraq, China, Sudan, and Somalia, but, sadly, not the U.S. These traps are set up by opening and setting the steel jaws (some of which are serated), disguising the trigger plate in the center, and placing enough brush or sticks around the trap to camouflage it. While trappers are legally obligated to check on their traps every 24 - 48 hours, this is entirely unenforceable.

When they come across non-target animals caught in the trap, even if they free them, the damage is done. It is estimated that over 70 percent of animals caught in traps are what trappers refer to as “trash animals,” including dogs, cats, deer, squirrels, birds, turtles, and livestock.

Wright-Way Rescue does not support any form of harm to animals. While we wish that trapping could be eliminated entirely, until that day there are much more humane methods including cable leg snares that do not inflict excruciating physical and mental anguish.

It is virtually impossible for an animal to free itself from a steel leghold trap. The fact that Louise made it back home after she had been caught, indicates that someone found her and released the trap. Whether that was the person who set the trap, or someone who just found her there, we will never know. All we can say for sure is that her future is going to be much better. Please help make this future a reality by supporting Louise on her medical journey.

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All donations made to a specific animal will go toward that pet's medical expenses. Any remaining monies will go back into Wright-Way Rescue's Medical Fund to help other injured pets in need of rescue.

With the help of county Animal Control, Skipper was transferred to the care of Wright-Way Rescue. We are going to do everything we can to help him survive and recover.

There is an open police investigation regarding the incident, and we will keep you posted as we learn more. Our first concern, however, is to get this poor boy the medical help he so urgently needs.

Please help us save Skipper.

When Nina came to us in late November, she was a cruelty confiscation from North Memphis. She had a 13lb tumor hanging from her belly, as well as two other smaller tumors along her left mammary chain. She was emaciated, suffering from a high fever, and she had a severe skin infection on her haunches and tail.

We were hesitant to share her story with you, because we didn’t know if she would be okay -- but there was no way to get her the help she needed without your help. Had we known how incredibly understanding you would be despite the medical uncertainty, we never would have hesitated! Not only were you generous, you were kind and incredibly supportive. Thank you! (We really believe that we have the best supporters any organization could ask for!)

It was a nerve-racking ordeal to prepare her for surgery, knowing that every day that passed increased the chances of the tumor rupturing. It was important, however, to take the time to see the necessary veterinary specialists and to perform all the tests and pre-surgical care she needed. We also had to get her weight up so that she could withstand the anesthesia. All these efforts were to increase her odds of surviving a surgery that was going to entail significant blood loss and also has a higher than average mortality rate.

And it worked! On December 8th, Nina went in for major surgery, and she came through with flying colors. When she was sufficiently recovered from surgery, she went to one of Wright-Way’s amazing medical foster homes, and she has been thriving!

Post-surgical biopsy results showed that the smaller tumors were benign and, not surprisingly, the larger one was a soft tissue sarcoma. All signs are pointing to a full recovery, and she will soon be ready to find her forever home. YOU made this possible. THANK YOU!

Your support of Nina and Wright-Way Rescue’s Medical Fund has made a real, lifesaving difference to so many. Last year, Wright-Way Rescue saved over 7,000 lives, many of them in need of significant medical care. In 2021, we are working hard to save even more, and we believe this is possible if we work together.

Wright-Way Rescue recently had the opportunity to once again team up with the Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation to find the perfect puppy for a special family. Not only that, but this puppy was born in one of our amazing maternal foster homes to a momma dog who was rescued from a high-kill shelter right after Hurricane Laura.

A very pregnant Millie was surrendered to a shelter in northeastern Louisiana right after Hurricane Laura hit. Her owner had passed away unexpectedly, and it was his aunt who made the tough decision to bring Millie in. It was simply too much to take on a momma dog and a litter of puppies with all the rebuilding that they were facing.

When our Rescue Partner from northeastern Texas arrived at the Louisiana shelter, their list did not include Millie. When they saw her, though, about two weeks away from giving birth, they knew that she was why they had packed an extra crate. They were thrilled when we told them we had room for her and would get her into a maternal foster home immediately.

Coincidentally, it was right around this time that Rowan and his family were talking about getting a puppy. Seven-year-old Rowan loves animals and wants to be a vet when he grows up.

His parents shared that Rowan was first diagnosed with leukemia when he was eighteen months old. Just three-and-a-half years later, however, he was considered cured. He spent two years cancer free, and then in March of this year, Rowan experienced a relapse.

The timing with COVID-19 was terrible, and Rowan unfortunately contracted the virus. He battled the virus for two months, and this significantly delayed the bone marrow transplant he needed. Finally, in July, Rowan received his much needed bone marrow transplant, but then he had to spend the next four months in the hospital dealing with complications that included his lungs and kidneys. He is still undergoing dialysis three times a week, but his family is hopeful that the damage is not permanent and he will reach a point of recovery where dialysis is no longer necessary.

Despite these challenges, Rowan is an optimistic kid who likes building with Legos and creating things. He loves Star Wars, dragons, and Greek mythology. His brother, Theo, is equally creative and wants to be a space chef who works in a spaceship on the moon and cooks for people.

Rowan and Theo’s parents reached out to Wright-Way Rescue at the end of this summer, right around the time of Hurricane Laura, to say that they would be ready for a puppy near the end of November. They told us the kind of puppy they were looking for, and Bear Necessities coordinated with us to pay the adoption fee.

Then, just days later, as if by design, there was a last minute cancellation for the reservation on one of Millie's sweetest puppies. We called Rowan’s family to see if they were interested, and they came the same day to meet him.

It was a match made in heaven. Theo named the puppy Jack, and both the boys were over the moon to have a dog of their very own.

The Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation is focused not only on funding cutting edge research but on “helping kids rediscover their childhood while we find a cure for pediatric cancer.” At Wright-Way Rescue, we know the importance of paying attention to the good things while you work to address the challenges.

2020 has been a year of incredible challenges, and there is no way we could have made it through without your support and encouragement. Thank you for donating to this work that not only saves the lives of animals but improves the lives of people.

Please consider making a tax-deductible, end-of-year gift to help us save the lives of so many more like Millie and Jack and bring joy to those like Rowan and his family.

A good Samaritan discovered him when she was dropping off her trash. She opened the lid of the dumpster and heard a faint squeak. When she realized it sounded like a kitten or a puppy, she enlisted help and then climbed into the dumpster to find the animal.

What she found was heartbreaking -- two puppies under several layers of trash. One of the puppies was in a plastic bag and barely alive. Unfortunately, the other puppy she found was already deceased. She searched the dumpster to ensure that no other puppies were there, and then rushed the living one to a vet clinic. He was bleeding from his nose and mouth, and, even though he was wrapped in a warm blanket, his body temperature was so low that the veterinary staff could not even get a reading. However, they were finally able to get him stabilized enough that it seemed he would live.

One of the vet techs took him on as a foster, and carried him with her everywhere for the next two weeks. He lived nestled in a blanket inside a small pink duffle bag that also carried his puppy formula, favorite bottle, and other supplies. It was touch-and-go for the first weeks, but eventually Panda’s health stabilized, and he began to thrive.

Panda still suffers from a head tilt, and his eyes are misaligned with one of them sitting farther back in his head and pointing outward. We cannot be certain whether these conditions were present at birth or were the result of being dropped in the dumpster. In either case, he has learned to compensate and can move about quite well, and he loves to play with other dogs in his current Wright-Way Rescue foster home. Occasionally he still tumbles, and his right side is still a little weaker than his left, but he is improving every day.

He had a very hard time learning to walk, but now Panda can run and play.

Your support makes it possible for us to say “Yes!” to Panda and so many more like him. As 2020 draws to a close, please consider making a tax-deductible, end-of-year gift to Wright-Way Rescue. Every dollar makes a difference in this urgent work to save lives.