PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Eighteen dogs are finding a home for the holidays in the Pacific Northwest after the Humane Society for Southwest Washington coordinated a rescue effort with partners in California.
Teams worked to drive the dogs from Bakersfield to Yreka before the HSSW volunteers braved the winter weather and snowy mountain passes to bring them to Vancouver earlier in December.
The rescues included small terrier/chihuahua mixes, a young husky mix and a pregnant dog named Tabitha — who gave birth to seven pups hours after arriving at the Vancouver shelter, officials said.
“Transports like this are common for HSSW,” says HSSW President Andrea Bruno. “We’re always grateful when we can relocate animals second chance for a happy home, but it’s especially heartwarming when we can do it during the holidays.”
The shelter said upon their arrival, the dogs received medical exams, vaccinations and behavioral evaluations. While some of the dogs have already been adopted, many are still looking for new homes.
According to HSSW, the rescue mission was part of their work to help dogs from overcrowded shelters find homes in the Portland metro area.
Donations or adoption information can be found on the HSSW website.
The organization said this holiday season, donations are being matched up to $125,000.