By Logan Langlois
NASHVILLE, TN — In the wake of an economic downturn during which the price of care for pets is skyrocketing, Nashvillian non-profit Paws Angels Dog Rescue continues to call out to its army of volunteers to give as many animals a second chance as they can. The rescue’s founder and owner Crystal Parman said animal homelessness has been growing increasingly severe and shows no sign of slowing without direct action.
“I think every day it gets worse,” Parman said. “Every shelter and rescue in Middle Tennessee and every state beyond is completely overfull. The shelters are tragically having to euthanize for space, which has been something that our shelters in our area have not done in some time.”
Parman said she established Paws Angels Dog Rescue nine-and-a-half years ago when she came across some dogs that she couldn’t find a home for. She explained the opening only came after much encouragement from several friends who said she was great at finding homes for pets using social media. Since she enjoyed rescuing animals anyway, Parman said she then began recruiting volunteers to hold rescues while she found them forever homes.
Parman said in the beginning, her rescue saved around 50 dogs during a calendar year, though that number now averages anywhere between 300 to 500. She said all animals Paws Angels care for are either sheltered in the homes of volunteers or the 5 to 6 beds provided by the local clinic Animal House whenever they have the room available. When first starting, Parman said she had no idea what to name the volunteer foster care until one of her friends suggested Paws Angels because “she always said that I was an angel to these paws.”
Parman said Paws Angels is partnered with Guardians of Rescue and largely deals with boarding, cruelty, and puppy mill cases. She said the rescue has around 50 homes available, though the number has varied throughout the years as volunteers are free to join and opt out whenever they please. Whenever she needs more volunteers, she said social media has been an excellent tool for reaching out.
“The power of word is huge,” Parman said. “You make one small post, and it gets shared everywhere and people who are willing to step up generally reach out to us.”
Parman said one of the biggest problems being faced around Middle Tennessee is routine dog dumping in rural areas, as these areas allow for secrecy while carrying out the illegal activity. She said she thinks this trend is largely because the cost of animal medical care has skyrocketed as of late, after most smaller independently owned clinics sold to corporations and then dramatically raised prices.
“If they can’t afford them, it’s better to try and find them somewhere to go that can tend to them,” Parman said.
Along with dumping, Parman said puppy mills and backyard breeding are at an all-time high. During both activities, she said the health and wellness of the animals being handled can often be of little to no concern. She said in addition to her adoptions being low as of late, she’s noticed that donations for the rescue have also been slowed.
Parman said the best thing common pet owners can do to help animal wellness is to spay and neuter their animals to help with Nashville’s dramatic over-population. She said she recently took down the Paw Angles’s website after it was hacked, though their Facebook page under the same name still posts updates on how to adopt, donate, and volunteer.
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