The Good news, we will be on the property by July 1st and are in the process of packing and relocating. During this transitional time, please note that our phone lines and some of the e-mails accounts will be down until July 1st. If you need immediate assistance, please email volunteer@dogsdeservebetter.org.

Our next goal once we are on the property, is to fence the entire place and renovate the existing structure to house dogs while we pay it off and fundraise for our state-of-the-art facility.

Here's an early look at preliminary plans for our dream facility. Together we can make this a reality for our dogs! Architectural renderings by Tim Treybal, thank you, Tim.

http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/54f617dd226e9a3a9955abb25c88c724?pa=4145361911

Will you help us make this a reality for the dogs?

DDB has 95,740 Facebook fans. If each of our fans donated $5, we'd have $478,700! If you haven't donated yet, please consider a donation, large or small, today. If you have and can donate a little more, it is most appreciated. Your donations are tax deductible.

We currently have $188,730 in hand but need so much more to renovate the property, build fencing and build our state of the art facility. Can you please help?? If you've already donated, can you send another $10 to add to the pot? How about roll up that change and send it in? Whatever amount you can spare, it's always greatly appreciated.

You can donate directly through our website:

http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/54f617dd226e9a3a9955abb25c88c724?pa=4145361911

Thank you so much!

Please follow us on Facebook to keep abreast of all the latest news and information!

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WHEN WE GET ON THE GROUND, WE WILL NEED YOUR HELP in the following ways! We have immediate need for the following volunteer services:

• Large truck to move all office materials and office foster family materials
• Volunteers to load truck in Tipton, PA
• Volunteers to unload truck in Smithfield, VA
• Fence materials and building team in Smithfield, VA
• Building renovation team
• A small temporary housing facility for dogs

PLEASE email volunteer@dogsdeservebetter.org if you can volunteer for any of these needed opportunities.

If you are interested in assisting us with the fundraising for the Good Newz Rehab Center, please email Deana at volunteer@dogsdeservebetter.org. We always welcome new ideas.

About a month ago our Virginia Rep and Rescue Coordinator, Shannon Eaton Allen, began a case with a man who had his pit chained in their recent flood waters. She spent the day speaking with the owner and after a few hours, the dog was unchained and remains unchained today.

The former chainer, Chris, called Shannon about a customer (he is a mechanic) who's car broke down in Virgina on his way to NY. This man told Chris that Luca was just too much for him to deal with right now, with his car being broken down this far from home, that she was too much 'baggage' and he was going to take her out to a field in VA and drop her. Chris convinced him not to. So this man gets a rental car and takes off with Luca. Chris finds Luca down the road tethered to light pole on Main St. Chris checked all of the businesses around the area to see if the man was there. He sat there with Luca and a bowl of water for 2 hours waiting to see if her owner was going to come back, he didn't. So Chris called Shannon. It took Shannon about an hour to get there and Chris had already called the police. When she arrived, the police gave her permission to take her and she got a surrender agreement signed.

Funny how, just a month ago, Shannon and Chris were standing out in a down-pour screaming at each other and today he hugged and thanked her.

This is why we love educating instead of taking custody. When an owner 'gets it', they pay it forward.

We'd like to thank Chris for saving Luca and Shannon for doing an amazing job on educating the owners.

By: Stephanie Stilwell

N.C. – A Caswell County judge handed down the toughest sentence possible under Susie's Law. This case was the first animal cruelty case to be heard since tougher penalties were put in place nearly a year ago. Supporters of the new law say the judges sentence is a step in the right direction.

Sheriff's officers say, in January, Jimmy Lee Spears, Jr. starved his three pitbulls to death. An animal control officer found the dogs chained inside a doghouse. His case is the first case tried under Susie's Law.

“We were very pleased to see that the legal system, the court system in Caswell County and Mr. Bradsher took it seriously enough to prosecute this case to the fullest extent,” Susie's Law Supporter Roberta Wall said.

Spears pleaded guilty to all three counts killing an animal by starvation. And then it was left to Judge Osmond Smith. Before sentencing him, Judge Smith held up pictures of the dogs and told Spears, he hopes those photos haunt him for the rest of his life, he then sentenced him to the maximum amount.

“He enforced the law,” District Attorney Wallace Bradsher said. “He gave the max aggravated under the Class "H" new Susie's Law consecutive. So he'll serve an active sentence for one dog, after that he'll start an active sentence for the other dog and when he finishes that he'll serve an active sentence for the other dog. So I think it's a great day for Susie's Law.”

Spears will serve five to seven years for his crimes. Susie's Law supporters say this sets a precedent and sends a message.

“And we hope that it sends a message across North Carolina that if anyone abuses an animal, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law which has been toughened since Susie's Law,” Wall said.

In an earlier motion, Judge Smith heard arguments for and against the constitutionality of Susie's Law. He decided to dismiss the motion and rule that the new law is constitutional.

Thanks for bringing chained dogs into the home and family with us for the past nine years. We couldn't do it without your support.

Do you have a passion for helping chained or penned dogs? Do you have a dog in your community living this way, and you need to do something about it? Let us know what you'd like to do to help. Please complete the form below and submit, we will contact you with our volunteer opportunities!

http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/d23c947abc68e92f3e416b4e766ee037?pa=4145361911

Deana Whitfield,
National Volunteer Coordinator
Dogs Deserve Better

http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/45b1f25b0649181146d485439d664e79?pa=4145361911