FRONT and CENTER
Love of animals spurred woman to open shelter to help strays
By Jeanni Brosius
THREE RIVERS AREA — Charles Schulz once said, “Happiness is a warm puppy.” If that’s the case, then Rhondine Horton should be one happy woman. She has rescued 400 dogs, and each has a story.
There’s Cali, who is from Cotton Plant. She was lying under an abandoned house with six babies. Someone from Searcy saw her and called Horton, and she picked up the dogs and treated them for mange, which is typical in strays.
Each dog that has come through Horton’s rescue is named and photographed, and Horton tries hard to never use the same name twice. Usually a litter will be designated by a letter, and each puppy will have a name beginning with that letter.
Horton has fond memories of spending time on her grandparents’ farm, and she knew that she wanted to work with animals. She and her husband Scott moved to Woodruff County in 1993, and in January 2009, she began volunteering at the animal shelter in Augusta.
“We were looking for a dog, and we went to the shelter and saw how horrible it was,” Horton said. “The [stray animal] problem is far larger than the city of Augusta”
Immediately, the wheels started turning for a better way to address the animal problem. Horton said she has always rescued animals anyway, so she opened Woodruff County Animal Rescue Friends and applied for a 501(c)(3) tax status. The rescue was officially approved as a nonprofit organization earlier this year.
“I had to go to City Hall in Augusta to get the ordinance rewritten,” Horton said. “There wasn’t anything in there to release to rescues. Now after 10 days, [dogs] can be released to the rescue.”
WCARF rescues the animals from the shelter to keep them from being euthanized, and many of the dogs are adopted by people who live in Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Horton said the New England states don’t have the stray animal issues, and pets are more difficult to find.
“To me, it is more important to find good homes for them than bringing in adoption fees,” Horton said.
There is a small local-adoption fee, which can include spaying or neutering, and there is a transport fee for the animals that are sent to other areas.
Horton said she couldn’t do this alone and credits the Wynne Animal Rescue Shelter, her children, D.J. and Anna Kate, and the “foster parents” who help house the dogs when the rescue runs out of space. Horton said her 16-year-old son, D.J., does the hard labor around the rescue.
“I like them,” 9-year-old Anna Kate said. “I like playing with them, and I adopted one of her doggies.” Michelle Hyde met Horton when Hyde took a stray pregnant dog to her.
“She kept her until she had the babies; then I adopted her and two of the puppies,” Hyde said. “[Horton] is wonderful; I could never do what she does.” Hyde has also opened up her backyard to house some of the dogs for the rescue. She currently has 15 dogs.
“[Horton] is an animal lover; she would do anything to save those animals,” Hyde said. “She’s a wonderful mom and wife - she’s a wonderful woman.” Itching to educate people about taking care of their pets, Horton is working on a program called “Do You Speak Dog?” She plans to take the program into the elementary schools to teach children how to take care of and communicate with their dogs.
“Rhondine is very passionate about what she does,” said Cathy Parker, another “foster parent” to 10 dogs. “She cares a lot for the animals. Some, the vets told her that she needs to put them down, and she just won’t do it. She gives the dogs every chance she can.” Parker agrees with Horton about rescuing the animals before they’re euthanized.
“I don’t like to see animals put to sleep,” Parker said. “I don’t care how long they have to be out here as long as they aren’t put to sleep.”
Along with Parker and Hyde, Patti Parrish is another active “foster parent” who puts dog pens in her backyard.
Even though Horton’s property is home to many dogs, it appears to be impeccably organized. As a rule, Horton said, she doesn’t take animals from outside Woodruff County unless it is an emergency situation. The rescue doesn’t take cats, either. The cat situation is such a problem in Woodruff County, Horton said.
She said that over a seven-year-period, one female cat can produce 400,000 offspring. So Horton believes in the trap, neuter and return program for cats.
“You trap the feral cats and spay or neuter them and release them where they came from,” Horton said.
Horton’s advice to those who have pets they can no longer take care of is to either call a rescue organization or a veterinarian who can house the pets and find them homes.
“People out here in the country just dump their dogs out,” Parker said.
The rescue is looking for volunteers and donations. To learn more, visit wcanimalrescuefriends.com or call Horton at (870) 919-6518.
- jbrosius@arkansasonline.com
UP CLOSE
Getting to know Rhondine Horton
Birth date: Jan. 6, 1968
Birthplace: Hampton, Va. (Army baby)
Biggest influence: My mom, by far
First job: Cashier at Chick-fil-A, and it’s still my favorite
fast-food restaurant.
As a child you said, When I grow up, I want to be:
A vet, which is no surprise to those who know me
One thing you want to accomplish in life but
haven’t: Raise my kids to become responsible,
successful Christian adults who will make a difference in
this world
Most people don’t know: I talk in my sleep; my family
finds this highly entertaining.
I cannot live without: Chocolate - I can barely go one
day without at least a bite.
My favorite memory is: ALL of the memories from my
summers as a kid spent on my grandparents’ farm in
Illinois. I spent my days with every farm animal imaginable,
from sunup to sundown. It was paradise to me.
This article was published July 18, 2010 at 3:06 a.m. Three Rivers, Pages 141 on 07/18/2010
Love of animals spurred woman to open shelter to help strays
By Jeanni Brosius
THREE RIVERS AREA — Charles Schulz once said, “Happiness is a warm puppy.” If that’s the case, then Rhondine Horton should be one happy woman. She has rescued 400 dogs, and each has a story.
There’s Cali, who is from Cotton Plant. She was lying under an abandoned house with six babies. Someone from Searcy saw her and called Horton, and she picked up the dogs and treated them for mange, which is typical in strays.
Each dog that has come through Horton’s rescue is named and photographed, and Horton tries hard to never use the same name twice. Usually a litter will be designated by a letter, and each puppy will have a name beginning with that letter.
Horton has fond memories of spending time on her grandparents’ farm, and she knew that she wanted to work with animals. She and her husband Scott moved to Woodruff County in 1993, and in January 2009, she began volunteering at the animal shelter in Augusta.
“We were looking for a dog, and we went to the shelter and saw how horrible it was,” Horton said. “The [stray animal] problem is far larger than the city of Augusta”
Immediately, the wheels started turning for a better way to address the animal problem. Horton said she has always rescued animals anyway, so she opened Woodruff County Animal Rescue Friends and applied for a 501(c)(3) tax status. The rescue was officially approved as a nonprofit organization earlier this year.
“I had to go to City Hall in Augusta to get the ordinance rewritten,” Horton said. “There wasn’t anything in there to release to rescues. Now after 10 days, [dogs] can be released to the rescue.”
WCARF rescues the animals from the shelter to keep them from being euthanized, and many of the dogs are adopted by people who live in Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Horton said the New England states don’t have the stray animal issues, and pets are more difficult to find.
“To me, it is more important to find good homes for them than bringing in adoption fees,” Horton said.
There is a small local-adoption fee, which can include spaying or neutering, and there is a transport fee for the animals that are sent to other areas.
Horton said she couldn’t do this alone and credits the Wynne Animal Rescue Shelter, her children, D.J. and Anna Kate, and the “foster parents” who help house the dogs when the rescue runs out of space. Horton said her 16-year-old son, D.J., does the hard labor around the rescue.
“I like them,” 9-year-old Anna Kate said. “I like playing with them, and I adopted one of her doggies.” Michelle Hyde met Horton when Hyde took a stray pregnant dog to her.
“She kept her until she had the babies; then I adopted her and two of the puppies,” Hyde said. “[Horton] is wonderful; I could never do what she does.” Hyde has also opened up her backyard to house some of the dogs for the rescue. She currently has 15 dogs.
“[Horton] is an animal lover; she would do anything to save those animals,” Hyde said. “She’s a wonderful mom and wife - she’s a wonderful woman.” Itching to educate people about taking care of their pets, Horton is working on a program called “Do You Speak Dog?” She plans to take the program into the elementary schools to teach children how to take care of and communicate with their dogs.
“Rhondine is very passionate about what she does,” said Cathy Parker, another “foster parent” to 10 dogs. “She cares a lot for the animals. Some, the vets told her that she needs to put them down, and she just won’t do it. She gives the dogs every chance she can.” Parker agrees with Horton about rescuing the animals before they’re euthanized.
“I don’t like to see animals put to sleep,” Parker said. “I don’t care how long they have to be out here as long as they aren’t put to sleep.”
Along with Parker and Hyde, Patti Parrish is another active “foster parent” who puts dog pens in her backyard.
Even though Horton’s property is home to many dogs, it appears to be impeccably organized. As a rule, Horton said, she doesn’t take animals from outside Woodruff County unless it is an emergency situation. The rescue doesn’t take cats, either. The cat situation is such a problem in Woodruff County, Horton said.
She said that over a seven-year-period, one female cat can produce 400,000 offspring. So Horton believes in the trap, neuter and return program for cats.
“You trap the feral cats and spay or neuter them and release them where they came from,” Horton said.
Horton’s advice to those who have pets they can no longer take care of is to either call a rescue organization or a veterinarian who can house the pets and find them homes.
“People out here in the country just dump their dogs out,” Parker said.
The rescue is looking for volunteers and donations. To learn more, visit wcanimalrescuefriends.com or call Horton at (870) 919-6518.
- jbrosius@arkansasonline.com
UP CLOSE
Getting to know Rhondine Horton
Birth date: Jan. 6, 1968
Birthplace: Hampton, Va. (Army baby)
Biggest influence: My mom, by far
First job: Cashier at Chick-fil-A, and it’s still my favorite
fast-food restaurant.
As a child you said, When I grow up, I want to be:
A vet, which is no surprise to those who know me
One thing you want to accomplish in life but
haven’t: Raise my kids to become responsible,
successful Christian adults who will make a difference in
this world
Most people don’t know: I talk in my sleep; my family
finds this highly entertaining.
I cannot live without: Chocolate - I can barely go one
day without at least a bite.
My favorite memory is: ALL of the memories from my
summers as a kid spent on my grandparents’ farm in
Illinois. I spent my days with every farm animal imaginable,
from sunup to sundown. It was paradise to me.
This article was published July 18, 2010 at 3:06 a.m. Three Rivers, Pages 141 on 07/18/2010