Rescuing animals from the street has never been an easy task, cruelty, and treatment as unnecessary, unfortunately, is in all countries of the world. Our country is no exception because the situation with animal shelters is extremely difficult. Also, they face ongoing funding problems and are unable to accept large numbers of animals.
There are people on all continents who dedicate their lives to animals and do everything possible for animal welfare. One of them is Tia Torres, founder of one of the largest private dog shelters in the United States.
A brief history of the shelter creation
The Villalobos Center (VRC) was founded in the 1990s in California by Tia Torres. Tia has worked as a contact dog trainer for the Los Angeles Livestock Service for 11 years. Now it is located in New Orleans. The main task of the center has long been to rescue pit bulls. But due to the great need to help other dogs, the Center began to rescue other breeds.
Villalobos Rescue Center accepts approximately 60 dogs per month. It is possible to find a new home for about 30-40 dogs a month. Besides, the Center’s website has a page with dogs that have been adopted.
The Center receives approximately 100 requests a day to accept a dog, but sometimes it is physically and financially impossible and the Center recommends other shelters where you can go. There are also dogs in the Center, which suffer from illness or stress. Therefore, they live permanently in Villalobos.
How much does Villalobos Rescue Center spend?
The cost of each day of work varies, but it averages $ 10,000. That’s $ 70,000 a week, $ 280,000 a month, about $ 4 million a year. The center does not receive funding from the state and lives solely on donors and donations.
The center is assisted by volunteers, their work is exclusively physical and entirely dedicated to dogs. Mainly it is walking dogs three times a day at 8:00, 14:30, 19:00 in any weather. Also, everyone can become a sponsor of the dog and transfer funds for its maintenance. The Center’s website has a list of essentials that are always needed to keep dogs.
Since October 2009, the TV show “Pit Bulls & Parolees” about Villalobos has been filmed on the Animal Planet channel. The main task is to show the stories of rescuing the dogs, as well as the Tia team, which includes her children, volunteers, and parolees. With the advent of the TV show, the number of adopted dogs increased, but more dogs began to be brought to the shelter. It has also become financially easier for the Center to keep its dogs. A special shop has opened where everyone can buy dog goods and souvenirs.
How to adopt an animal from the shelter?
To adopt a pet from the shelter you need to pass a preliminary interview because the administration must ensure that the dogs are safe. The dogs are delivered to the new home personally by the Center’s staff, who also inspect the area, inspect the yard and the house. A pet fee of $ 200 is required. The dog undergoes veterinary care, receives all the necessary vaccines, and gets a microchip. More information is available on the Center’s website.