Old Dominion Humane Society (ODHS) volunteers rescued 33 dogs living in deplorable conditions in an 11-hour, round-trip trek to Southwestern Virginia on January 19. The scared, but friendly, pups, which range in age from two weeks to three years old, were crammed in the house, as well as living outside in the freezing temperatures. Only 11 dogs remained, and they’ll be rescued by the county’s animal control.
“Our community, once again, amazes me by stepping up so quickly to foster these dogs,” said Anna Swann, a 20-year-old ODHS volunteer who made the trip to pick up the dogs. “All 33 babies were placed in foster homes immediately.”
Swann’s 11-hour journey didn’t end once she arrived back at the ODHS facility. She and other volunteers teamed up to provide “intake” to the dogs, which included vaccinations, microchipping and examinations. They were fed and given warm blankets and crates to be transported with the fosters to homes where they’ll be cared for until they’re adopted.

ODHS is entirely run by volunteers and has more than 300 fosters ready to nurture rescues. Once placed in their foster homes, the dogs thrive by being socialized, cared for and given the love and attention they deserve.
Swann, who has been a volunteer with the organization since she was 12, said the rescues are now beginning a new chapter in their lives and it was truly a team effort by the ODHS volunteers.
“The animal control agency said it saved the county shelter from a mass euthanasia by ODHS taking more than 30 dogs directly from the owner,” she said. “It was a long trip and a late night, but the team had a great time helping the rescues.” If anybody’s wondering how we transported all those dogs, we did the job with a Subaru Forester and a little Tetris.”