Rescue to close doors

#Middlebury #BrassCityRescueAlliance #Dogs

This rescue will close its doors in November 2022. The social media announcement of the closing surprised many people. (Submitted photo)

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

The Brass City Rescue Alliance social media post on October 10 caught many off guard, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce our doors are closing until further notice,” it read. Shocked readers recovered a bit when they learned the doors wouldn’t remain permanently shut. Plans are to reopen the shelter by May 1, 2023.

Alliance President Jennifer Humphrey mentioned medical circumstances beyond their control as the reason for closing, and she turned to social media and local newspapers and TV stations for help in placing the 12 dogs at the shelter, hopefully by November 15, and also to raise funds to pay off veterinary bills.

The response? One hundred ten applications to adopt dogs. She said volunteers had to take days off from work to process the applications.

“I appreciate the amazing public support and all the media jumping on it,” Humphrey said. “Dogs that have sat in my shelter for a year got to go home. We got so many applications. The ones we didn’t use, I forwarded to other rescues, and their dogs are getting adopted.”

Brass City Rescue Alliance moved to Middlebury in 2015 and has been operating out of the animal shelter facility at 2 Service Road (near the transfer station) since then. Its website is www.brasscityrescuealliance.org.

Vader needs a home. The challenge is he needs to be the only pet in the home. (Submitted photo)

As we go to press, three of the 12 dogs remain, but one of them is set to go to a foster home after heartworm treatment. The others are Camo and Vader, each of whom needs just the right home. Camo prefers a female household and can randomly not like a man. He loves kids, but wants to guard them, so needs to be crated when guests visit.

Vader needs a home with no other animals. Humphrey wrote of him, “He likes one dog on this planet, and she’s already in a home.” Vader was getting his second heart worm treatment this week. Humphrey said she expected the vet bill for Vader and another dog’s heartworm treatment to run more than $1,000.

With most of the dogs placed, she said, “Right now, my biggest concern is paying off the vet bills.” Humphrey has the first of her three surgeries scheduled for November 30, so her goal is to place the remaining dogs before then and also to raise funds to pay off veterinary bills. Then she can focus on her health.

Folks can donate through Venmo: @brasscity1 or www.PayPal.me/brasscityrescue and/or attend a Quarter Auction Fundraiser Saturday, November 12, from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at the Prospect VFW at 218 Cheshire Road in Prospect. The doors open at 4:30; the auction will run from 5 to 8 p.m. A donation of $15 per person (via Venmo: @brasscity1 or Cash App: $brasscity1 or cash only, please) includes the first container of 40 tokens; each additional container is $10.

Tables of eight are asked to reserve in advance. Advance tickets for all are highly recommended as capacity is limited to 80. Bring your own food and refreshments. The VFW kitchen and bar also will be open.

Humphrey is hoping medical issues will be well behind her and her volunteers by the time May 2023 rolls around. She has faced multiple medical challenges this year. She was planning to have back and neck surgery when she noticed a symptom that led to her having her first colonscopy in April. Doctors discovered stage 1 colon cancer, so that became the most pressing problem.

She had surgery for that (an ileostomy) and then had to have surgery for an obstruction. Later, she had surgery to reverse the ileostomy. Since then she has dealt with the restrictions following surgery, which limit the tasks she can perform at the shelter.

While she was dealing with these medical issues, her team members also were dealing with issues that affected their ability to help out at the shelter. One developed a neurological issue affecting her vision, another needed to have a hip replacement, and a third on the team got a job that affected her volunteer hours.

Humphrey said of the situation, “I’m hanging in there trying to get this all done.” She said she and her volunteers just need some time to deal with all their health issues before they return to fulltime rescue work.