VON ORMY, Texas – God’s Dogs rescue and shelter in Von Ormy is full of furry friends, tails wagging and ready for the possibility of being fostered or adopted.
“This is Farrin. She was dumped in a yard, and a good Samaritan brought her to the shelter last night,” said Beckie Moore Derby, cat coordinator for God’s Dogs, as she held the fluffy puppy in a towel.
Just four and a half weeks old, baby Farrin came to the shelter with respiratory problems.
“She has multiple issues, medical issues,” she said.
The rescue organization takes dogs through the full spectrum, from rehab to foster-adoption ready.
Farrin is in that first part, but hopefully, she’ll soon be where most dogs are.
Daphne, who is 3 years old, is a perfect example of a dog who is ready to go.
“Crate trained, great with other dogs, great with everybody. She’s just a happy-go-lucky little dog. She’s sweet and smart. She would love a family with kids, an active family, somebody to play with,” said Juli Marchbanks, God’s Dogs founder and CEO.
The shelter oversees 650 dogs. Most are in foster homes, but 170 live at the shelter, which is maximum capacity.
Still, they never turn dogs away. They’ve hit 190 in the shelter before.
“We had shut down our mom-and-pop building for a couple of months. Last year was a rough year with all of the distemper and parvo. So we did everything, and now we’re getting ready to get some more in, and some of the numbers have gone up again,” Marchbanks said.
Because of the demand, they are in the process of building a clinic on campus so they can do all of the medical work right on the property.
Marchbanks said their current unique program involves short, two-week foster opportunities during the holidays.
“A holiday takeover! Get ‘em in, get some good pictures of them on the couch, something that we can use to get them adopted,” Marchbanks said.
It’s like a little PR campaign for the pups ready for their forever homes.
“We’ve done all the work. We’ve done all the spay and neuter, the shots, the microchip,” Marchbanks said.
The current incentive program, through January 3, makes sure foster families won’t pay a dime for any supplies.
They offer crates, food bowls, pee pads, toys, even adorable sweaters and shirts.
They ensure you have what you need for any dog, like the energetic ones jumping around and licking hands through fences.
But there are also the sweet and relaxed dogs like Turbo, who has come a long way since 2019.
“It was obvious he had been hit in the head by something, and he could hardly walk. He was skin and bones,” Marchbanks said.
Turbo recovered at God’s Dogs and was adopted out to a loving owner.
The two were attached at the hip, but sadly, that owner recently passed away, and Turbo is back at God’s Dogs.
He’s a healthy cuddle bug who wants a calm home and loving buddy, even just for a couple of weeks.
If you’re interested in adopting or fostering, or just want to check out the dogs available, head to the God’s Dogs website.