Here's a story about how a dedicated group of Great Pyrenees rescue people did the right thing for 29 dogs needing help. All of these dogs were rescued under the SPIN (Saving Pyrs In Need) umbrella.

Over the last few months, a Pyr rescue volunteer in Houston has been following the welfare of a group of rescued dogs that needed help. The condition of some of these dogs had been reported by a concerned individual interested in adopting one of the rescued dogs. These dogs, over 30 of them, were living in one house, most kept in 3 x 5 crates with very little time outside of the crates for play, exercise or anything else. The smell was overpowering. TARPA and the local animal control investigated the concerned potential adopter's complaint and found the dogs had to find a new home immediately. Volunteers sprang into action, coordinating their efforts with the local animal control and each other to get the dogs pulled and into more suitable  environments.

SPIN (Saving Pyrs In Need, Inc.) a local non-profit rescue group, immediately started juggling foster dogs already in their care in order to make room for the snowstorm of white fur soon to hit Dallas. A volunteer from the San Antonio area drove to Houston on Sunday morning to pick up 10 of the dogs. Two more volunteers left Dallas Sunday afternoon to pick up an additional 12 dogs. As the dogs were pulled out of the house, one by one, each was photographed and logged on an owner surrender form that was signed by the person releasing them, ensuring that SPIN would have legal ownership of all dogs. Even with these efforts to relocate 22 dogs, there were still dogs that needed help. After the Dallas dogs were relocated (4 in Houston and 8 returning to the Dallas area), SPIN volunteers near Shreveport, LA made arrangements to drive to Houston, pull 7 more dogs and deliver them to Dallas to be absorbed into the SPIN community.

Each of the 29 dogs that were pulled has been vaccinated, and those requiring medical attention were immediately provided care by a veterinarian. Of the 34 dogs in Houston, 2 have been euthanized (1 for human aggressive tendencies and 1 out of mercy - the vet examining her recommended that she be euthanized because of the amount of pain that she was in, and her condition was not correctable). Four remain with the original rescuer, as they were her personal dogs or had an adopter that was going to take them. The remaining 28 are now in the SPIN adoption program, and are once again thriving. Several have been spayed/neutered, most have received baths, and all are in foster homes. There is still a lot of work to do to get many of these dogs placed in forever homes; SPIN has already spent over $2400 on vetting and medical supplies and expenses continue to mount. But, in the end, all dogs will get loving care and anything else that they need to reach their full potential.

This rescue effort is thought to be the largest Great Pyrenees rescue ever in the state of Texas, and is believed to be the largest known Pyr rescue ever accomplished by a single rescue organization. In 4 days, SPIN was able to rescue 29 dogs, more than the group would normally see over a 2 month period. This dedicated group of volunteers pulled together to work miracles in a short amount of time and their best reward is seen through the eyes of these 28 grateful big white dogs.