LEON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — Finding the right homes for a group of dogs that have been through so much. That's the goal for those animals rescued from a dog fighting ring in Gadsden County.
About a month after being rescued, some of the dogs are getting ready to find a new home. The Leon County Humane Society (LCHS) is working to make sure that the next stop for those animals is a good one.
Next week, 15 of the 100 dogs taken from a dog fighting ring in Gadsden County will get ready to find new homes. It's a process that LCHS is used to.
Now those who have taken dogs from similar situations are ready to step up and help. Winston and Shirley are two happy dogs that found their forever home thanks to LCHS.
"There is nothing more rewarding than fostering an animal," said Lisa Glunt, the executive director at LCHS. "You are literally saving a life."
The animals were taken from homes were they were forced to fight other dogs.
"We try to make sure that the second part of their life makes up for the first part of their life," said Amy Raddard, the dog foster coordinator at LCHS.
While some might be hesitant to take on dogs that have lived rough lives, Raddard runs to the opportunity.
"It's very gratifying to see them over time," Raddard explained. "You know what that dog has come from. You kind of see what that dog has been through in its life. Then to see them transform into something like a normal dog."
She's now making sure those dogs rescued in Gadsden County find the perfect home.
"They are very unsocialized and usually not lived in a home so they're scared of doorways, fans, T.V.s," Raddard said.
The dogs are being monitored closely for medical issues as the humane society works to find them the right foster match. Glunt says that for anyone apprehensive about fostering a dog with a dogfighting background, don't be.
"I think the difference is that the perception in the public is scarier," Glunt explained. "But we work with dogs all the time that have a bad history."
The dogs will arrive at the Leon County Humane society on Tuesday. If you are interested in fostering one of the dogs, click here.
