MURRAY, Utah – Utah animal shelters saved 60 dogs and puppies, known as the “Super 60,” from struggling, overcrowded shelter in south Texas.
As the saying goes – every dog has its day.
And Wednesday, it was all about the Super 60, a group of dogs and puppies rescued from an overcrowded animal shelter.
“Lots of little dogs and puppies and all kinds of cute faces arriving today,” said Best Friends Animal Society regional engagement manager, Lawrence Nicolas.
“Small breed dogs, purebreds, cute little mix breeds,” listed Temma Martin with Best Friends Animal Society. “A lot of highly adoptable, desirable dogs.”
All of these good boys (and girls) are getting a second chance.
“These dogs were at risk yesterday, they could have been euthanized yesterday… but not today,” Nicolas said.
They left behind an overwhelmed shelter in Edinburg, Texas.
“The shelter takes in about 32-thousand pets a year which is absolutely mind blowing,” Martin said. “To give some perspective, in the whole state of Utah last year, all of our shelters, received about 58-thousand animals ... At that particular shelter, tragically they are killing about 44 dogs a day. It’s heartbreaking,”
So 60 dogs hitched a ride to the beehive state.
“We have homes here in the Salt Lake City area waiting to adopt a new pet,” Nicolas said.
Organizers say, it’s about saving lives.
“We’re currently at no-kill for dogs in Utah, so 90 percent of the dogs that come into our shelters in Utah, leave alive either through rescue, or adoption, or going home with their owners,” Martin said.
It’s also a way to address supply and demand.
“The closer we get to no-kill, the more we have people that are looking for certain types of dogs, the puppies, the small breed dogs,” Martin said. “So by bringing these highly desirable animals into our area we’re allowing these people who are looking for them to choose to adopt and save a life.”
Now these doggos are wagging their way into Utah homes.
“Now they get to go home and be adopted and live these amazing lives here in Salt Lake!” Nicolas exclaimed.
The transportation costs were completely covered by Best Friends Animal Society. They hope these 60 dogs are just the beginning.
“The first of many, many more! Who knows how many more? I guess we’ll see how this goes!” Nicolas said.
“We actually have staff that are embedded in that shelter down there, helping to try and arrange more spay-neuter resources, helping to get the animals adopted, finding foster homes and also organizing transports of the animals out of that area, into right now Utah, but eventually other parts of the country where these kind of animals are sought after and will get adopted quickly,” Martin said.
All of the “Super 60” dogs will be available at a super adoption event, taking place Nov. 2-3 at the State Fair Park.
