CAWS

Welcome To The Official Web Site of CAWS!

CAWS was started by a group of concerned people who wanted to address the problem of unwanted and abused animals in a county with no shelter or Animal Control. We started with a few small donations and $2,000 from a group that had formed in Delta to help people who could not afford to feed their pets. (they merged into our group).

Through extraordinary efforts by the original group (and everyone who followed) and strong community support, we have achieved a great deal of success and have been able to save almost 400 abused, abandoned and homeless pets and placed them in loving homes.

PET OF THE WEEK

MEET MAYA

Maya is less then a year old, she is a very sweet Pit Bull on the smaller side. Maya is a loving dog who only wants to cuddle and give you lots of kisses. She has the typical love for people which Pit Bulls are very well known for.

Maya has had some dog aggression issues in the past and even though she gets on well with her four doggie buddies at her foster mom's house, she would be best suited to a single dog household. Maya goes to work with her foster mom every day and is well behaved in the office, greeting all the clients with much enthusiasm. Maya is good with kids and is a super dog. Maya would like to find a home with someone who loves and knows this breed of dog, please email CAWS at caws@paonia.com for an application if you would like to adopt her.

In the waste lands, just off Crawford Road, there is a pack of Border Collies that have been abandoned by their owner. Without a regular supply of food or water, the dogs had taken to eating road-kill and drinking out of puddles left by the rain. Unfortunately, the pack had also taken to chasing cars on the highway. It is not their fault; it is simply part of their nature. They are trying to herd automobiles instead of livestock, and they are being run down.

One neighbor became so concerned about the animals that he began feeding the pack and putting clean water out for them. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of dogs, and a seeming endless supply of new-born puppies, he contacted CAWS for help. CAWS has been supplying this wonderful gentleman with dog food and removing the puppies as quickly as they can be caught. But the situation is rapidly spiraling out of control.

On Saturday, November 18th, volunteers from CAWS went back to the property and rescued four more puppies that were starving to death due to malnourishment. Their mom tries to feed them, but is unable to give them the milk they need because of her own condition. It is heartbreaking to watch her trying to protect the little ones, even when she has no way of sustaining them. To date, CAWS has removed nineteen puppies from the pack and it is likely that there are more still hidden on the property.

The adults are at grave risk as well. After rescuing the four puppies, CAWS volunteers watched in horror while the pack chased a car along the adjoining road. Although the volunteers had signaled to the driver to slow down because of the danger to the animals, he inexplicably sped up. One of the adults, which was running alongside the car, was pulled under the wheels and badly hurt. The driver did not even stop. CAWS volunteers contacted Dr. Norman Vincent, a local veterinarian, and rushed the dog to his clinic for treatment. This beautiful border collie, who ran like the wind, will never run that way again. Given the seriousness of her injuries, she may not even survive.

At this point, something needs to be done. The pack represents a risk to themselves and to people driving by. CAWS lacks the resources to handle all of the animals without help from the community. We simply do not have enough foster homes to take all of the adults. If you have ever thought of getting a dog, or fostering one so that it could have a chance at a better life, now is your chance. These are beautiful animals, who have been left to fend for themselves through no fault of their own. They have struggled to keep their family together on their own for over a year now, with no food and little water. They need our help if they are to survive. Please consider opening your heart and your home to one of these animals. Contact CAWS at 970-361-8600

For more information and updates on the Border Collies please go to our Border Collie Rescue Page dedicated to these dogs. Thank you.

To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring -- it was peace.