Animal lover travels from New Ringgold to help care for dogs rescued from massive dogfighting ring
September 25, 2013 – New Ringgold resident and RedRover® volunteer Diane Buhl is traveling this week to an undisclosed location in the southern United States to help care for hundreds of dogs rescued from the second largest dogfighting raid in United States history.
As a school bus driver by trade and a volunteer with California-based RedRover, Diane travels around the country at her own expense when abused and neglected animals need help. Diane will be cleaning and assembling cages, preparing meals and caring for the dogfighting victims. This will be Diane’s fifth deployment with RedRover; she has responded in the past to hoarding cases, puppy mills, dogfighting seizures, and natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy.
Diane completed her emergency sheltering training and became a RedRover Responders volunteer in 2006. Like many RedRover Responders volunteers, Diane spends her free time helping animals in her community. Diane is co-coordinator of her county’s animal response team, has been involved in German Shepherd Rescue for over 20 years and is president of a local group looking to start a low-cost spay/neuter clinic in the area. Like a typical RedRover Responders volunteer, Diane is taking time away from her work, family and friends to travel and take care of these animals at her own cost.
“We are especially fortunate to send such an experienced and diverse group of volunteers on this deployment,” said RedRover CEO and President Nicole Forsyth. “Such a large and sensitive case calls for volunteers with excellent skills and experience, and we are confident that Diane and this group of RedRover Responders volunteers will go above and beyond for these dogs.”
The multi-state dogfighting raid took place after a three-year investigation initiated by the Auburn Police Department in Alabama, in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The ASPCA and The Humane Society of the United States rescued and transported a total of 367 dogs to an ASPCA temporary shelter location, which remains confidential due to the criminal nature of the seizure.
At the request of the ASPCA, RedRover will be deploying a team of volunteers to provide daily care for the canines seized in the case. The rescued dogs will receive ongoing care during the duration of the legal proceedings, and then placed appropriately with various animal welfare agencies and rescue groups once the court determines the custody of the dogs.