Animal lover travels from Orlando to help care for dogs rescued from massive dogfighting ring
September 25, 2013 – Orlando resident and RedRover® volunteer Rose Tremblay 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 an employee in the nutrition center at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and a volunteer with California-based RedRover, Rose travels around the country at her own expense when abused and neglected animals need help. Rose will be cleaning and assembling cages, preparing meals and caring for the dogfighting victims. This will be Rose’s second deployment with RedRover; she first deployed in Sandersville, Georgia in February 2010 where she helped care for more than 50 dogs seized from another dogfighting bust.
“I expect this deployment to be another life changing event for me,” said Rose. “What I want from this mostly is justice for these dogs, and if nothing else, I want them to feel love.”
Rose has been a Disney employee for nearly 30 years and spends her free time volunteering for the SPCA of Central Florida and Dolly’s Foundation, a local pit bull rescue where she adopted her own dog in 2011. Rose completed her emergency sheltering training and became a RedRover Responders volunteer in 2006 after she learned about the national animal welfare organization from her training partner during the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk. Like a typical RedRover Responders volunteer, Rose 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 Rose 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.