Women team up for animals in need
A profound love of animals coupled with concern about the state of animal control in the county prompted a group of Delaware County women to join forces to help locate and reunite lost pets with their families, assist injured and stray animals, and help them find loving homes.
Delco Dawgs is the brainchild of Havertown resident Jill Speckman, who a little over a year ago learned about a Sheltie named Bear who had been missing for more than a month. She and her friend, Newtown Square resident Kim Mazzenga, cofounder of the group, spent countless hours searching for the pup who was finally trapped and returned to his grateful family in Delaware.
“Animals have always been my passion, Speckman said. “And the goal of our group is to save as many as we possibly can.”
As word of their good deeds grew, so did the group. Currently, in addition to Speckman and Mazzenga, Delco Dawgs members include Aston resident Mary Larosa, Valerie Louise Albertson of Folsom, Lorie Stambaugh of Wallingford, Erica Anderson of Aldan, and Katherine Fox of Downingtown.
Cliff Strolle and Kelly Bryner have been valuable behind the scenes assets to the group by providing expertise and personal financial assistance.
After Bear, there have been countless rescues including Sweet Pea, a Chihuahua that had been running loose for weeks in Trainer; Luther Damien, an injured senior blue nosed pit bull relinquished to a local high-kill shelter; Radar, a stray German Shepherd mix with a broken hip; a hawk hit by a car; bunnies rescued from a slaughterhouse in Philadelphia; Penny, a tiny abused and neglected pit bull from Philadelphia; a starving Great Pyrenees found in Havertown; Odin, a tiny pit with a severely injured eye; abandoned puppies, kittens, and many more. And then there is Charlie. A sweet abused pit bull covered in scars, with a huge tumor hanging from his chest abandoned in Chester, Charlie was not only rescued by Delco Dawgs, but the group paid for his surgery and doctor’s visits.
“Every day I’m more astonished how many animals are missing, lost, not claimed, dumped, abused, neglected, left to die, for sale on Craigslist, or surrendered without reason,” Speckman said. “Delco Dawgs has only been around a little over a year and we have several photo albums of pictures of animals that needed help.”
Speckman also said the fact that Delaware County does not have its own shelter makes reuniting animals with their owners more difficult. Most municipalities have contracted animal control with certified groups such as Justice Rescue, D and D Animal Control, Alan Strickler, Brandywine SPCA, or have their own kennels. However, communities such as Chester City have made no provisions for animal control.
“I really wish something could be done about a shelter here in Delaware County,” Speckman said. “I know it had been discussed and even planned, but fell through.”
And there are the reunions that help replace the sadness with much needed joy.
Speckman said the groups best story thus far, ended in the rescue and emotional reunion of Chip, with his owner in Pennsville, N.J.
Chip had been running loose in Eddystone after jumping from his owners car at a rest stop on a major highway. His owner, who had the pup for 10 years, assumed Chip didn’t make it and had a ceremony to bury the dog’s leash.
“The whole team had been out day and night, set traps and used four bottles of barbecue sauce, two chickens, turkey legs, and hamburgers to catch him,” Mazzenga said.
Like most of the Delco Dawgs animals, Chip was taken to Glenolden Animal Hospital, where fortunately his tags could be traced. The license was pulled and the owner was called.
“Imagine the owner’s shock and disbelief to hear us tell him we had his dog,” Speckman said. “He thought we were mistaken and surely the dog was badly injured. He cried in disbelief and got here from Jersey in about 45 minutes while some of our team members awaited the reunion. We all cried including the dog, the owner and the techs while Chip leaped onto his daddy.”
Another happy reunion took place recently in Drexel Hill when the team reunited 3-year-old Gizmo, a long-haired Chihuahua, with his happy and very grateful family.
“I thank these ladies from the bottom of my heart,” said Gizmo’s owner, Mary McCluskey. “We were beside ourselves wondering where he was.”
Speckman said the they rescue that animals are not reunited with their families are adopted out at no charge to family, friends, rescues and others close to the group.
Delco Dawgs is not 501(c3) certified and therefore the group is not permitted to solicit donations. Its members have been paying out of pocket for veterinary services, boarding, and other expenses.
“Several of us have used our 401(k)s and other savings to help these animals,” Speckman said. “I am proud to say that we have incredibly dedicated people in our group.”
That is not to say the group hasn’t received kindnesses along the way. Just last week, while visiting Charlie at the Glenolden vet, a complete stranger came in and put money on the Delco Dawgs account.
“I had never seen the lady in my life,” Speckman said. “She must have seen or heard about us. It was really very kind of her to help us.”
However, there is a gofundmepage for Charlie set up by a friend of the group at https://www.gofundme. com/charlie-delco-dawgsneed-you. And excess funds will be used for other animals in need and to pay off vet bills.
And the group is more than happy to receive towels, cat and dog food, shampoo, pee pads, toys, cleaning products.
“We are so grateful to all those people who have selflessly helped us,” Speckman said. “All we want to do is help as many animals as possible.”
To get in touch with Delco Dawgs, visit www. delcodawgs.org or Delco Dawgs on Facebook.