3 Girls Animal Rescue closes its doors

After a decade of helping dogs and cats find homes, 3 Girls Animal Rescue closed its doors for the final time as it was celebrating its birthday — which was Jan. 1, 2013.

After its creation, 3 Girls Animal Rescue made it its mission to go to local pounds and save dogs and cats from being euthanized.

“Seeing it build up so big, and then having to close, it’s tough,” 3 Girls Animal Rescue Co-Founder Mitzi Burkhart said to KFSM Channel 5 Reporter Ian Taylor. “Most of all, what I’m concerned about is what’s going to happen to them (animals) now.”

Burkhart said that a lack of long-term animal shelters and willingness to adopt animals in southern states led 3 Girls Animal Rescue to transport cats and dogs to northern states, such as Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota — and even as far as Connecticut. However, she said shelters in these locations can no longer take in any more animals, which in turn led to Burkhart to make the heart-wrenching decision to close 3 Girls Animal Rescue.

“Those receiving shelters are slower to adopt out now,” Burkhart said. “So many animals have been transported to their areas that they don’t have that need for more (animals).”

In the 10 years of operation, 3 Girls Animal Rescue has rescued more than 9,000 cats and dogs.

“Their faces will never leave my mind,” Burkhart said. “That’s the part that’s heartbreaking. They really don’t have much hope now.”

Burkhart doesn’t believe the problem is lack of long-term shelters, but it’s about the pet over-population problem.

“It’s really about the over-population — the need for spaying and neutering,” she said.

Burkhart also said that the chances of these pets being euthanized likely will be a greater probability than them living out their normal lives.