America's Largest Animal Shelter Rescues 5’000 Dogs Per Year
America's largest animal shelter rescues 5'000 dogs per year. The facility relies on adoption rather than euthanasia and serves as a model for animal welfare.
This is the Macon County Kennels, the largest no-kill animal shelter in the USA, which recently opened in Alabama to combat the overpopulation crisis in the southeastern United States.
It was converted from an old greyhound training centre into a facility capable of rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming up to 5’000 dogs per year.
A rescue centre for eight states
The founders' intention was to serve a region spanning eight states including Florida, and to help dogs across America find a new home.
“Opening a second location of Big Dog Ranch Rescue is something I have prayed for for years,” said Lauree Simmons, founder and CEO of Big Dog Ranch Rescue. “It is a great day for us and, more importantly, it is a great day for the dogs.”
53’000 dogs saved from euthanasia
Since Big Dog Ranch Rescue began its work in 2008, they have saved an estimated 53’000 dogs from euthanasia.
The 33-hectare campus also houses working centres for various admirable programmes, including one that pairs veterans suffering from PTSD with abandoned service dogs, and a senior dog centre that will match dogs who have lost their elderly owners with other seniors looking for a new companion. More on the topic of animal rights and animal welfare in our overview.
