MOORESVILLE, Ind. — No matter how hard animal rescues work to save animals, the sad reality is many of them still won't make it.
Four Legged Ranch in Mooresville gives at-risk dogs a second chance.
Nancy Hoffman started the nonprofit dog rescue in 2015 to help all breeds that need rescued from dire situations.
"We rescue from shelters, people that are in dire straits that need help. We've rescued them off the street," Hoffman said. "I had no plan of starting my own rescue. I enjoyed helping others, and it just went from there."
But Hoffman gets emotional talking about her favorite breeds.
"My heart is with the 'bully' breeds, which I feel that they need us most," Hoffman said. "That's where my heart is, and I have a great group behind me that believes in the same mission that I do. They all deserve a second chance."
In 2021, Four Legged Ranch took in and found forever homes for more than 200 dogs that needed a second chance.
Stephanie Elliott, one of the dog rescue's foster moms, has been taking care of a dog named November after rescuing her just minutes before she was going to be put down.
"We got her [at] the beginning of November, hence her name. We were called by our one of our favorite clinics that we use for spay and neuters that she was brought in by her original family. I use that term loosely because they brought her in to be euthanized," Elliott said. "She was a 6-month-old pit bull and weighed 17 pounds. She literally was skin and bones. They asked if we wanted to save her. We didn't hesitate and said, 'Yes, we absolutely do.'"
Elliott said she would cry while caring for November because the dog was so neglected of the simplest things. Thankfully, November is doing much better now.
Lucky, a 2-year-old Labrador retriever-terrier mix, went from a loving home to a scary shelter when his humans were in a serious accident and could no longer care of him.
"It's a lot of work, but the payoff is tremendous," Hoffman said. "There's a huge misconception that if an adult dog is in a shelter, the dog is broken. And [Lucky] is a great example of a dog that was loved and used to being in a home. When he was in the shelter, he was scared ... but as soon as he was back in a home environment and saw that he could trust people, he warmed right up so for me."
Pets of the Week: Four Legged Ranch
Four Legged Ranch has a living room to help dogs adjust to a home environment because many of the dogs they rescue have never even seen a couch. That's the biggest reason foster families are so important for all shelter animals: They can be the difference between saving a life and finding a family forever.
Click here to see a list of adoptable dogs that need a forever home.