Help N The Big Dogs

Our Pet List

Click here for more pictures of available dogs

Happy Endings!

Our Featured Pet...

Our featured pet: LEO

Leo has had his surgery! He is recovering nicely. He looks awful, of course, because the area around his eyes has been shaved. His eyelashes were inverted, scraping his eyes. We didn't receive enough donations to cover this, so we are still asking for help. All donations are tax deductible and can be made either to Help N The Big Dogs or to Old Dominion Animal Hospital on our behalf. Hopefully, he will be ready for adoption in a couple of weeks, when the vet gives the OK.

>

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR ALL VIRGINIA RESCUES/SHELTERS

Click here for more information on Virginia's new law that will likely result in the death of many adoptable animals

SB260 has now been signed into law.

SB260 is a new law that goes into effect July 1, 2002. Because of this new law, until it is ammended to protect a private citizen's rights while allowing that citizen to provide a necessary, worthwhile volunteer service to the community, Help N The Big Dogs will no longer be doing rescue in the way we have been for the last year. SB260 requires that any group providing foster care/rehabilitation for more than 6 animals in a calendar year be registered with an address and phone number available through the Freedom Of Information Act. Unfortunately, since this the dogs are fostered in our homes, we are not willing to have our homes part of this Act. We are not willing to allow the general public access.

SB 260, now law, has an effect on everyone in the state of Virginia who fosters, rehabilitates, and provides shelter and safe haven for unwanted animals. The initial intent of this law, which is a good one, is to help owners of lost animals find their pets, by making anyone who fosters animals provide their information so Joe Public can call/visit them looking for their lost animal. However, as we (nor most rescuers) take in strays, we do not have any reason for Joe Public to call us to look for his animal - as we do not have his animal. Perhaps one day we will have a public foster care situation, perhaps the law will be changed to accomplish its initial intent. This law also requires a separate phone line for the rescue organization, which is at an unreasonable cost for a business line - a cost that we certainly cannot afford, when all the money we take in goes to care for the animals. In addition, it requires a registration fee every year of $100. Again, that is $100 that is desperately needed for the animals.

SB 260, now law, allows one to provide foster/rehabilitation to animals without making your private home a public building if you rescue no more than 6 animals in a calendar year. So we will be cutting our rescuing back to that number - 6. That is nearly 10% of the number we saved last year. Unfortunately, of course, that means the other 90% will now likely be euthanized by the shelters from where we rescued them.

I would encourage anyone who would like more information about this law, or information about helping ammend this law so we can live in our home without Joe Public calling or coming by anytime he pleases, and still provide this volunteer community service that our own President has called upon us to provide, to please click here or email us for more information.

Click here for more information on Virginia's new law that will likely result in the death of many adoptable animals

We are grateful for the lives we have saved in this past year, and sad for those whose lives will now be lost.

Also, gracious THANKS to Pet Supplies Plus, who have donated bags of food. You guys are AWESOME! Also, Domino has a sponsor! TC, we thank you immensely for your support on her behalf! It is truly refreshing to see people care about creatures, even though they are not their own. And, of course, to the wonderful doctors and staff at Old Dominion Animal Hospital in Charlottesville. We truly could not do this without you.

Who We Are

We are a non-profit, volunteer organization whose only goal is to help improve the quality of life for the big dogs. We are the Fluvanna affiliate of S.O.S. (Save Our Shelters) in Richmond, Va. We will now ONLY be rescuing the "gentle giants", for whom we began this crusade. If you know of a Newfoundland (or mix), Bernese Mountain Dog (or mix), St. Bernard (or mix), Great Pyrenees (or mix), and occasionally Kuvasz (or mix) who is in need, if we have not yet reached our 6-per-year limit, we will gladly consider doing what we can to bring that dog into our program; or at least spread the word that said dog needs help.

We rescue mainly "gentle giants", including Newfoundlands, Great Pyrenees, Saint Bernards, and Bernese Mountain Dogs (and mixes thereof) from shelters, where they would otherwise be put to sleep usually for a lack of space. At the moment, we are solely self-funded and any donations of time, supplies, food, etc. would be greatly appreciated!

ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE!

Specific things we need: