Lancaster puppies

We are getting our puppy next week and would love to have him in a puppy obedience class this summer. I’d love some local recommendations in Lancaster, preferably near Lititz/manheim area. I would like to avoid places like PetSmart.

Hi all,
Too many healthy, young, social dogs are being killed in California regularly. At least a few per day at all the shelters. This is horrendous but avoidable. If you work with a rescue to foster and get some of them out, we could save a few lives and stop the senseless killing. Many are great with other animals (assuming you have them at home) and have no medical issues AT ALL. Many are being killed as young as a few months to a few years. There are puppies you can save too. Purebreds as well. A lot of huskies and German shepherds.
If you, or anyone you know, might be open to this please message me or comment in the thread with the best way for me to reach you. There’s a possibility of transporting them to neighboring states too, if that sounds like you.
Again, this is NOT normal. Shelters are euthanizing dogs at record numbers and it’s heartbreaking.
❤️❤️❤️ no more dogs being killed please ❤️❤️❤️
For inexperienced fosters, like I was, I will simplify this as much as possible.
Below are some local shelters (with links) and HIGH KILL shelters. You can foster through their websites (I have not personally done it this way), or of course adopt, if you’re ready!
However, I recommend reaching out to the RESCUE GROUPS below directly to foster some of the dogs they already have — they will pay for everything and it’s just a bit easier. They are often pretty active on social media (like Instagram and Facebook) and you can message them there, or browse their website for a phone # or email.
Also, @kate_loves_mutts on Instagram is super helpful with hooking you up with other rescues. If you haven’t had luck when reaching out on your own, please message her. She can give you ideas of rescues that are looking for fosters or point you to a specific rescue group, if you’re looking for a specific kind of dog / in a specific area.
Lastly, some good accounts to follow are @iloverescue and @shareforlove on Instagram, which post a ton of rescue and animals on the euthanasia list updates. And no these aren’t my accounts nor do I know them personally, they just post good info and updates.
LA and SoCal High-Kill Animal Shelters: 1. Agoura/ Malibu - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/ 2. Baldwin Park - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/ 3. Carson/ Gardena - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/ 4. Caustic - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/ 5. Downey - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/ 6. Downey SEAACA - https://www.seaaca.org/adoptions/view-our-animals 7. Lancaster - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/ 8. Palmdale - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/ 9. Pasadena* not high kill - https://pasadenahumane.org/adopt/view-pets/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopjGT0Lz41cHx7QWz4Q-JwjAuu6y6rfcf7plJjngLVz26m7m9E7-UMhoCCmAQAvD_BwE 10. Coachella Valley - https://rcdas.org/coachella-valley-animal-campus 11. Apple Valley - https://www.applevalley.org/services/animal-services/shelter-services/adoptable-animals 12. Harbor - https://www.laanimalservices.com/harbor 13. East Valley - https://www.laanimalservices.com/east-valley 14. North Central - https://www.laanimalservices.com/north-central 15. Chesterfield Square/ South LA - https://www.laanimalservices.com/South-Los-Angeles 16. West LA - https://www.laanimalservices.com/west-los-angeles 17. West Valley - https://www.laanimalservices.com/west-valley 18. Riverside - https://rcdas.org/ 19. San Bernardino - https://animalcare.sbcounty.gov/pets/ 20. Devore - https://24petconnect.com/SBCO1Adopt 21. Big Bear - https://24petconnect.com/SBCOAdopt 22. Helen Woodward (San Diego) *not high kill - https://animalcenter.org/
LA and SoCal Rescue Groups: 1. Little Big Paws - https://instagram.com/littlebigpawspetrescue?igshid=ZWIzMWE5ZmU3Zg== 2. Hollywood Huskies - http://hollywoodhuskies.org/ 3. Shadow Husky Rescue - https://www.shadowhuskyrescue.com/ 4. La Belle Foundation - 5. Bubbles Dog Rescue - https://bubblesdogrescue.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopsOMhpAUBpiAVC27HHWrKcfaVJwFtY4edFLcP_jNclRLkyEuZHcopRoCzFoQAvD_BwE 6. Deity - https://www.deityanimalrescue.org/ 7. Leo Love Rescue - https://www.deityanimalrescue.org/ 8. Pups without borders - https://pupswithoutborders.org/ 9. Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue - https://www.marleysmutts.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopuQZSJXalhCpYMbwgVudUT0gcwipbdtTykqwXCPP239Z4UNmnmn0aRoCkh4QAvD_BwE 10. Priceless Pet Rescue - https://pricelesspetrescue.org/ 11. All Joy 4 Paws (Husky Rescue) - https://alljoy4paws.org/ 12. The Little Red Dog - https://thelittlereddog.org/ 13. Mo4paws (NorCal) - https://www.mo4paws.org/ 14. Earth Angels Rescue - https://www.earthangels-rescue.org/adoptable-dogs--forms.html 15. All Things Pups Rescue (San Diego) - https://www.allthingspupsrescue.org/ 16. Giselle’s Legacy - https://giselleslegacy.com/ 17. Bark N Bitches - https://www.barknbitches.com/
Message or comment if you have any more questions or need help!

Hi all,
Too many healthy, young, social dogs are being killed in California regularly. At least a few per day at all the shelters. This is horrendous but avoidable. If you work with a rescue to foster and get some of them out, we could save a few lives and stop the senseless killing. Many are great with other animals (assuming you have them at home) and have no medical issues AT ALL. Many are being killed as young as a few months to a few years. There are puppies you can save too. Purebreds as well. A lot of huskies and German shepherds.If you, or anyone you know, might be open to this please message me or comment in the thread with the best way for me to reach you. There’s a possibility of transporting them to neighboring states too, if that sounds like you.Again, this is NOT normal. Shelters are euthanizing dogs at record numbers and it’s heartbreaking.❤️❤️❤️ no more dogs being killed please ❤️❤️❤️For inexperienced fosters, like I was, I will simplify this as much as possible.Below are some local shelters (with links) and HIGH KILL shelters. You can foster through their websites (I have not personally done it this way), or of course adopt, if you’re ready!However, I recommend reaching out to the RESCUE GROUPS below directly to foster some of the dogs they already have — they will pay for everything and it’s just a bit easier. They are often pretty active on social media (like Instagram and Facebook) and you can message them there, or browse their website for a phone # or email.Also, u/kate_loves_mutts on Instagram is super helpful with hooking you up with other rescues. If you haven’t had luck when reaching out on your own, please message her. She can give you ideas of rescues that are looking for fosters or point you to a specific rescue group, if you’re looking for a specific kind of dog / in a specific area.Lastly, some good accounts to follow are u/iloverescue and u/shareforlove on Instagram, which post a ton of rescue and animals on the euthanasia list updates. And no these aren’t my accounts nor do I know them personally, they just post good info and updates.LA and SoCal High-Kill Animal Shelters:

1. Agoura/ Malibu - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
2. Baldwin Park - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
3. Carson/ Gardena - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
4. Caustic - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
5. Downey - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
6. Downey SEAACA - https://www.seaaca.org/adoptions/view-our-animals
7. Lancaster - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
8. Palmdale - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
9. Pasadena* not high kill - https://pasadenahumane.org/adopt/view-pets/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopjGT0Lz41cHx7QWz4Q-JwjAuu6y6rfcf7plJjngLVz26m7m9E7-UMhoCCmAQAvD_BwE
10. Coachella Valley - https://rcdas.org/coachella-valley-animal-campus
11. Apple Valley - https://www.applevalley.org/services/animal-services/shelter-services/adoptable-animals
12. Harbor - https://www.laanimalservices.com/harbor
13. East Valley - https://www.laanimalservices.com/east-valley
14. North Central - https://www.laanimalservices.com/north-central
15. Chesterfield Square/ South LA - https://www.laanimalservices.com/South-Los-Angeles
16. West LA - https://www.laanimalservices.com/west-los-angeles
17. West Valley - https://www.laanimalservices.com/west-valley
18. Riverside - https://rcdas.org/
19. San Bernardino - https://animalcare.sbcounty.gov/pets/
20. Devore - https://24petconnect.com/SBCO1Adopt
21. Big Bear - https://24petconnect.com/SBCOAdopt
22. Helen Woodward (San Diego) *not high kill - https://animalcenter.org/LA and SoCal Rescue Groups:
23. Little Big Paws - https://instagram.com/littlebigpawspetrescue?igshid=ZWIzMWE5ZmU3Zg==
24. Hollywood Huskies - http://hollywoodhuskies.org/
25. Shadow Husky Rescue - https://www.shadowhuskyrescue.com/
26. La Belle Foundation -
27. Bubbles Dog Rescue - https://bubblesdogrescue.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopsOMhpAUBpiAVC27HHWrKcfaVJwFtY4edFLcP_jNclRLkyEuZHcopRoCzFoQAvD_BwE
28. Deity - https://www.deityanimalrescue.org/
29. Leo Love Rescue - https://www.deityanimalrescue.org/
30. Pups without borders - https://pupswithoutborders.org/
31. Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue - https://www.marleysmutts.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopuQZSJXalhCpYMbwgVudUT0gcwipbdtTykqwXCPP239Z4UNmnmn0aRoCkh4QAvD_BwE
32. Priceless Pet Rescue - https://pricelesspetrescue.org/
33. All Joy 4 Paws (Husky Rescue) - https://alljoy4paws.org/
34. The Little Red Dog - https://thelittlereddog.org/
35. Mo4paws (NorCal) - https://www.mo4paws.org/
36. Earth Angels Rescue - https://www.earthangels-rescue.org/adoptable-dogs--forms.html
37. All Things Pups Rescue (San Diego) - https://www.allthingspupsrescue.org/
38. Giselle’s Legacy - https://giselleslegacy.com/
39. Bark N Bitches - https://www.barknbitches.com/

Comment if you have any more questions or need help!

Hi all,
Too many healthy, young, social dogs are being killed in California regularly. At least a few per day at all the shelters. This is horrendous but avoidable. If you work with a rescue to foster and get some of them out, we could save a few lives and stop the senseless killing. Many are great with other animals (assuming you have them at home) and have no medical issues AT ALL. Many are being killed as young as a few months to a few years. There are puppies you can save too. Purebreds as well. A lot of huskies and German shepherds.
If you, or anyone you know, might be open to this please message me or comment in the thread with the best way for me to reach you. There’s a possibility of transporting them to neighboring states too, if that sounds like you.
Again, this is NOT normal. Shelters are euthanizing dogs at record numbers and it’s heartbreaking.
❤️❤️❤️ no more dogs being killed please ❤️❤️❤️
For inexperienced fosters, like I was, I will simplify this as much as possible.
Below are some local shelters (with links) and HIGH KILL shelters. You can foster through their websites (I have not personally done it this way), or of course adopt, if you’re ready!
However, I recommend reaching out to the RESCUE GROUPS below directly to foster some of the dogs they already have — they will pay for everything and it’s just a bit easier. They are often pretty active on social media (like Instagram and Facebook) and you can message them there, or browse their website for a phone # or email.
Also, u/kate_loves_mutts on Instagram is super helpful with hooking you up with other rescues. If you haven’t had luck when reaching out on your own, please message her. She can give you ideas of rescues that are looking for fosters or point you to a specific rescue group, if you’re looking for a specific kind of dog / in a specific area.
Lastly, some good accounts to follow are u/iloverescue and u/shareforlove on Instagram, which post a ton of rescue and animals on the euthanasia list updates. And no these aren’t my accounts nor do I know them personally, they just post good info and updates.
LA and SoCal High-Kill Animal Shelters:
​

1. Agoura/ Malibu - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
2. Baldwin Park - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
3. Carson/ Gardena - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
4. Caustic - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
5. Downey - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
6. Downey SEAACA - https://www.seaaca.org/adoptions/view-our-animals
7. Lancaster - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
8. Palmdale - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
9. Pasadena* not high kill - https://pasadenahumane.org/adopt/view-pets/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopjGT0Lz41cHx7QWz4Q-JwjAuu6y6rfcf7plJjngLVz26m7m9E7-UMhoCCmAQAvD_BwE
10. Coachella Valley - https://rcdas.org/coachella-valley-animal-campus
11. Apple Valley - https://www.applevalley.org/services/animal-services/shelter-services/adoptable-animals
12. Harbor - https://www.laanimalservices.com/harbor
13. East Valley - https://www.laanimalservices.com/east-valley
14. North Central - https://www.laanimalservices.com/north-central
15. Chesterfield Square/ South LA - https://www.laanimalservices.com/South-Los-Angeles
16. West LA - https://www.laanimalservices.com/west-los-angeles
17. West Valley - https://www.laanimalservices.com/west-valley
18. Riverside - https://rcdas.org/
19. San Bernardino - https://animalcare.sbcounty.gov/pets/
20. Devore - https://24petconnect.com/SBCO1Adopt
21. Big Bear - https://24petconnect.com/SBCOAdopt
22. Helen Woodward (San Diego) *not high kill - https://animalcenter.org/

LA and SoCal Rescue Groups:
​

1. Little Big Paws - https://instagram.com/littlebigpawspetrescue?igshid=ZWIzMWE5ZmU3Zg==
2. Hollywood Huskies - http://hollywoodhuskies.org/
3. Shadow Husky Rescue - https://www.shadowhuskyrescue.com/
4. La Belle Foundation -
5. Bubbles Dog Rescue - https://bubblesdogrescue.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopsOMhpAUBpiAVC27HHWrKcfaVJwFtY4edFLcP_jNclRLkyEuZHcopRoCzFoQAvD_BwE
6. Deity - https://www.deityanimalrescue.org/
7. Leo Love Rescue - https://www.deityanimalrescue.org/
8. Pups without borders - https://pupswithoutborders.org/
9. Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue - https://www.marleysmutts.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopuQZSJXalhCpYMbwgVudUT0gcwipbdtTykqwXCPP239Z4UNmnmn0aRoCkh4QAvD_BwE
10. Priceless Pet Rescue - https://pricelesspetrescue.org/
11. All Joy 4 Paws (Husky Rescue) - https://alljoy4paws.org/
12. The Little Red Dog - https://thelittlereddog.org/
13. Mo4paws (NorCal) - https://www.mo4paws.org/
14. Earth Angels Rescue - https://www.earthangels-rescue.org/adoptable-dogs--forms.html
15. All Things Pups Rescue (San Diego) - https://www.allthingspupsrescue.org/
16. Giselle’s Legacy - https://giselleslegacy.com/
17. Bark N Bitches - https://www.barknbitches.com/

Message or comment if you have any more questions or need help!

Hi all,
Too many healthy, young, social dogs are being killed in California regularly. At least a few per day at all the shelters. This is horrendous but avoidable. If you work with a rescue to foster and get some of them out, we could save a few lives and stop the senseless killing. Many are great with other animals (assuming you have them at home) and have no medical issues AT ALL. Many are being killed as young as a few months to a few years. There are puppies you can save too. Purebreds as well. A lot of huskies and German shepherds.
If you, or anyone you know, might be open to this please message me or comment in the thread with the best way for me to reach you. There’s a possibility of transporting them to neighboring states too, if that sounds like you.
Again, this is NOT normal. Shelters are euthanizing dogs at record numbers and it’s heartbreaking.
❤️❤️❤️ no more dogs being killed please ❤️❤️❤️
For inexperienced fosters, like I was, I will simplify this as much as possible.
Below are some local shelters (with links) and HIGH KILL shelters. You can foster through their websites (I have not personally done it this way), or of course adopt, if you’re ready!
However, I recommend reaching out to the RESCUE GROUPS below directly to foster some of the dogs they already have — they will pay for everything and it’s just a bit easier. They are often pretty active on social media (like Instagram and Facebook) and you can message them there, or browse their website for a phone # or email.
Also, u/kate_loves_mutts on Instagram is super helpful with hooking you up with other rescues. If you haven’t had luck when reaching out on your own, please message her. She can give you ideas of rescues that are looking for fosters or point you to a specific rescue group, if you’re looking for a specific kind of dog / in a specific area.
Lastly, some good accounts to follow are u/iloverescue and u/shareforlove on Instagram, which post a ton of rescue and animals on the euthanasia list updates. And no these aren’t my accounts nor do I know them personally, they just post good info and updates.
LA and SoCal High-Kill Animal Shelters:
​

1. Agoura/ Malibu - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
2. Baldwin Park - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
3. Carson/ Gardena - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
4. Caustic - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
5. Downey - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
6. Downey SEAACA - https://www.seaaca.org/adoptions/view-our-animals
7. Lancaster - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
8. Palmdale - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
9. Pasadena* not high kill - https://pasadenahumane.org/adopt/view-pets/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopjGT0Lz41cHx7QWz4Q-JwjAuu6y6rfcf7plJjngLVz26m7m9E7-UMhoCCmAQAvD_BwE
10. Coachella Valley - https://rcdas.org/coachella-valley-animal-campus
11. Apple Valley - https://www.applevalley.org/services/animal-services/shelter-services/adoptable-animals
12. Harbor - https://www.laanimalservices.com/harbor
13. East Valley - https://www.laanimalservices.com/east-valley
14. North Central - https://www.laanimalservices.com/north-central
15. Chesterfield Square/ South LA - https://www.laanimalservices.com/South-Los-Angeles
16. West LA - https://www.laanimalservices.com/west-los-angeles
17. West Valley - https://www.laanimalservices.com/west-valley
18. Riverside - https://rcdas.org/
19. San Bernardino - https://animalcare.sbcounty.gov/pets/
20. Devore - https://24petconnect.com/SBCO1Adopt
21. Big Bear - https://24petconnect.com/SBCOAdopt
22. Helen Woodward (San Diego) *not high kill - https://animalcenter.org/

LA and SoCal Rescue Groups:
​

1. Little Big Paws - https://instagram.com/littlebigpawspetrescue?igshid=ZWIzMWE5ZmU3Zg==
2. Hollywood Huskies - http://hollywoodhuskies.org/
3. Shadow Husky Rescue - https://www.shadowhuskyrescue.com/
4. La Belle Foundation -
5. Bubbles Dog Rescue - https://bubblesdogrescue.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopsOMhpAUBpiAVC27HHWrKcfaVJwFtY4edFLcP_jNclRLkyEuZHcopRoCzFoQAvD_BwE
6. Deity - https://www.deityanimalrescue.org/
7. Leo Love Rescue - https://www.deityanimalrescue.org/
8. Pups without borders - https://pupswithoutborders.org/
9. Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue - https://www.marleysmutts.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopuQZSJXalhCpYMbwgVudUT0gcwipbdtTykqwXCPP239Z4UNmnmn0aRoCkh4QAvD_BwE
10. Priceless Pet Rescue - https://pricelesspetrescue.org/
11. All Joy 4 Paws (Husky Rescue) - https://alljoy4paws.org/
12. The Little Red Dog - https://thelittlereddog.org/
13. Mo4paws (NorCal) - https://www.mo4paws.org/
14. Earth Angels Rescue - https://www.earthangels-rescue.org/adoptable-dogs--forms.html
15. All Things Pups Rescue (San Diego) - https://www.allthingspupsrescue.org/
16. Giselle’s Legacy - https://giselleslegacy.com/
17. Bark N Bitches - https://www.barknbitches.com/

Hi all,
Too many healthy, young, social dogs are being killed in California regularly. At least a few per day at all the shelters. This is horrendous but avoidable. If you work with a rescue to foster and get some of them out, we could save a few lives and stop the senseless killing. Many are great with other animals (assuming you have them at home) and have no medical issues AT ALL. Many are being killed as young as a few months to a few years. There are puppies you can save too. Purebreds as well. A lot of huskies and German shepherds.
If you, or anyone you know, might be open to this please message me or comment in the thread with the best way for me to reach you. There’s a possibility of transporting them to neighboring states too, if that sounds like you.
Again, this is NOT normal. Shelters are euthanizing dogs at record numbers and it’s heartbreaking.
❤️❤️❤️ no more dogs being killed please ❤️❤️❤️
For inexperienced fosters, like I was, I will simplify this as much as possible.
Below are some local shelters (with links) and HIGH KILL shelters. You can foster through their websites (I have not personally done it this way), or of course adopt, if you’re ready!
However, I recommend reaching out to the RESCUE GROUPS below directly to foster some of the dogs they already have — they will pay for everything and it’s just a bit easier. They are often pretty active on social media (like Instagram and Facebook) and you can message them there, or browse their website for a phone # or email.
Also, u/kate_loves_mutts on Instagram is super helpful with hooking you up with other rescues. If you haven’t had luck when reaching out on your own, please message her. She can give you ideas of rescues that are looking for fosters or point you to a specific rescue group, if you’re looking for a specific kind of dog / in a specific area.
Lastly, some good accounts to follow are u/iloverescue and u/shareforlove on Instagram, which post a ton of rescue and animals on the euthanasia list updates. And no these aren’t my accounts nor do I know them personally, they just post good info and updates.
LA and SoCal High-Kill Animal Shelters:
​

1. Agoura/ Malibu - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
2. Baldwin Park - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
3. Carson/ Gardena - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
4. Caustic - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
5. Downey - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
6. Downey SEAACA - https://www.seaaca.org/adoptions/view-our-animals
7. Lancaster - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
8. Palmdale - https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/
9. Pasadena* not high kill - https://pasadenahumane.org/adopt/view-pets/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopjGT0Lz41cHx7QWz4Q-JwjAuu6y6rfcf7plJjngLVz26m7m9E7-UMhoCCmAQAvD_BwE
10. Coachella Valley - https://rcdas.org/coachella-valley-animal-campus
11. Apple Valley - https://www.applevalley.org/services/animal-services/shelter-services/adoptable-animals
12. Harbor - https://www.laanimalservices.com/harbor
13. East Valley - https://www.laanimalservices.com/east-valley
14. North Central - https://www.laanimalservices.com/north-central
15. Chesterfield Square/ South LA - https://www.laanimalservices.com/South-Los-Angeles
16. West LA - https://www.laanimalservices.com/west-los-angeles
17. West Valley - https://www.laanimalservices.com/west-valley
18. Riverside - https://rcdas.org/
19. San Bernardino - https://animalcare.sbcounty.gov/pets/
20. Devore - https://24petconnect.com/SBCO1Adopt
21. Big Bear - https://24petconnect.com/SBCOAdopt
22. Helen Woodward (San Diego) *not high kill - https://animalcenter.org/

LA and SoCal Rescue Groups:
​

1. Little Big Paws - https://instagram.com/littlebigpawspetrescue?igshid=ZWIzMWE5ZmU3Zg==
2. Hollywood Huskies - http://hollywoodhuskies.org/
3. Shadow Husky Rescue - https://www.shadowhuskyrescue.com/
4. La Belle Foundation -
5. Bubbles Dog Rescue - https://bubblesdogrescue.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopsOMhpAUBpiAVC27HHWrKcfaVJwFtY4edFLcP_jNclRLkyEuZHcopRoCzFoQAvD_BwE
6. Deity - https://www.deityanimalrescue.org/
7. Leo Love Rescue - https://www.deityanimalrescue.org/
8. Pups without borders - https://pupswithoutborders.org/
9. Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue - https://www.marleysmutts.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopuQZSJXalhCpYMbwgVudUT0gcwipbdtTykqwXCPP239Z4UNmnmn0aRoCkh4QAvD_BwE
10. Priceless Pet Rescue - https://pricelesspetrescue.org/
11. All Joy 4 Paws (Husky Rescue) - https://alljoy4paws.org/
12. The Little Red Dog - https://thelittlereddog.org/
13. Mo4paws (NorCal) - https://www.mo4paws.org/
14. Earth Angels Rescue - https://www.earthangels-rescue.org/adoptable-dogs--forms.html
15. All Things Pups Rescue (San Diego) - https://www.allthingspupsrescue.org/
16. Giselle’s Legacy - https://giselleslegacy.com/
17. Bark N Bitches - https://www.barknbitches.com/

This is a list of pit bull attacks and fatalities documented by the media and on social media for the month of May 2023. This list will be edited throughout the month and after as new incidents are reported.
CHILD FATALITIES: 5
ADULT FATALITIES: 6
ANIMAL FATALITIES: 50
TOTAL FATALITIES: 61
TOTAL ATTACKS LOGGED: 166

May 01

ANIMAL FATALITIES - 3 - Little Elm, TX - 3 highland cows killed
Colorado Springs, CO - delivery driver attacked - Link to Post
Faridabad, India - woman attacked - Link to Article
Caerphilly, UK - child attacked - Link to Arcticle
Sheffield, UK - sheep attacked - Link to Article

May 02

HUMAN FATALITY - Paso de Ovejas, Mexico - 1 yo boy killed
ANIMAL FATALITY - New Orleans, LA - small dog killed
ANIMAL FATALITY - Nebraska - cat killed
Keller, TX - dog attacked at dog park - Link to Post

May 03

ANIMAL FATALITY - Blackpool, UK - cat killed
Dekalb, Illinois - man attacked - Link to Post
Sioux Falls, SD - woman bit - Link to Article
Tapalhuaca, El Salvador - 13 yo boy attacked - Link to Article
Alabama - dog attacked - Link to Post
Lake Worth, FL - small dog attacked - Link to Post

May 04

HUMAN FATALITY - Waterloo, IA - 9 month old baby killed and grandmother injured
ANIMAL FATALITIES - 3 - West Portsmouth, OH - 2 cats and 1 dog killed
ANIMAL FATALITY - San Francisco, CA - dog killed
Key Haven, FL - deputy bitten - Link to Article
Lake Worth, FL - dog attacked - Link to Post
Southern OH, US - dog attacked - Link to Post
Fountain Hills, AZ - dog attacked - Link to Post

May 05

Nova Odessa, Brazil - 10 yo boy attacked - Link to Article

May 06

Rotterdam-Delsfshaven, Netherlands - 14 yo boy attacked - Link to Article
Grafton, WI - woman’s face mauled - Link to Article
Washington - dog attacked, no serious injury - Link to Post
Tobyl, Kazakhstan - 3 yo girl’s face torn off - Link to Article

May 07

ANIMAL FATALITIES (4) - San Antonio, TX - four cats killed
London, England - woman attacked - Link to Article
Bahía Blanca, Argentina - young man attacked - Link to Article

May 08

ANIMAL FATALITY - Washington, US - small dog 'Delilah' killed
ANIMAL FATALITY - Georgia, US - dog killed
Lehigh, FL - 97 yo attacked - Link to Article

May 09

HUMAN FATALITY - Indianapolis, IN - woman killed, child bit
Los Angeles, CA - person bit - Link to Article
dog attacked - Link to Post
San Antonio, TX - dog attacked - Link to Post
Walker, LA - two small dogs mauled - Link to Post
Bristol, UK - Great Dane attacked - Link to Post

May 10

HUMAN FATALITY - Galeana, Mexico - 6 yo girl killed
Davie, FL - woman attacked - Link to Article

May 11

Calgary, Canada - 2 people attacked - Link to Article
ANIMAL FATALITY - Soacha, Colombia - Cat killed
UK - attack on two dogs - Link to Post
Doncaster, UK - 6yo attacked, 40 yo man also injured - Link to Article
Newport News, VA - person bit - Link to Article

May 12

Ambridge, PA - officer bit - Link to Article
Lagoa Dourada, Brazil - 56 yo woman scalped - Link to Article
Toronto, ON - grade 8 student attacked - Link to Article
Georgia, US - Dog attacked - Link to post
Frome, Somerset, UK - woman and whippet attacked, breed not confirmed in article but was confirmed on owners social media post - Link to Article

May 13

ANIMAL FATALITY - Guizhou District, China - cat killed
Grand Island, NE - 3 people attacked, 1 hospitalized - Link to Article
Callahan County, TX - dog attacked - Link to Article

May 14

San Antonio, TX - man hospitalized - Link to Article
Virginia, USA - doodle attacked and pit owners fled the scene - Link to Post
Kelowna, BC - beagle boxer mix attacked by neighbors pit - Link to Post

May 15

ANIMAL FATALITY - Pará de Minas, Brazil - dog killed
Chicago, IL - 4 dogs attacked - Link to Post
Pittsburg, CA - dog attacked - Link to Post
San Antonio, TX - basset hound attacked - Link to Post

May 16

ANIMAL FATALITY - Grand Forks, ND - dog killed, person injured
ANIMAL FATALITY - Limeira, Brazil - dog killed and man injured
ANIMAL FATALITY - São Vicente, Brazil - dog killed
ANIMAL FATALITY - Crawley, UK - chihuahua killed
Ji-Paraná, Brazil - 7yo scalped - Link to Article
Stuggart, AR - dog attacked, pit owner bit - Link to Article
MOC, Brazil - policeman attacked - Link to Article
Dekalb County, GA - male shelter worked attacked - Link to Post
Norwich, UK - lab attacked - Link to Article
Port Townsend, WA - man bit while skateboarding - Link to Article
Woman attacked by pit husband adopted - Link to Post

May 17

HUMAN FATALITY- Bucaramanga, Colombia - 5 yo boy killed
HUMAN FATALITY- Dī An, Vietnam - 82 yo woman killed
Magdalena, Argentina - dog attacked - Link to Article
Florida - Man attacked - Link to Post
Gleadless Valley, UK - 17 yo attacked - Link to Article
San Pedro Garza García, N.L., Mexico - small dog attacked - Link to Post
St Louis, MO - dog and people attacked - Link to Post
Susanville, CA - teenage boy and dog attacked - Link to Post

May 18

HUMAN FATALITY - Greater Manchester, UK - 37yo killed
HUMAN FATALITY - Buenos Aires, Argentina - 81yo attacked, passed away 06/01/2023 - Link to Article
ANIMAL FATALITY - Indianapolis, IN - schnauzer killed
ANIMAL FATALITIES - 4 - Warwick, Bermuda - 4 chickens killed
Meerut, India - 9yo attacked - Link to Article
West Sussex, UK - 9mo mauled - Link to Article
Washington DC - ups driver attacked - Link to Post

May 19

ANIMAL FATALITY - Mpumalanga Province, South Africa - dog “Maxie” killed, lab mauled by same pit the week prior
North Carolina - shelter pit attacks another dog - Link to Post
Brooklyn, NY - woman attacked - Link to Post
Alliance, NE - dog mauled, officer bit - Link to Article

May 20

IL, USA - 5-7yo child attacked at friends house - Link to report
English setter attacked - Link to Post
Vancouver, BC - dog and owner attacked - Link to Post
Rio Grande City, TX - dog attacked - Link to Post
Austin, TX - 4yo attacked - Link to Article

May 21

ANIMAL FATALITY - Vancouver, CA - Pomeranian killed
Bellevue, NE - dog attacked - Link to Post
California - bloodhound puppy attacked at doggy daycare - Link to Post
Lancaster, OH - man seriously injured - Link to Article
ANIMAL FATALITY- Scunthrope, UK - small dog 'Benny' killed

May 22

ANIMAL FATALITY - Christchurch, New Zealand - dog killed
Alaska - dog and dog sitter attacked - Link to Post
Sutton, UK - springer spaniel and owner attacked - Link to Article
Philipsburt, Sint Maarten - multiple people attacked - Link to Article

May 23

HUMAN FATALITY - Rio de Janiero, Brazil - 71yo man killed by his own pit
Talbot, UK - 18yo woman attacked - Link to Article
Hartlepool, UK - man attacked by XL Bully - Link to Article
Brooklyn, NY - dog attacked - Link to Post

May 24

ANIMAL FATALITY - Big Spring, TX - small dog killed
ANIMAL FATALITY - Ohio - chicken killed and 2 goats attacked
Animal Fatality - dog killed
Utah - woman bit - Link to Post
Texas - golden doodle attacked - Link to Post
Saint Petersburg, Russia - woman attacked - Link to Post
7mo attacked by American bulldog - Link to Post

May 25

Johannesburg, South Africa - Jack Russell 'Patches' attacked - Link to Post

May 26

HUMAN FATALITY - Temósachic, Mexico - 4 yo killed
ANIMAL FATALITY - Melbourne, Australia - dog killed
ANIMAL FATALITY - Tampa, FL - beagle killed
Rhode Island, USA - small dog attacked - Link to Post
UK - woman and dog attacked - Link to Post
Hawthorne, FL - 86 yo hospitalized - Link to Article
Kitsap County, WA - sheriff's deputy bit - Link to Article
Duluth, GA - woman and dog attacked, small dog mauled - Link to Post

May 27

Atlanta, GA - dog attacked and baby injured - Link to Post
Person bit on the ear by family pit - Link to Post
Puna, HI - 32 yo woman hospitalized - Link to Article

May 28

West Jordan, UT - Pit bull attack on another pit - Link to Post
Woman attacked breaking up fight - Link to Post
Lascano, Uruguay - 1 yo attacked - Llink to Article
Cardiff, UK - springer spaniel attacked - Link to Post

May 29

Orange County, CA - person bit by neighbors pit - Link to Post
Port Clarence, UK - 15 yo hospitalized - Link to Article
Pittsburgh, PA - small dog attacked - Link to Post
Houston, TX - pomsky attacked - Link to Post
Richmond, VA - Greyhound ‘Ginger’ attacked - Link to Post
Stockton, UK - 15 yo bit - Link to Post
North Yorkshire, UK - 17 yo attacked by American bulldog - Link to Article
Essex, UK - 7 yo attacked - Link to Article
Lancashire, UK - toy spaniel and owner attacked - Link to Post

May 30

HUMAN FATALITY - Bogorodsk, Russia - 27 yo killed
Chantilly, VA - small dog attacked by “service” pit - Link to Post
Sioux Falls, SD - man bit - Link to Article
Person bit - Link to Post

May 31

Animal Fatality - Oklahoma City, OK - cat killed
San Martín Texmelucan de Labastida, Mexico - police woman attacked - Link to Article
Sucre, Colombia - child scalped - Link to Article
Jaguariúna, Brazil - 8 injured in attack - Link to Article
Lower Saxony, Germany - 6 people bit - Link to Post
Elvaston, Derbyshire, UK - dog attacked and owner bit - Link to Post

Unconfirmed Date

ANIMAL FATALITY - Georgia - dog killed
ANIMAL FATALITY - Kentucky - dog killed
ANIMAL FATALITY - cat killed
ANIMAL FATALITIES - 2 - USA - dog and goat killed (also chickens and ducks)
ANIMAL FATALITY - dog killed
ANIMAL FATALITIES - 6 - Tikitere, New Zealand - 6 sheep killed
Neuquén, Argentina - taxi driver attacked - Link to Article
New Orleans, LA - dog attacked - Link to Post
Mérida, Mexico - girl attacked - Link to Article
Carbonia, Italy - person attacked - Link to article
Bucaramanga, Colombia - 8yo girl attacked - Link to Article
Tehran, Iran - woman mauled - Link to Article
Small dog attacked and loses eye - Link to Post
Professional boxer attacked by staffie - Link to Article
Two people mauled - Link to Post
Owner attacked - Link to Post
French bulldog killed - Link to Post
UK - man has ear partially bitten off - Link to Post

Hello! My girlfriend and I have been researching what breed of dog may fit us the best for a while, and the Brittany is the breed that has stood out to us. Before we move forward, we'd like to hear from knowledgable dog owners if it sounds like a Brittany might work well for us, or if there are other dog breeds that would be better suited to our lifestyle / needs. Thanks in advance for any advice!
​
Introduction
1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
My girlfriend grew up with family dogs (boxer) but hasn’t owned a dog since being a child. I have not owned a dog myself. We have many friends and family members with dogs that we enjoy being around. We’ve done a decent amount of research and feel prepared to give time and training to our first dog.
2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?
We want a dog that will be good with our friends and family with small children, and we’d like to adopt a dog that is trainable and adaptable to lots of different situations (from hiking/camping to living in a small city.) We also are excited about getting a puppy and training from a young age. For those reasons we’re leaning towards going to a reputable breeder.
3) Describe your ideal dog.
Our ideal dog would be comfortable living with us in our row house with a small, fenced in backyard. We’re a 5 minute walk from a nice fenced-in dog park and a short drive to lots of woods and open fields. We are two athletic people in their 30’s who like to camp, hike, bike and run. We would love a dog that can join us for those things and also be a reasonably chill, friendly companion at home. I am slightly allergic to some dogs, so would prefer a dog that doesn’t shed a *ton*, but a moderate or small amount of shedding usually isn’t a big problem. We also hope to have a dog that would interact well with other dogs (of friends & family).
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
Given our active lifestyle, ability to commit time to training, and desire for a dog that interacts well with dogs and kids, our research has led us to Brittanys. We’ve done a bunch of research on them, and our neighbor has an adult Brittany that we like. They seem to check a lot of boxes for us - they're friendly, trainable, good looking dogs.
However, we’re a little worried that it would be too high energy. If there are any Brittany owners want to chime in, we’d love that - especially curious whether they are able to chill / relax at home, or if they’re just high energy all the time?
Beyond Brittanys, we are open to other breed suggestions. If there are other breeds that fit us, we’d love to hear your ideas!
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
Basic house manners, be friendly with kids, recall, walk on a leash.
6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
Nope, just as a companion.
​
Care Commitments
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
Willing to invest a lot of time. I work from home and can take sporadic breaks in-between meetings to play or do short training sessions. Also can do some training and play before and after work. So minimum 1-2 hours of play or training per day.
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
We could do a walk before work, a walk in the middle of the day, including a mid-day trip to the dog park on some days, and then a longer trip to a dog park or a longer walk or run in the evening. On the weekend lots more activities - hikes or camping trips. So 1-2 hours of exercise per day.
9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
Prefer something that’s pretty low maintenance, but occasional grooming is fine.
​
Personal Preferences
10) What size dog are you looking for?
Nothing too big. Prefer medium sized dogs.
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
Prefer a dog that isn’t super barky since we live in a row house and have neighbors close by. Shedding - would prefer if there wasn’t a ton of shedding, but a smaller amount is OK. I have slight dog allergies but am not too bothered as long as there isn’t hair everywhere.
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
Not 100% a necessity, but it would nice. My parents own several acres of unfenced land next to a busy-ish road, and it’d be nice to be able to take our dog there and let it run around off-leash. Also would like to take a dog hiking off-leash.
​
Dog Personality and Behavior
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
Would love a snuggly dog.
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?Eager to please!
15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
Prefer friendly or neutral, over a watchdog or guard dog.
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
No, too many friends and family have dogs, so we’ll need a dog that is well-socialized and can play with other dogs.
17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
Excessive barking and overly neurotic are our top 2 worries.
​
Lifestyle
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
I work from home so the dog will not be alone most work days, although I would crate it for portions of the day where I have back to back meetings. There will of course be some evenings or times when we will need to leave the dog alone for a few hours at a time.
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
Just my girlfriend and I - we’re filling this out together. I’ll be the main caretaker during the day, and then she’ll be around to help on evenings and weekends.
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they? Nope
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly? Yes
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease? We own our house
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?Lancaster, PA. No laws known
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live? A typical summer day is humid and in the mid to high 80’s. A winter day is in the 30’s or 40’s.

During the pandemic, my wife, Alice, became infatuated by Amish romance books, a strange reading choice for a non-religious girl from Liverpool. She devoured several a week; their covers, invariably depicting young bonnet-clad girls, stared at me nightly from her bedside table. What she found in them, I have no clue. I tried reading one and only got a few chapters in. It wasn’t just the purple prose. On virtually every page, the narrator commented on her relationship with Jesus, on her faith in salvation. I couldn’t believe that my wife, who although technically Anglican rarely attended church, was reading Evangelical Christian pulp fiction. Was she yearning for a simpler way of life, away from the hustle and bustle of London? Did she find something in the narrator’s faith comforting? I never asked and she never told.
She suggested that we go on a holiday to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the heart of Amish Country. I was not thrilled about spending a week there, but I had never seen her so excited, so, in June of 2022, we went.
My hopes for the trip were raised when we started driving through the countryside. It was truly some of the most beautiful farmland I had ever seen The farmsteads were well maintained, the barns freshly painted. No junk littered the front lawns. It looked like something out of a picture book.
We drove through towns with whimsical names like Bird in Hand, Intercourse, and Blue Ball. There were no billboards along the roads, but there were plenty of signs that advertised every conceivable good and service. From horse treadmills to chainsaw sharpening, from farmland helicopter tours to fresh meadow tea. Cute kitties ($50), mulch ($7/scoop), and mini horse foals ($1,500) were all available for sale, along with homemade shoofly, whoopie, strawberry and chicken pies. There were signs that urged you to vote for Mastriano, to “turn ye from evil ways,” and to drink whole milk (which was 97% fat free).
“If there are so many cows here, why are they advertising milk from New Jersey?” my wife asked, pointing to a sign that advertised “Raw Jersey milk.”
I sighed. She wasn’t joking. “Jerseys are a type of cow. From Jersey, one of the Channel Islands. Nothing to do with New Jersey.” Clearly the Amish novels she had read were a little light on actual farming content.
“Oh,” was all she said.
About 15 minutes later, we reached our hotel, a Victorian mansion that had been converted into a bed and breakfast. After dropping off our bags, we walked around the small town, full of quaint antique shops. We stopped at a nearby restaurant where we enjoyed some local specialties: ham loaf, pig stomach, mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut, along with some shoofly pie for dessert. Definitely not healthy, but it sure was delicious. Afterwards, we sat out on our suite’s balcony, watching fireflies dance across a nearby field.
“I could stay here forever,” my wife said. I nodded. Forever was too long, but I’d be fine for a week. In many ways. it reminded me of my childhood in rural Greece, a world I thought no longer existed. A place where clothes were hung out to dry on lines, where fields were plowed by teams of draft horses, and where, on Sundays, the whole town shut down.
Over the next week, we went on various Amish-themed tours. While my wife was loving every minute, I wasn’t. Everything seemed fake, designed to appeal to the hordes of Evangelical tourists who got off their tour busses, stuffed their faces at one of the all you can eat family style restaurants, went on a tour where the guide would invariably mention the Amish’s deep faith in Jesus, before returning to buy kitschy trinkets at a souvenir shop.
Although the corn was barely knee high, some farm stands sold them. After asking many times where it was from, I finally got one to admit that it was from Florida. The cherries weren’t local either; they’d been grown in Chile. At a bakery, I read the ingredients of their “homemade” blackberry pie. I wasn’t surprised to learn that it was sweetened with corn syrup, and full of artificial colors and flavors, along with some ingredients, like thermiflo, which I really didn’t want to know what they were.
On a trip to an Amish farmstead, one visitor asked what was with the “Pioneer” signs in front of the corn field. The tour guide played dumb, but a quick Google search revealed that Pioneer was a producer of genetically modified crops. The guide didn’t want to tell the tourists that the Amish did not only eat organic, non-GMO foods. It would be like telling a child Santa wasn’t real.
I convinced my wife to attend a talk at a local library by a former Amish man who had left to join the Mennonite Church, hoping to get a more complete picture of Amish life. My wife was shocked by what he had to say. We learned that the Amish ministers were chosen by lot and had no formal training. Astoundingly, many ministers even had trouble reading their Bible, which was in 16th-century German, quite different than the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect they spoke at home. He further said that the Amish were discouraged from studying the Bible amongst themselves, instead urged to rely on the teachings of the ministers, who did not understand the Bible themselves. Basically, the blind were leading the blind. The speaker was no doubt biased, but it was refreshing to hear another perspective.
After the talk, I walked around a small exhibit hall at the library. Instead of exhibiting quilts or furniture, it explored some of the darker sides of the Amish community. There were graphic pictures of puppy mills and harrowing testimony from survivors of childhood abuse. Topics that would never grace the page of one of the romance novels.
The last night of our trip, we decided to go for a drive, hoping to see some more of the countryside. We drove north, where the farms got progressively smaller, the terrain hillier and the soil rockier. At dusk, when we were turning around a sharp bend, our front right tyre blew. No spare, no cell service. We were stuck.
We waited a few minutes, but no one drove by. There was a farmhouse a quarter of a mile away, candles burning in its windows. We set off for it.
I knocked on the front door. A middle-age man opened it. He was wearing black pants and an indigo-colored shirt with suspenders. Beard but no mustache. Amish. He stared at me but didn’t speak.
“Good evening,” I said. “I’m Giorgios, and this is my wife Alice. I’m really sorry to bother you, but our car got a flat and we have no cell service. We were wondering if you could direct us to the closest phone.” I didn’t expect him to have a phone in the house, but I had learned that some Amish families have phones in their barns, and was hopeful.
“Get in,” he said, in his German-tinged English. Alice and I followed him to a small sitting room. To my shock, there were three young men with rifles aimed out of the windows. I looked outside, trying to see what they were looking for. Nothing but a barn and a barren field, bordered by a thick pine forest.
I took in the rest of the scene. Along the far wall was a cot, surrounded by five women. A young girl, her body covered with layers of quilts, lay motionless. An old man, who looked about ninety, sat on an upholstered chair. On a small table sat a thick, leather-bound book.
“I’m Abe, and this is my family. I’m sorry we cannot have proper introductions, but you must stay here,” he said. “The nearest phone is a half mile away. It is far too dangerous to make that trip now.”
“What’s going on?” Alice asked. “Have wolves been sighted, or bears. Is that what the guns are for.”
He did not respond, but picked up a rifle that was propped against the window and knelt down by his sons.
Alice and I sat down on an empty sofa.
“Do you think that they have kidnapped us?” Alice whispered to me.
“Yeah, I do. They need the blood of an English girl to make an offering to Jesus.”
She slapped me and started crying. “This isn’t funny. Remember what happened In Ireland?”
“Don’t be silly. Of course they didn’t kidnap us. As you said, there are probably some wolves in the area. They're pacifists. Remember what one of the tour guides said, they only have guns for hunting and to shoot vermin and predators.”
A few seconds later, the men started shooting. I looked out the window. There were a few dozen bipedal ape-like creatures advancing from the forest towards the farmhouse. They were small, probably about three feet in height, and covered in reddish-brown fur. After a minute of shooting, they had all fallen.
“What you just saw was an albatwitch,” the old man said. “According to the old stories they used to be as plentiful as catbirds in July. But they were a pest. Stealing apples from orchards, chickens from hen houses. So they were exterminated. My grandfather told me a story from when he was a boy. This was before the Civil War, around 1860 I would guess. He was hunting in the Welsh Mountains with two of his cousins when they came across one drinking from a muddy stream. It must have been a juvenile, he said it wasn’t much more than two feet in height, nothing more than skin and bones. They must have been near extinction by then, probably only a few dozen still left, hiding in remote corners of this county. The Welsh Mountains have always been a place of refuge, first for Indians, then for escaped slaves and indentured servants. It would make sense that in that remote corner the albatwitch made its last stand. But they have been gone now, for over 150 years.”
“Then how are they back?” I asked.
There was no answer. As I debated what to do, the doorbell rang. Abe went to answer it. He returned a few seconds later with a middle-aged man, dressed like an accountant in a blue dress shirt and khakis. He looked at us, confused.
“Tourists,” Abe said. “They had a flat tyre.”
“It’s very nice to meet you,” the man said. “I’m Michael Yoder. Abe here is my cousin. My grandfather decided to leave the Amish Church to join the Mennonites when he was 20, which explains the difference in our appearances. I’m a professor at Lancaster Bible College. Area of expertise, if you can call my knowledge expertise, is—”
“Please Michael,” Abe said, “we do not have time for this. You must get to work immediately.”
“Abe, I cannot fathom your sorrow, but I am afraid that there is nothing I can do. I am not going to recite any spell. You know as well as I do that it is a sin. Both testaments make that clear. Let us instead pray.”
“I already recited it,” said Abe. He picked up the book from the table and opened it. As Michael read it, a look of horror came over his face.
“Did you understand what you were reading?” he asked.
“Some of it,” replied Abe. “It’s different than our German. Didn’t know what a lot of words meant. But what was I supposed to do? The doctors said that she had only a few days left, that she could either die in the hospital or die at home. But she didn’t want to die. She’s only four. You understand?”
“I understand your pain,” Michael said. “But we must respect God’s will. The text is in Middle High German. But it’s not some Christian white magic, nor some powwow folk magic, although that’s still be a sin. This is a pagan prayer, addressed to Frija and Wodan, also known in Norse mythology as Frigg and Odin.”
As he read more his face grew more strained. “Rise O dust, and mend / Bone to bone / Limb to Limb / Blood to Blood / To walk the earth again,” he translated. “This isn’t a healing prayer at all. It’s an incantation to raise the dead. Let’s pray for forgiveness.”
“You don’t understand!” Abe yelled. “I know I’ve sinned, I’ve already asked for forgiveness. But the prayer worked. Not the way I intended, though. Sara is still dying. You know what an albatwitch is?”
“Our local version of Bigfoot?,” asked Michael. “Seen ads for the annual Albatwtich festival, but never been. But what does that have to do with it?”
“Because the prayer raised them.”
“The spell resurrected an albatwtich?”
“Not one! Hundreds, maybe thousands. They keep growing in number every time. Maybe there will be millions.”
“Like catbirds in July,” the old man said
“You’re claiming that you’ve seen albatwitches?” asked Michael. “Is this some sort of joke?”
“Not just seen one, they’re attacking here,” Abe screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks. “They are trying to kill us.”
Soon, the gunfire resumed. I looked out the window. This time, there were hundreds of albatwitches rushing towards the house. A large black horse broke down the barn door and attempted to run across the field. Soon, the albatwitches were on top of it, tearing chunks of its flesh off. It seemed to shriek in pain as it tried in vain to buck the albatwitches off. Then, a bullet pierced its head, and it went down.
“Get down to the cellar,” Abe shouted. “We can’t hold them off.”
We made our way down to a small cellar, the young men carrying the body of their dying sister. Once everyone was inside, Abe closed the heavy oaken door and chained it shut.
He then lit an oil lamp mounted to one of the walls, which gave off a soft light. I looked around the space. There was nothing save for some empty sacks, a pile of 2x4s, an axe, and a can of kerosene.
“Do we have hammers and nails to reinforce the door with? I asked. “Or another gun, I can shoot.”
Abe shook his head. He and his sons knelt down, their guns pointed up towards the cellar door.
Michael began reading from the grimoire in what sounded like three different languages. One I recognized as Koine Greek, the second sounded Germanic, and the third I could not place.
From above, I heard the shattering of glass and the sounds of dozens of footsteps above us. Then, the banging on the cellar door started. The door seemed solid, but how long could it hold off hundreds of undead apes?
Michael kept reading frantically, but nothing was happening. The banging was getting louder. “I think these three passages need to be read simultaneously,” he finally said. “One’s Koine Greek, one uses the Hebrew alphabet, and the other is Middle High German. If someone has a pen, I can transliterate the Hebrew into the Latin alphabet and one of you can read it.”
“I know Greek,” I said.
“Good,” Abe said. “My grandfather can read the German section. That will leave my sons and me to fight.”
The old man, the professor, and I huddled around the book. Three columns, written in a neat hand, took up a full page. On the opposite page was an illustration of an army of skeletons attacking a castle. Carved into the castle walls were strange symbols, some of which I had seen before. Under the light of the oil lamp we began to read.
About a quarter of the way through the passage, which called on the Twelve Olympians of the Greek Pantheon for help, a hole emerged in the ceiling above me. An albatwitch stuck his head and an arm through, but was unable to fit the rest of his body through. As it reached for me, I saw Alice pick up the axe and split its skull in two. I returned to the passage.
When I was about 3/4 of the way through, the lines now calling on various Christian saints, the cellar door broke down, and several albatwitches ran into the cellar. New holes were forming in the ceiling, big enough for the apes to drop through. Abe and his sons tried to hold them back, but there were too many. One ran ahead of the pack and dug its teeth into my calf. I kept reading. All I could do. If this didn’t work, we were dead.
I finished the passage. Michael and the old man had already finished, but it seemed like nothing happened. The albatwitches continued to flood into the cellar. Hundreds, possibly thousands. Then, suddenly, they froze. Their arms and legs were torn from their bodies, as if they were being drawn and quartered. As blood gushed out, they emitted high-pitched screams. And then they turned to dust.
I looked around. We were all alive. Bloody, but alive. The men began whooping and hollering. We had done it!.
“Do you recognize the symbols on the castle walls?” I asked the professor. I had seen them twice before, once on an amulet by father gave to me in Greece, and once in the catacombs of an ancient church in Ireland.
“Never in my life. Curiously, the Hebrew was not Hebrew. Yes, it was written using the Hebrew alphabet, but it was not Hebrew. I’m not a Hebrew expert, but I know that much. Didn’t sound vaguely Semitic. Maybe it was some sort of code, maybe it was transliterated from another language—”
Over the cheering, I heard cries of mourning from the women. I turned and saw them crying over the quilts where little Sara lay. Dead.
Abe grabbed the book from us, doused it in kerosene, lit a match, and set it aflame. I watched him walk over to where his daughter lay dead. He kissed her softly and then began ascending the cellar stairs, rifle in hand.
Halfway up, he shot himself.