Dogs rescued from Interstate doing well
Podcast Episode
Kyle Geissler talks with Janesville Gazette reporter Stacy Vogel about an update on a group of dogs involved in a crash on I-90.
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Lilly surveys her still fairly new surroundings at the rural Edgerton home of Terry and Karen Johnson. The Johnsons adopted Lilly after she and more than 50 other dogs were rescued earlier this winter when a van transporting them to a Minnesota shelter was in an accident.
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Lilly, left, shares a toy with her new buddy, Chloe, at the rural Edgerton home of Terry and Karen Johnson. The Johnson’s adopted Lilly after she and more than 60 other dogs were rescued after a van transporting them to a Minnesota shelter was in an accident on Feb. 10.
EDGERTON — You’d never know the puppy running around the Johnson home Tuesday had been so cold a few weeks ago she couldn’t move.
The pup, tan with white splotches, climbed on her new sibling, a border collie named Chloe, and eagerly ran from one person to another looking for attention. Her tiny tail never stopped wagging.
She looked, in fact, like a normal puppy.
But this puppy—Lilly Miss Sunshine, or Lilly for short—is anything but ordinary. She became a minor celebrity after her story and the story of 65 other dogs appeared in newspapers and television newscasts across the Midwest.
The dogs were on their way from a Southern animal shelter to Safe Hands Rescue, a foster-based animal rescue group in Minneapolis, when their van crashed on Interstate 90/39 near Edgerton on Feb. 10.
Lilly—who was called Sunshine before she was adopted—was a last-minute addition to the trip. Volunteers found her undersized and dehydrated when they arrived at the Southern shelter.
She was riding in the front seat when the van crashed. It took Edgerton firefighters half an hour to find her, frozen to the wheel well after water spilled on her.
The dogs ended up at Hillside Springs Hunt Club in Edgerton, and veterinarian Terry Johnson was called to examine the dogs.
“(Lilly) was the worst of the group,” said Terry’s wife, Karen. “One of the ladies had her tucked into her sweater, and all she could do was moan.”
Terry and Karen took Sunshine home “for the night” to give her a little extra care. The pup has been with them ever since.
Some of the other dogs are close to finding permanent homes as well, said Lynne Bengtson, a Safe Hands volunteer who was in the van Feb. 10.
Safe Hands only kept 10 of the original 66 dogs. It gave three dogs to The Twig Project, a Madison animal rescue group, and distributed the rest to rescue groups across the Twin Cities.
Those 10 dogs are with foster families and doing well, Bengtson said. One puppy, Alexa, had a bone fragment in her hip as a result of the accident. She was operated on and is expected to make a full recovery, Bengtson said.
One foster mom plans to adopt her puppy, and another foster mom—a veterinarian—has found a home for her puppy with one of her clients.
“All are happy, healthy, growing like weeds and cute as buttons,” Bengtson wrote in an e-mail to The Janesville Gazette.
Lilly is growing like a weed, too. She’s gained half her body weight in the two weeks she’s spent with the Johnsons, Terry said.
At first, the pup wanted nothing to do with the cold and didn’t like to go outside, Karen said. But she turned a corner last week and now is housebroken.
Lilly already has become part of the family, Karen said.
“Our lives turned upside-down … during that day, but now I don’t know how I’d live without her,” she said.
Mar 3, 2008 at 11:15 a.m.
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I also wanted to correct a statement made in one of my previous comments. I meant to say that "I cannot thank the people of Edgerton ENOUGH for their efforts in a time of crisis". I'm sorry for leaving out one word that should have been included to convey my real feelings. I wish I could meet each and every one of you and personally thank you for good deeds. The world needs more people like you!
Mar 2, 2008 at 9:29 p.m.
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Wonderful story. It's nice to hear something positive come from the last story. Congratulations to the Johnson family on their new family member... I have to say that Lily is just adorable.
Mar 2, 2008 at 2:19 a.m.
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Who could resist that precious face of Lilly? God Bless, Terry and Karen Johnson!
Mar 2, 2008 at 2:16 a.m.
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Safe Hands Rescue, thank you for your comments. There can be no greater gift than the gift of life and you are just one of many who are giving that gift. We all should be so willing to follow your lead. I know I have done so in the past and will continue to do what I love most and that is to provide love, health and home to pets in need in my community here and your story only emphasizes that what I do is not in vain. It has had a positive impact on my community 1,500 miles away from where this story began. I do know that it has had a positive impact on some of the people of the Janesville and Edgerton area from the ones I have spoke to. Also, it is very easy to locate places in your area that are in need of your help with just the click of the computer. Your story has done a lot of good! Thank you.
Mar 1, 2008 at 9:03 a.m.
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None of the dogs ended up in shelters. I have asked Stacy to print a correction as I did tell her they went to other rescue groups, not shelters. ALL the dogs are in homes - foster or adoptive. That said, we have and would transport dogs from high kill shelters to no-kill shelters with quality medical care, nutrition and socialization.
I applaud blueraggs for your encouragement to folks to get involved and make a difference. Instead of reading these posts and getting incensed channel that energy to walking dogs at the local humane society, fostering a litter of pups or kittens, becoming a transport coordinator from the comfort of your own home and helping facilitate rescue for other companion animals sentenced to die, sign up to be a transporter - yahoo has animal transport groups/boards which is a good place to start, adopt a homeless pet, help fundraise, awareness-raise - there are so many things you can do to be part of the solution. Use your energy for positive change!!
Mar 1, 2008 at 2:53 a.m.
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Janesberghillbilly: There you go again, talking about yourself.
Feb 29, 2008 at 11:35 p.m.
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I feel blessed to have been made aware of such a fine organization such as Safe Hands Rescue. They are a beginning of awareness for a lot of people that there is a need in every community to step up and help the unwanted and homeless pets. If not by volunteering, then
by donating funds to help in the rescues. I am very confident that many who have read the 2 stories in The Gazette, who Stacy Vogel done a great job reporting on, as well as the ones who actually went to the Safe Hands Resuce website and read their stories and background will be more than willing as animal lovers who care, to donate either time or money to help the pets in need in their own communities. Always be positive that you can make a difference no matter how large or how small.
Feb 29, 2008 at 11:25 p.m.
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I didn't say anything about dirt.
Feb 29, 2008 at 10:16 p.m.
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By reading Safe hand's account, the puppies did not go to shelters, but to other rescue groups. There is obviously a discrepancy inhere somewhere... I hope it was to no-kill or rescue, and not standard shelters.
winconsinheat- you type that as if there is something wrong with the smell of dirt!!! The smell of warming earth is one of the most soothing, tummy-warming smells there is.... the smell of spring.
Feb 29, 2008 at 9:57 p.m.
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Blueraggs- You knew the dogs would be in permanent homes? Did you read the story? 53 of the dogs are back in a shelter, where most will stay for a few stress filled weeks, and then die. WHere do you see the success in that???
I say that because the story does not say "no kill" shelters. No kills are very hard to get animals into, you know... very overloaded. If they are regular shelters, most of thse adorable puppies that people saved and cuddled and wept over will end up as frozen meat in the bottom of a big freezer.
Truly heartwarming when you know how the animal industry works. Sorry if the truth hurts, but that's why puppy mills suck.
Feb 29, 2008 at 9:52 p.m.
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younggirl- Woopsie on the name.
It's not the dogs that tayed in Edgerton that concerns me- I am happy they are in HOMES. However, there ARE a few "transport" companies that prey on volunteers with good intentions and use them to drive their vans of puppy mill puppies around for sale.
I still find it odd that Safe Hands, that claimed to microchip, spay, and check out all the homes for these dogs, just ended up putting them in shelters anyway. So they took them from one shelter to another. They claimed to have foster homes for those dogs, not that they were going to place them in another shelter.
THe Hedberg public library has an EXCELLENT book I urge you all to check out and read. It's called One at a Time- a week in an animal shelter. It is a wonderful look at what animals go through, and how even wondeful animals can go crazy in the stress of a shelter and become unadoptable.
wisconsinheat- I can't really hear myself talk or even mutter much more than a gutteral whimper these days. I'm typing this with a mouthstick so talking is kind of out of the question.
Feb 29, 2008 at 9:49 p.m.
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What a wonderful story. I also loved the story done on the Safe Hands Rescue website about the whole ordeal they all endured. It was a very beautiful story. Anyone interested can view it by going to: (http://safehandsrescue.org/2008/02/14/ye...)
Congrats to all involved in the rescue & hopefully future rescues. Keep up your worthy cause.
Feb 29, 2008 at 9:29 p.m.
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All's well, that ends well! First, "Thank You!" to Stacy Vogel for doing a follow-up story. I knew that all the pups would get the best of care and also be in loving foster or permanent homes thanks to Lynne and the other volunteers of Safe Hands Rescue, as well as their sister organizations. Safe Hands Rescue is a wonderful and caring group of people with the goal being to rescue and give a "chance" at a life to as many unwanted puppies and dogs that they can handle. Their good deeds are applauded by me and many others with the same hopes and goals. Again, I cannot "Thank" the people of Edgerton for their efforts in a time of crisis! Aside from Safe Hands Rescue and their staff, I think the people of my hometown, Edgerton are the greatest! You all have my greatest admiration, love and prayers.
Feb 29, 2008 at 6:33 p.m.
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She must be one of those who likes to hear herself talk.
Feb 29, 2008 at 5:55 p.m.
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Evansville – you must be one of those rare people that can smell a rose and only notice the smell of the dirt that it grew from.
Feb 29, 2008 at 5:05 p.m.
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evansvillehousewife-Chloe is the dog that they had before they adopted Lily, which is the one that was frozen to the wheel well. And if I remember right, I think you said that there were foster homes(atleast said to have some), so if they were just foster homes, than it wouldn't matter if they found permanent homes along the way. Just a thought and correction.
Feb 29, 2008 at 4:41 p.m.
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I am very happy Chole is doing well.
:)
Feb 29, 2008 at 12:14 p.m.
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I am SO happy Chloe is where she is. It's amzing how tough animals can be- imagine that little tinker being frozen in a wheel well!!
I AM a little put off by something.... remember how I was suspicious of Safe Hands?
66 dogs were transported.
3 stayed in Edgerton, ten went to foster homes, and the "distributed" FIFTY THREE dogs to other shelters ACROSS the Twin Cities??
Is anyone seeing this? What happened to their claim 'we make sure ALL of our dogs are placed, we do not have a shelter facility, and all our dogs stay in foster homes??"
I smell dirt. They never had homes for these animals, and I wonder why.
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