“THE OAS DOGS HAVE MOVED OUT AND MOVED ON!”
Guardians of Rescue (GOR) put up a post with this headline on its Facebook page early Saturday morning saying that the last 14 dogs rescued from the “Olympic Animal Sanctuary” had left Arizona.
These 14 dogs saved from the Olympic Animal “Sanctuary” left Arizona last week for new homes according to Guardians of Rescue. Image credit withheld.
So 19 months after 124 dogs from the “Sanctuary” arrived at Rescued Unwanted Furry Friends Foundation (RUFFF) in Golden Valley, AZ, the last dogs have been placed with……..well, we don’t know who took the dogs or where they were placed.
Some of the rescues that took “Sanctuary” dogs from Arizona requested to remain anonymous as they were concerned about harassment from “Sanctuary” founder Steve Markwell and/or his supporters.
At the time no one, including me, had a problem with any rescues or people that took dogs from Arizona but didn’t want their identity released to the public.
But GOR’s refusal to reveal where the last 14 dogs went last week is a bit suspicious to me for a few reasons:
1. Just 3 weeks after I wrote a post criticizing GOR for taking 19 months to find homes for the remaining dogs, the dogs disappeared from Golden Valley while GOR claimed “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!”
King escaped not long after the OAS dogs arrived in Arizona in December of 2013. He was never found, and GOR never mentioned he escaped. Photo credit withheld.
A couple of people at GOR let me know they didn’t appreciate that post, but at the time they didn’t mention that rescues had committed to taking the remaining dogs. Since GOR said the dogs left Arizona last week, it only had 2 weeks to find rescues to take the dogs, get the dogs vetted, and arrange transportation for them to their new homes.
That’s why I think GOR may have simply moved some of the dogs to another location where it could escape public scrutiny and avoid any more criticism for taking so long to find them homes.
2. GOR has a track record of withholding information. Recently I found out that 2 feral dogs, Wanda and King, escaped soon after arriving in Arizona and were never found. GOR never mentioned it publicly.
That’s why the shroud of secrecy surrounding the sudden departure of the 14 dogs makes me wonder whether or not GOR’s announcement on Saturday was accurate.
3. GOR asked for donations in its announcement that the remaining OAS dogs were gone, claiming that the “enormous endeavor” of caring for the dogs had a “financial impact” on the organization.
While this could be true, GOR did get tons of financial report when it first took in the OAS dogs. Lots of people (myself included) contributed thousands of dollars to GOR and paid for food and supplies to be delivered to Arizona. Pet-related companies contributed hundreds of pounds of food and fencing. The group Rescue Every Dog sent volunteers to help feed/water the dogs and clean their kennels. Best Friends Animal Society sent a truckload of supplies.
In addition, while GOR took care of the dogs in Arizona, it launched multiple new initiatives such as saving dogs from Korea, matching shelter dogs with veterans suffering from PTSD, and helping returning service members adopt pets.
How could it pay for all these new programs if caring for the OAS dogs had a “financial impact” on the organization?
Wanda escaped from the Arizona site with King and was also never found. Photo credit withheld.
4. GOR’s announcement doesn’t specifically say the remaining OAS dogs went to rescues. Sure I could be picking nits here, but read the announcement carefully. It says the dogs “left Arizona” to being their “journey forward.” It says the dogs have “moved on.” It says several rescues “continue to remain anonymous for privacy purposes.” But it never said the rescues that took the last few dogs requested anonymity.
The Facebook page Protest OAS believes at least 3 of the dogs – Ralph, Tatonka, and Clara – never went to a rescue. Instead, it speculated that they may have been taken by Pati Winn, a former volunteer with OAS whose pictures of the dogs inside the OAS warehouse initially brought attention to their plight. Winn also has Snaps, “a dog that went to OAS after being declared dangerous in King County.”
I can’t say that GOR deliberately parsed its words in its announcement to protect itself in case someone discovered the remaining dogs never went to rescues, but it that happens, GOR could claim it never specifically said that in its announcement that rescues took the dogs.
So what happens now?
Until we know where the dogs are, not much. I think Protest OAS had the best suggestion about what we should do now:
“Given GOR has not provided specific details about where the dogs have landed, we must in good faith trust that GOR has not just moved the dogs from one kenneling situation to another and that each individual dog’s physical, mental, and emotional needs will be met.”
This is one of multiple deliveries of food and supplies to Guardians of Rescue for the former OAS dogs in Arizona. These donations saved GOR thousands of dollars. Photo from Protest OAS.
Before I close, I want to reiterate something I’ve noted before: The OAS dogs were in Arizona because Guardians of Rescue convinced Steve Markwell, the founder of the Olympic Animal “Sanctuary” to bring the 124 dogs he had crammed a truck trailer to Golden Valley and sign over custody of them.
The dogs would have probably either died or continued to suffer if Guardians of Rescue hadn’t found a place for them. Many of them were already near death after being locked inside crates and kennels, forced to live on their own waste, and fed starvation rations for years. In addition, Markwell hadn’t given them food or water for several days on their circuitous journey from Forks to Golden Valley.
So while several rescues and dozens of people worked for months to free the dogs from the “Sanctuary,” Guardians of Rescue deserves (and has received) tons of credit for its part in rescuing the dogs from that hellhole Markwell tried to pass of as a dog sanctuary.
However, that doesn’t make Guardians of Rescue immune from criticism, transparency and accountability.
Convincing Markwell to turn over the dogs from the “Sanctuary” was obviously important, but it was just one step in a long process that should have culminated with ensuring the last 14 dogs were placed in a situation where, as Protest OAS noted, their “physical, mental, and emotional needs will be met.”
Whether or not that actually happened remains to be seen.
Although we all applaud Guardians of Rescue for the original rescue of the OAS dogs, this latest disappearance brings back the feelings we all felt when the dogs disappeared from Washington State in Markwell’s truck. I don’t think any reputable rescue would treat their supporters this way. “Just send us money and don’t ask questions.”
I have heard almost from the beginning of the rescue of the dogs that escaped. They were known to be feral and I thought of missing Gabbs dogs Able and Dixie. Now it is confirmed that it was the DDI/Devore Sheps, Wanda and King. That information was with held.
Dogs left with Markwell, but they weren’t documented…or the information wasn’t released.
Tucker was released to his original rescue, then placed in another hell hole, Smiling Dogs Farms where he lived in a crate. GOR knew, but did nothing to help him.
I would loved to have cheered when the last OAS dog left AZ, but this final GOR announcement that the dogs have been moved to an undisclosed location is at best an anti-climax. At worst a placement in boarding where the dogs will no longer be a risk of returning to the limelight. Like GOR mascot, Pacino.
Thank you for locating the two dogs that we thought didn’t make it to Arizona or Steve Markwell took them back with him. I’ve heard rumors two dogs dug out the first night they got off the truck and no team was allowed to find and bring them back (i.e., setting traps, etc). But many people also thought Steve Markwell took some. Now we know (President of Guardians Of Rescue) was well aware Wanda and King were the two dogs. Keeping secrets and lack of transparency was not in the best interest of these dogs. Sorry Wanda and King. Again a rescue failed you.
Here is what I am struggling with. The apparent inconsistencies of an organization that evidently has done so much good for not only the OAS dogs. Yet, they have come under a great deal of scrutiny regarding the last 14 as they appear to be unwilling to release any information on those dogs’ disposition. I understand some rescues hesitancy to be identified (I was one of those early on), however, it seems to me that GoR could put everyone’s mind at ease to at least release a statement, i.e. “the remaining OAS dogs have gone to a rescue (multiple rescues), shelter in the following state(s) where we are confident they will be well cared for. They have requested anonymity and we will respect that. Donation should be earmarked for their ongoing care and we ensure that they are forwarded to those organizations.” I think a statement like that or something similar may go along ways to reduce the suspicion and distrust that lingers on regarding the disposition of these dogs. To just in essence, to say “trust me” is insufficient at this time.
Great points, Gordon. As I noted in the article, GOR deserves lots of credit (and they have gotten it) for all it did for the former OAS dogs, but the quick disappearance of the last 14 dogs and lack of transparency does raise questions.
Thank you for this well thought out article. Many people think that the larger the rescue the more reputable they must be. Ask no questions as they know what they are doing. I don’t think so.
Therefore refusal to what to disclose when the last 14 dogs go is rather sis fishes. Our rescue, for one, has 2 Olympic Animal Sanctuary dogs. We have never hidden who we are and in fact we live in the same state as Mr Mark well. He has never harrassed us, never contacted us, never once tempted to get his dogs back or interact with us in any way. And I’m going to assume that since there has never been an article or report stating that he has contacted the shelters and rescues the handgun public that more than likely it’s not going to happen. Especially now a year and a half later.
So to use the excuse that new rescues/homes will not be disclosed for security purposes is a little ironic Mr Markwell has known for the last year and a half were those dogs have lived and I’m assuming he has not been a regular pest there, so why would anyone assume he’s going to start now.
It’s axing how 14 dogs with issues were placed all at once and I’m sure that many of us who have been following these dogs would feel much better knowing or having an update of where they have now been relocated. If all 14 of these dogs disappear into the black hole, this will only be around more questions than answers and I’m sure it’s something that’s a rescue and want to avoid. … Lets hope that GOR is open as honest to those that support th amd their efforts and provide transparency to all their actions s as well as the OAS 14s future lives.
Thanks for your comments and for taking 2 of the OAS dogs.
So none of the dogs still needing out immediately or those confiscated from RUFFF are OAS dogs?
If so much money and attention was given- what happened? This place was shut down by the authorities.
Yes, all the OAS dogs are gone. Do mean money and attention given to RUFFF?
To RUFFF or any of those involved with the rescue or transport to them. Some people found RUFFF to questionable prior to the big OAS move. It just seems odd that the place had become so bad since that they have just recently been shut down. With all of the involvement on the place with so much online- media exposure- it is just sad to see it had gotten to such a bad place that it required shutting down- when not so long ago everyone was praising the move of the dogs to them. Was it always an easy place to just use to get as a place to get the dogs to because it was questionable- and- if so- was anyone who was aware of that work to change it or watch it? Or if those involved had thought it was an a-ok place and used it because of that to move the dogs to- did they continue to support the place after they all got their 15 minutes of fame and continue to push for help and donations and watch the place? Or.. did they just, for the most part. walk once the attention calmed down and moved onto things?
RUFFF provided space for the OAS dogs but wasn’t involved in their day to day care or adoptions. It was the only place that offered space for the dogs and it was critical to get them somewhere asap as Steve Markwell (OAS founder) had them packed in a tractor trailer with no food or water for several days. Many people involved the OAS dogs that visited them in AZ (including me) were shocked at the condition of the dogs at RUFFF but since we were focused on the OAS dogs and the authorities turned a blind eye to RUFFF we did not get involved other than offering help while we were there. It wasn’t ideal but if RUFFF hadn’t stepped up many of the dogs probably wouldn’t have survived.
I don’t know why authorities chose to shut is down now – it should have done something long ago.