This Puppy, Held by HAND founder Tallulah Trice, and his litter mates were scheduled to be euthanized because they have Scabies, a contagious but treatable skin disease. HAND is paying for the treatment and will arrange placement when they are healthy.

Helping HAND Gives Gift of Life to Canine Friends

By Kathy Gilbert; Staff Writer

Tallulah Trice has never been able to pass up a stray.

But after the owner of Lookout Mountain’s Woodstock Kennels personally paid the vet bills for more than 60 abused, neglected and abandoned dogs last year, her husband begged her to shed her expensive habit

Instead, Ms. Trice started her own foundation.

“If you believe in past lives, Tallulah was a dog in her past life,” said Eileen Thornton, a newly recruited foundation board member. “If she goes to the Humane Society she leaves with 20 dogs. She knows they’re going to be euthanized and she can’t leave them.”

But skyrocketing veterinary bills convinced Ms. Trice to found Homeless Animals Need Doctors early this year, Ms. Thornton said.

She sent letters to clients, friends, and solicited donations on Saturday while showing stray animals at Pet Care Warehouse.

“She works pretty hard to find them homes,” Ms. Thornton, the owner of nine dogs, said. “And she’s kind of hard to turn down.”

HAND will pay for veterinarian services for animals whose medical bills are daunting, Ms. Trice explained.

The foundation will work with any local shelters, and hopes eventually to pick up and care for animals owned by low-come People.

“With HAND we’re telling the shelters we’re going to (Take care of) all your health care funds, which is your highest cost, so all the funds you do receive will go to building more kennels, repairs, advertising, and so on,” she said.

The group will be volunteer staffed and focus strictly on medical care, she said. All the money donated will go directly to services, she said.

“There are animals that fall in the cracks,” said Dr. Kevin Ade, a board member and local veterinarian. “When an animal’s not adoptable at a shelter , HAND is another avenue that complements everybody and hopefully saves the animal’s life.”

Many potential owners, for instance, shy away from Heartworm treatments that cost between $400 and $500.

Patricia Webb, a dog owner who was recently helped by Ms. Trice, agreed.

“We wouldn’t have been able to adopt a dog without assistance,” Ms Webb said. Ms Trice paid for neutering and the first round Heartworm treatment for a daschund the Webb family adopted and named “Gus”.

“He was pretty much a dead dog walking and now he’s a very beloved pet and an asset to our family,” Ms. Webb said.

HAND will continue Ms. Trice’s work , using donations to pay for medical care.

After treatment, the dogs will be boarded at Woodstock Kennels or at Dr. Ade’s Middle Valley Animal until an owner is located.

HAND’s board members include radio personality Christy Clark and some of Ms. Trice’s more prominent clients.

Former University of Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning has been promoting HAND on local radio Shows.

The program will be funded strictly by private donations and local fundraising efforts, Ms. Trice said.

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