Humane Society in special need of help this holiday season

A "backyard breeder" near North Platte apparently loved dogs, but let things get out of hand.

McCook Humane Society and four or five other shelters were called in to "rescue" 40 or 50 dogs living in squalor Wednesday, with 11 of them finding their way to McCook. Another 11 will probably wind up here in a few days.

Maltese, dachshund, border collies and others of various varieties and mixes were found matted, neglected and unsocialized. After neighbors' repeated complaints, the state took action against the licensed breeder.

Only about one of the animals in McCook is ready for adoption; the others are unsocialized and need to get used to interacting with people before they can be sent to new homes.

Three are close to giving birth, putting further pressure on the local shelter, which euthanizes the absolute minimum animals possible -- generally, only those which are dangerous or beyond medical help are put down.

It's a heart-wrenching situation any time of year, but especially so during this holiday season.

If you'd like to help, perhaps taking care of one as a foster animal or a needy pup, please contact the McCook Humane Society, (308) 345-2372. It's located at 100 South Street, open 2-5 p.m. Monday through Friday (except on holidays) and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.

More information is available at http://www.mccookhumanesociety.com.

Volunteers are always needed, as are donations of cash and supplies.

If you have room in your life, please consider adopting a cat or dog from the McCook Humane Society. Most pet owners know the rewards far outweigh the sacrifices of caring for a companion animal.

And by all means, make sure your animal is spayed or neutered to help reduce the number of unwanted animals in our community and surrounding region.