ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — When Fran Charlson, the founder of Ayla’s Acres No-Kill Animal Rescue, got a call from a woman in Winter Haven who wanted to relinquish more than 30 dogs, she knew her rescue nonprofit had to help.
“Decided we would put an SOS out for fosters and adoptees,” she said, “and decided yes, we will be able to take them.”
The woman isn’t facing charges, telling Charlson she was just overwhelmed.
“She did the right thing,” Charlson pointed out.
So foster dog parents stepped in, like Lindsey Collins who took in Marty.
“We knew that they needed help,” she said.
Then Linda Anderson, who took in Cupcake and Nona.
“These little guys need me,” she recalled thinking. Then, a realization: “I need them! I need them.’”
Volunteers helped bring all the animals for a checkup at the vet on Saturday, their first-ever.
“A lot of them, they’ve been in conditions that their skin wasn’t great, they had fleas, they had parasites. So you know, just addressing all of that,” said Dr. Brittany Timberlake at Southeast Veterinary Hospital.
One pregnant dog even gave birth to puppies the very next day.
And still, their lovable personalities shine through.
“They’re tired, they’re stressed out,” Linda said. “But her favorite thing to do is sit in my lap and cuddle.”
And there are many more who need a home.
About 20 dogs are now up for adoption. You can find out how to apply to adopt these dogs here: https://aylasacres.org/.
They’re all smaller in size since they’re a mix of chihuahua and Pekingese. But that’s plenty for these families.
“He’s filling a hole in our hearts,” Collins pointed out.
“They’re just all really sweet dogs,” Timberlake emphasized. “I think that they’re gonna make people some really great pets for sure.”
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