Southern Tier Shelter Takes In 29 Dogs and Needs Help Fast

My three dogs, Harper, Harlow, and Hadley, are asleep on the floor at my feet right now, fed, safe, and loved without condition. Twenty-nine dogs in Susquehanna County don't have that yet. They have a shelter at capacity, a handful of staff running on empty, and a director losing sleep over how to keep the lights on.

Susquehanna County Dogs Came From Overwhelmed Owner

True Friends Animal Welfare Center in Montrose took in 29 Jack Russell Terriers, a mix of puppies and adults. The dogs came from a home in the county where their previous owner had simply taken on more than one person could manage. Bonnie Rosengrant, president of the shelter's board of directors, told WNEP that the dogs had been well cared for, but their caretaker had reached a breaking point.

Susquehanna County Shelter Now Feels the Same Strain

Now that same feeling has landed on the shelter itself. True Friends was already at full capacity before these 29 dogs arrived, and Rosengrant said the sheer number of animals surrendered is putting real pressure on what the shelter has to work with. Shelter director Dory Browing put it simply in a Facebook post from the shelter: "We have the heart. We have the determination. We just need the resources to keep going."

Susquehanna County Community Steps Up With Dog Food

Since taking in the dogs, staff says donations of food and support have started arriving from well beyond the county line, a small sign that people are paying attention even when they can't take a dog home themselves.

Susquehanna County Dogs Are Waiting for Forever Homes

What these dogs are looking for is permanence: a family who chooses them and keeps them, not just for a season but for good. Anyone ready to offer that can fill out an application at truefriendsawc.com.

Susquehanna County Shelter Needs Money, Not Just Supplies

Dog food donations have helped, but True Friends says the shelter struggles most to raise money, and it's the money that keeps the building running, the vet bills paid, and the lights on for every animal inside. You can donate through Venmo or PayPal, or mail to True Friends, 16332 SR 706, Montrose, PA 18801.

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I can't take one of these 29 dogs, but I keep thinking about the people who did, even when it felt impossible. A small staff in Montrose looked at 29 more mouths to feed and chose to open the door wider instead of closing it. The least the rest of us can do is help, whether that's making a donation or spreading the word, not only about the shelter and its needs, but about each of the dogs who need a place to call home.