Paws Up Animal Shelter to close

POTOMAC – After receiving a call that a doberman-pitbull cross named Angel was pregnant and would be shot unless someone took her, Paws Up Safe Home welcomed another cast-off. Within a week, she had six puppies. Even though the puppies all died, Angel was given a second chance at a new home.

"She is the best dog," said Sherri Housley, Paws Up board member. "I've had her since she was 10 months old."

After more than 20 years of caring for lost, abandoned and abused pets in the area as well as finding more than 920 dogs a permanent home, Paws Up Safe Home Animal Shelter is closing its kennels Feb. 28. While the decision was not made lightly and was filled with emotion, the local non-profit's board agreed that due to the health and age of operators Hazel and Owen (Sandy) Tyler and the challenges of finding volunteers and continual rising costs, it was time to close.

"We've been given a chance to be able to do something with [the animals]," said MaryAnna Rich, a 20 year Paws Up board member. "A lot of those dogs when they get a little bit of love and figure out they can trust somebody, it is a full different mindset for that animal because they have never had that."

The public is encouraged to call Missoula City-County Animal Control at 406-541-7387 if they find a stray animal or wish to relinquish their own. Animal Control Supervisor Jeff Darrah said he would like to be able to find the owners or a new home for animals that need a second chance.

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Seeley Lake realtor and pet advocate Elinor Williamson took in her first dog in 1988.

"I saw so much abuse from the people that had dogs and just letting them run and getting in trouble," Elinor said. "I would be the one to go and knock on the door and tell the people this ain't gonna continue."

Elinor took in many dogs and some cats, provided vet care, and ensured they were all spayed and neutered before they were adopted.

Renee Stowe moved to Seeley Lake in 1997 and worked with Elinor. They often talked about all of the dogs that needed help. After offering to take the overflow from Elinor, Renee decided in June 1998, to open an animal shelter in her home. Elinor was the co-owner of the non-profit, no-kill animal shelter Paws Up Safe Home for Dogs although Elinor said they took in cats as well.

"Renee stepped in and made a huge step here when she said we need to do something about this because of the puppy mills and the abuse. People were getting pups and they were neglected," MaryAnna said. "I want to thank Seeley Lake people and outside areas because the word spread and the ripple effect brought donations from [all over]."

What started out as letters to the editor in the Seeley Swan Pathfinder, turned into a weekly column entitled "Please Paws for People and Pets" in 1999. Elinor would either praise community member's behavior with a "Paws Up" or admonish it with "Paws Down."

"The columns really shook things up. It was letting people know they are being watched," Elinor said. "You shouldn't have an animal unless you are going to love it and take care of it."

Renee operated the shelter until her death in April 2011. Over the course of 13 years, Paws Up Safe Home helped 661 dogs and numerous cats find a permanent home.

"I think it made the community look much better because the people took to rescuing the dogs," Elinor said. "I think it helped the dogs, the people and the community."

The Tylers volunteered to foster the larger dogs until Renee could find someone to adopt them. 

After Renee died, her daughter found a note that read, "Take all the animals to the Tylers."

"How can we say no to Renee?" Hazel said, "We didn't say no, we just did it."

In June 2011, the animals moved to the Tyler's 10-acre property at 1270 Copper Cliff Drive, Potomac. They continued the no-kill 501(c)3 that ran solely on donations and volunteer labor including the Tylers who never drew a paycheck.

Part-time Seeley Lake resident Louise Cameron started volunteering with Renee and then continued when the shelter moved to Potomac. Every Monday four months out of the year, Louise spent three or four hours walking, playing and brushing dogs as well as cleaning kennels and doing other chores. She said no other volunteer job made her as happy in her retirement.

"It is just a part of my nature to work at a place that means something. After all those years teaching school, I have found that I love working with the dogs," Louise said. "It was my privilege to be able to work with Hazel and Sandy. They are incredibly fine people and appreciated anything I did."

Louise also made mittens, hats and quilts that were sold to raise money for the Shelter. In addition, Hazel said she provided the fencing for their one-acre dog run. This allowed the dogs to freely run up the hill and through the trees. Jasper, a dog who had both eyes removed because he was shot in the face, knew the entire area.

"How often can you have a blind dog that can just go where they want to go without people leading them?" Sherri said. "It really helped."

The most dogs Paws Up ever had at one time was 58. The Shelter took in 268 dogs, seven horses, and numerous cats since relocating to Potomac. This number does not include animals that stayed at the Shelter during the 2017 Rice Ridge Fire.

Every member of the board has adopted at least one animal from the Shelter and has found homes for countless more.

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Pepper was relinquished after a history with biting. Sherri said Sandy would sit in front of Pepper's cage every day for hours and would say, "That dog is going to get used to me." He eventually earned her trust.

"That man is the heart and soul of the Shelter," Sherri said. "I've always called him the animal whisperer. I swear snakes would follow him."

Hazel explained that while all of the board members and volunteers work hard, Sandy does all the repairs, maintenance and 90% of the cleaning and feeding.

"He is out there with them all the time. He loves what he does. He did not want to [close the Shelter]," Hazel said. "I think it carried him through 10 years of cancer. It gave him purpose."

When one of the dogs, cats or horses died, Sandy dug its grave by hand. Sherri said he knows where every one of them is buried on the property.

In addition to the board, Hazel said they had many wonderful volunteers including a man from Bonner named Greg who came faithfully every week to help. They also gave community service hours to juveniles and put adults from the corrections center to work. However getting good help was the biggest challenge.

"It is not for everybody," Hazel said adding that their location was also a deterrent. "If you volunteer, we aren't forcing you to do anything. If you don't want to come back, we would rather you don't."

Through the years the shelter also learned how to make money through various fundraisers including bake sales at Cory's Valley Market, the Memorial Day flea market in St. Regis and Cakes for Canines Donation Breakfast hosted by Pop's Place. Individuals and businesses across Missoula County have supported the Shelter including the Seeley Lake Fire Department that hosted adoption days and provided a drop off location for donations.

"If we said we were having a bake sale, we would have more baked goods than we knew what to deal with," MaryAnna said. "People have been phenomenal and believed in us."

Sherri said Paws Up was meticulous about accounting for all of their donations and worked hard to show their supporters that their contributions make a difference.

"For people to say 'I don't mind donating here because we can see where the money went' is amazing," Hazel said. "We have worked hard at keeping this as something people will be proud of and something people trust."

Board Member Jo Ogden said Paws Up has done a fantastic job finding owners of strays and placing the other dogs, including those with disabilities, in loving, caring homes.

"It is going to be a huge loss for no one to be doing that but it is a big job," Jo said.

Jeff at Animal Control affectionately called Paws Up Safe Home, "the land of misfit dogs."

"Hazel's heart is so good for the care of all these animals that she has a lot of dogs that would never get adopted [and probably would be euthanized] in a normal shelter because they are either old or have a physical ailment," Jeff said.

Jeff said Paws Up helped Animal Control "immensely" because the Tylers were well known and trusted in the community and they were physically closer than Missoula.

"I want to thank Hazel for all the years and work that they did for the public. It was a pleasure to work with her. She took a lot of pressure off of us and we are going to miss having that facility," Jeff said. "We just hope people will call us or bring them to us."

Jeff acknowledged it was easier to take animals to Paws Up, instead of Animal Control, because they had no enforcement authority and did not have to explain to an Animal Control officer why a dog had been neglected or abused. However, he added Animal Control qualifies as a no-kill shelter because of the more than 600 dogs they take in annually, less than two percent are euthanized because euthanization only takes place if an animal is sick, injured or a threat to public safety.

While there is a dedicated Animal Control officer to Seeley Lake who comes up regularly, Jeff said the shelter closure will have an impact.

"We will just have to wait and see how much of an impact," Jeff said.

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Elinor said running a shelter is "a lot more work with no gratitude" than anything she can think of.

"There won't be a pretty dress or a night out because you will have dogs to watch," she said. "It is not a fun party when it comes to having the shelter and there is very little money in it."

Despite a nearly five-year search for new shelter operators, "there is no one to take it over," Board Member Nancy Braun said.  

"There is still a huge need," said MaryAnna. "You've got Missoula or you've got Kalispell on both ends of the spectrum and all of them [allow euthanizations]."

The board agreed if they found someone with credibility that supported the no-kill mission of the shelter, understood the 24/7 commitment and had the necessary property to care for the animals, they would consider transferring the non-profit until Feb. 28.

The buildings and other items that belonged to the Shelter will be donated to other smaller shelters in the area. If there are still items left, it will be sold and the money will go to support other animals in need.

"We've had the same board for 11 years and it worked," Hazel said. "Renee would be proud."

"I'm proud of the fact that every dog out there is happy," Sherri said. "Every one of those dogs will wag their tail and smile at you."

"I think the community owes a great thanks to Hazel and Sandy. It was well run, they really cared about the animals and it was a 24/7 job," Louise said. "They had such great love for the animals."

The Tylers will keep the remaining 12 dogs and several cats at their home until they are adopted or pass away. Since the non-profit will no longer exist, the dogs will become their expense. The board added the Tylers would appreciate continued donations for those animals.

"I think Paws Up made the community more aware of the animals and how they should be treated," Elinor said. "Even though the shelter wouldn't be there to do it anymore, I hope [the community] remembers."

"There have been such amazing people we never would have met, friends we would have never had," Hazel said. "We have never wanted anything except for the best for them."

For more information and for adoptable dogs visit missoulaanimalcontrol.com, call 406-541-7387 or email animalcontrol@missoulacounty.us.

Keep animals safe this winter

Now that the cold weather has moved into the area, Missoula City-County Animal Control Supervisor Jeff Darrah wants to make sure dog and horse owners take extra care to make sure their animals are well fed and kept warm.

Darrah said dogs need warm, dry shelter when temperatures are below freezing. He recommends owners allow their dogs to come inside during sub-zero temperature. With the new snow, owners are also asked to make the extra effort to keep their dogs contained in their yard.

Even if horses are not being ridden during the winter, they burn a lot of calories. Darrah said horses need to be fed a sufficient amount of food every day to maintain their weight. He added Animal Control get several calls in the Seeley Lake area this time of year because horses drop weight and start to look malnourished.

He said, “If you have horses please throw them extra feed this time of year because we may get a call on them. Then we have to come and check them out.”