Since the day she arrived unexpectedly at our home one cold December afternoon, our family has known that Keller, our deaf and blind Australian Sheppard, was a constant source of inspiration, joy and unconditional love. We felt that she was sent to be part of our family for a reason, but we just didn’t yet know just what this wonderful little fur angel was could inspire us to do.

For those of you who may not already know, Keller was adopted by my son, Adam, from the Bladen County Animal Shelter where she had been abandoned because she was “less than perfect.” All of her other litter mates had been adopted, but no one wanted the little dog with the funny looking eyes and who didn’t come when called.

Recently, I was contacted about helping to rescue some of the other fur angels in the Bladen County Shelter who, like Keller, had been overlooked for various reasons and scheduled to be killed. When I saw those innocent, frightened faces I knew I was fulfilling a mission I was meant to do. With much help and encouragement from several individuals, we started trying each week to recruit volunteers to help save these innocent “misfits” and give them a ‘happily ever after” story.

After listening to me tell how our Keller was once in the same situation as these animals, we decided that Keller’s story and inspiring determination could help save other cats and dogs that are destined for certain death. Her inspiration to us and others who have heard her story, could possibly become a way to make things better for other Bladen County animals abandoned at the shelter. So, we set out on a mission to create a nonprofit animal rescue named Keller’s Compassion Animal Rescue and recently received the official approval.

Keller’s Compassion (KCAR) was borne out of a desire to offer hope to the hopeless and a voice to the voiceless in our community. Our vision is to end unnecessary animal euthanasia in Bladen County, North Carolina and beyond. Our mission is to rescue, secure medical treatment, spay, neuter, and rehome animals. We also hope to reach out to engage and educate the community in helping to achieve our vision.

We have several volunteers with a range of talents who help recruit fosters, transport animals to fosters, help with the legal and technology issues, answer emails and such. Others who cannot help in other ways can help fund medical expenses, take pictures to post for adoption online, offer words of encouragement and prayers for strength and energy to keep Keller’s vision alive and to not give up when things get difficult. However, most of the KCAR volunteers are not from Bladen County and have to travel great distances to help. We would love to encourage the citizens of Bladen County get involved, help how and where they can to make sure we take care of our Bladen County animals.

It is easy to drive by and turn our heads, drop off little creatures when it is not convenient to care for them anymore or think that someone else will do it, but that is not the case. These animals are killed in the shelter when their time runs out or the shelter gets full or have not been adopted or rescued by someone else.

Please make a point to visit the shelter and see the sweet, frightened, sad, begging faces of abandoned cats and dogs that are being care for at the local shelter and then examine your heart to see if you can find room to help save these animals. They have no voice but ours and their fate is at the mercy of those who choose to help or those who choose to do nothing. We would love to be able to say that no animal had to be destroyed because no one wanted it. Matthew 25:40 says “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

We are in the process of developing a webpage that will soon be ready. We welcome you to contact us on our Facebook page or email me at teresahardee@yahoo.com.

Teresa Hardee is a resident of White Lake and has contributed a number of stories about Keller.

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