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Thousand Oaks

German Shepherd Rescue Organization Saves Thousands of Dogs Annually

By Robin Jampol and Don Yates

The phone rarely stops ringing at Westside German Shepherd Rescue because the need to save another magnificent German Shepherd Dog (GSD) never ends. Often the calls are from other animal shelters that are full and they want to prevent the destruction of a GSD. There have been calls from the police who have found a GSD tied to a bag of food and left by the side of the road. Sometimes apartment managers find dogs left behind when the tenant moved or the gift puppy has grown up to be a full-sized dog and the owner no longer wants the dog.

Westside has vans that travel all over California picking up dogs and most return with eight or more each trip. They call these “freedom rides” because the dogs will be safe and cared for no matter how long it takes to find them a new home.

Westside was founded by Robin Jampol in 2002 and has grown over the years to a rescue organization that facilitates the adoption of over a thousand dogs each year to new loving homes. Many of the dogs are adopted in Southern California, but some go to faraway places all over the United States and Canada. The pictures of these dogs in their new homes on the Westside German Shepherd Rescue website keeps the volunteers motivated to rescue even more.

At any given time, Westside is caring for 125 or more rescue animals. Most of them are kenneled at their Hill Street location, with some in foster homes around the area. When visiting the Westside website for the first time, visitors are often amazed by the selection of beautiful GSDs, including the classic Black and Tan, whites, blacks, sables and long coated shepherds. Westside also gets puppies and now has ten new mixed breed pups. The selection changes on a daily basis.

There is also a wide variety of personalities. Some people like the waggy-tail-love-everybody personality and then others appreciate the protective German Shepherd who will wait for you to invite guests into your home. The Westside volunteers and staff test and evaluate every dog to determine its temperament and suitability for different home situations. They even do cat and small dog testing for homes that have other animal friends. Each dog gets a complete bio describing his or her tendencies.

Westside has become a favorite of many Conejo Valley residents including David Lee, a Thousand Oaks resident. “Our first puppy had floppy ears and was extremely loving and protective of the family,” stated Lee who has adopted 3 beautiful shepherd mixes from Westside. “Our second adoption was an 8-week-old puppy from a rescued pregnant shepherd. Westside provided amazing care to the mother and her 7 puppies. Our third adoption was a young stray with a broken leg that Westside picked up from the street. A car had hit him and left him injured on the streets.” Mr. Lee and his family expressed their gratitude to Westside for rescuing these dogs. “They are part of our family now. Thank you Westside German Shepherd for saving these fur-babies.”

Anyone interested in adopting a dog or becoming a volunteer can visit www.sheprescue.org. Westside is open to the public on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Westside German Shepherd Rescue is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is donation-based and receives no public funding. It is located at 3016 S Hill Street in Los Angeles.

Experts encourage people to foster or adopt a pet during this shelter at home period. You can save a pet as well as alleviate your own stress.

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