Operation Eclipse Rescues 86 Dogs and 2 Kittens in Missouri

Animal Rescue Corps and National Mill Dog Rescue transported 86 dogs surrendered from southern Missouri breeders, plus two kittens, to Tennessee for care.

Animal Rescue Corps (ARC), a national nonprofit animal protection organization, assisted National Mill Dog Rescue with the transport and care of 86 dogs surrendered from commercial breeding operations across multiple locations and counties in southern Missouri. Two kittens were also located near Poplar Bluff and joined the transport back to ARC's Rescue Center outside Nashville. The effort was dubbed Operation Eclipse, a name ARC says its team chose after arriving in Missouri during a stunning lunar eclipse. The dogs ranged in age from seven weeks old to eight or nine years, and included poodles, mini Australian shepherds, doodles, dachshunds and English bulldogs, according to Animal Rescue Corps.

The scale and coordination make this a genuinely uplifting development. The planning for Operation Eclipse began while ARC was already caring for more than 100 animals from several recent large-scale rescue operations, according to Morningstar's account of the organization's release. Immediately before departing for Missouri, 47 dogs and one cat left ARC's Rescue Center headed for placement partners and the next step of their journey to permanent homes. The rescue center, vehicles, caging and crates all had to be cleaned, sanitized and reset before the organization could bring in the 88 newly rescued animals — a testament to the logistics, trained volunteers and resources required to say yes to another large group.

Animal Rescue Corps reported that the dogs appeared to be in generally good physical condition, though most were shy and uncertain during the transition, and staff expects them to come around with patience and care. All the rescued animals are now at ARC's Rescue Center near Nashville receiving complete veterinary exams, grooming and time to adjust to receiving physical care and contact, which is unfamiliar to them. According to ARC, the two kittens arrived with more serious medical needs: one had undergone surgery to remove an injured eye, while the other was found abandoned and partially blind. Both had been rescued by an ARC contact in Missouri before joining the transport to Tennessee.

The words of ARC executive director Tim Woodward capture why operations like this matter. "Some of these animals came to us needing little more than basic care and some time to learn that they are safe," Woodward said, per Morningstar and WSMV. "Others will need more care for medical issues that have gone unaddressed like dental disease or tumors that need to be removed. The ones that need our patience and understanding the most are the adults who have spent their whole life isolated and not understanding why. Our job is to begin to earn their trust and write over their past experiences with new positive ones." Woodward added that there is never a day when there are not more animals who need help.

Adoption transport destinations for the rescued animals have not been determined yet, but a spokesperson for Animal Rescue Corps says the organization will share placement updates on its Facebook page as they become available. Yahoo reports that the dogs and kittens are settling in at the Rescue Center near Nashville, where veterinary exams, grooming and the slow work of adjustment to normal life are underway. ARC says it will keep making room for animals in need, and that it will do everything in its power to give them the chance they deserve. More information about ARC's work and how to support its ongoing rescue efforts is available at animalrescuecorps.org.