A McDowell County animal rescue organization has suffered a devastating fire which took the lives of a mother dog and her puppies and caused severe damage to the organization’s facility.
Located at 139 Lytle Mountain Road in Marion, Rusty’s Legacy was founded by Jeri Arledge plus its mission is to rescue dogs from high-kill shelters, canines who have been abandoned or neglected and dogs who are in risk of being taken to the particular shelter.
But recently, Rusty’s Legacy experienced a tragedy when the kennel burned. A mother dog and her puppies were lost in the open fire.
Arledge told The McDowell News that the fireplace happened early Tuesday morning. “My husband and I was within the yard around 7 a. m. and found the kennel still smoldering, ” she said. “Thankfully, it was contained in order to one run. It has been a short in a wire we think that started the fire. ”
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The mother dog was a hound mix with 11 beautiful pups, according to Arledge.
“Devastated does not begin to describe our grief and emotional pain, ” she said to The McDowell News. “We were all very attached to the mother dog. ”
After an investigation by a licensed electrician, it appears a wire shorted out and caught a tarp on fire, which engulfed the entire kennel.
“It was horrific, ” said Arledge. “A freak accident. ”
In addition to the particular loss of life, the fire destroyed the electrical system for the entire rescue as well as the drainage system for the puppy quarantine where the kennel, the mother dog and her puppies were located.
The cost to replace the particular electrical program, drainage, run and doghouses will be a little more than $8, 000, according to a Facebook post.
On the positive side, the licensed electrician is donating his services to repair and upgrade the electrical system with regard to the save.
“We have received support plus monetary donations from our post on Facebook and a generous donor is matching the particular funds we are able to raise, ” Arledge said. “Within two hours of my telling colleagues of the fire, women from as far away as Boone were at the recovery to support me plus assist with cleanup.
“Rusty’s Legacy has many people loving and supporting us locally plus throughout the country. What happened is tragic and we at the rescue will need time to heal from our own grief. We are taking the needed steps to try and ensure that nothing like this happens here again. We are grateful that the damage was contained to one kennel because we are at capacity. ”
“All donations are being matched dollar for buck, ” wrote Cortnie Rohr on Facebook. “This community relies on the hard work that (Arledge) does. She has built this rescue up from absolutely nothing, she has given practically her entire being in order to it. I can’t imagine how much her heart is hurting over this particular loss associated with the sweet lives she saved. Please, if you can, donate to help relieve the financial burden so she doesn’t have to worry. ”
Here are some ways you can contribute to Rusty’s Legacy:
PayPal: [email protected] com
Venmo: Rustys-Legacy
Cash App: $RustysLegacy
In addition , you can mail contributions to Rusty’s Legacy, 139 Lytle Mountain Road, Marion, NC 28752.
For now, Rusty’s Legacy will be closed to admissions with the exception of dogs who were adopted through Rusty’s Heritage. If you have a stray dog, you are asked to contact animal control. “If you need to surrender an owned dog, contact the shelter or breeder where you got your dog, ” reads the message from the organization.
For more information, visit the particular Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rustyslegacy .