Published: April 24, 2008 11:51 am      

PETS: Group helps find homes for abandoned German shepherds

Ken Ryan of Medina was devastated by the loss of his German shepherd, Tim, who was put to sleep in January after a year-long battle with cancer.

Shortly after Tim’s death, though, Ryan started to research German shepherds.

“I was looking for German shepherds more out of curiosity. I wasn’t really ready for another dog, yet,” Ryan said. “I wanted to see what was out there.”

Ryan’s curiosity led him to a Web site that sparked his interest in the animals even more. The Bright Star German Shepherd Rescue, an organization based in Rochester and Buffalo, is dedicated to “saving the lives of German shepherd dogs,” according to the group’s Web site. Ryan quickly became involved and is now a German shepherd foster parent.

“I found the Web site, made some phone calls and here I am,” Ryan said.

He is now fostering Sadie, 10, and Lad, who is between 1 and 2 years old.

Since Ryan was not yet ready to own another dog, he said the rescue “is a good way to have another dog, but I wouldn’t be committed.”

Ryan also views his involvement with the rescue as a coping mechanism. Becoming a foster parent was just what he needed to help him get over the loss of Tim, he said.

German shepherd rescue organizations are found across the nation, but Bright Star German Shepherd Rescue is committed to providing happy homes to German shepherds in the Rochester and Buffalo areas. The rescue’s purpose is to find good homes for German shepherds that have been mistreated or abandoned.

“In most cases, there’s really nothing wrong with them. People just don’t want them anymore,” Ryan said. “To me it’s just a wasted life, and some of them are even puppies. It’s a shame they wind up in the situations they’re in, and they don’t have any control over it.”

The organization was originally based solely out of Rochester, but when Leann Barnes of Wilson became involved, it quickly expanded to the Buffalo area.

“I was looking to adopt a German shepherd myself, and that was probably in 2003. I went online and found a dog, I adopted it and I really liked what they were doing,” Barnes said. “You can’t help but get pulled into the program, because it’s such a great program.”

So, it was no surprise when she quickly volunteered to help in any way possible. Barnes started by spreading the word about the rescue operation.

“As people started to hear about Bright Star German Shepherd Rescue, we began to grow. So now there is as many in Buffalo as there is in Rochester,” she said.

Barnes owns three dogs herself — two German shepherds and a Doberman. Barnes brought her Doberman home from a shelter, fostered it for a few weeks and realized she did not want to give it up.

Although the rescue’s main focus is German shepherds, she will not hesitate to help if a dog of another breed is in need.

“Our majority is German shepherds, but if we find a great quality dog at a shelter, we’ll grab them,” she said.

The rescue also makes it easy for those wanting to foster or adopt.

“They contact me, and I would hook them up with our foster coordinator, and we would come visit them and talk to them to get a feel of their experience and what kind of dog they can handle,” Barnes said. “Everyone is paired up with a dog they can handle and that their family can handle.”

To help with this process, the organization hosts a “meet and greet” every Saturday so potential foster parents and owners can meet the dogs. “They get to meet the animal and see if that animal is compatible,” Ryan said.

After growing up with German shepherds and knowing the breed’s strengths, becoming a foster parent to German shepherds was a good fit for Ryan.

“They’re very intelligent and dedicated dogs. They’re loving, caring and they’re a family dog,” he said. “Even the dogs that have had a tough life come around and are very good animals.”

The number of people fostering is growing every day, and with good reason, as there are many advantages to fostering or adopting through the program, Ryan said.

“You get a dog that’s out of its puppy stage, so you already know its issues,” he said. “You really don’t know what you’re getting with a puppy. So there’s a lot of reasons why it’s good to find a dog that’s older and already gone through that puppy stage.”

Fostering or adopting will not only help the dog, but will lead to a positive experience for the owner. “It’s a good thing to know that you’re helping to save a life,” Ryan said.

“It’s really rewarding. I find that people love stories behind their dogs — ‘I rescued it. I saved it,’ ” Barnes said.

The Bright Star German Shepherd Rescue has rescued more than 900 dogs — 36 with Barnes’ help.

Visit www.brightstargsd.org for more information on how to become involved.