HSLA Commends Denham Springs Rescuer Who Drove 10 Hours to Save 5 Puppies

The Humane Society of Louisiana is commending the work of Tiffany Duke, a mom and Denham Springs animal advocate and rescuer. A Bienville Parish sheriff’s deputy contacted HSLA early last month and explained that a mother dog and her litter of puppies had likely been abandoned in the small town of Ada Turner. Since the parish does not operate a public shelter nor has personnel assigned to pick up stray dogs, the sheriff’s department contacted HSLA, who often coordinates rescue operations with other groups, individuals, and agencies.

The puppies found refuge in a culvert in the middle of Pete Lyons Road, but were too skittish to be caught. To keep the canine family fed and watered, HSLA arranged for a dispatcher from the sheriff’s department to leave them food and water on a regular basis. To get the attention of local rescuers in the area, HSLA issued a press release asking for help in catching them. All attempts were unsuccessful until Duke, co-founder of Animal Advocates of Louisiana, got involved. After reading a post on social media regarding the puppies’ plight, she announced to her husband Christopher that she would make the 10-hour round-trip drive to try and rescue them.

On Nov. 20, Duke arose at 4 a.m. and drove five hours to the edge of town where the puppies were living. Though Duke had located the puppies, they wouldn’t come to her, so she came up with a plan to catch them. She put a string on the front of the door of one of her plastic carriers and put food inside. When a puppy entered the carrier to eat the food, she pulled the door shut. She caught two puppies this way, but the others soon caught on and stayed away from the carrier.

To catch the remaining four, Duke hatched a new game plan. Placing food outside of the culvert, she positioned herself on top and dangled a lead in front of the entrance. As a puppy approached the food, Duke would tighten the lead and catch the puppy. She was able to catch the remaining four this way, although it took another four hours to get all of them. After catching all six, Duke drove the five hours home.

“I’ve only been here in Louisiana for a short time, so it’s important for me to make as much of a difference as possible,” Duke said. “Those abandoned pups needed someone to help them, and I am so happy that I could be that someone.”

“We are very impressed and grateful with Tiffany’s passion, dedication, and work ethic,” HSLA Director Jeff Dorson said. “She’s already proven to be a real asset to our rescue community and our efforts to reduce our state’s large and ever-growing pet overpopulation.”

To support Duke’s rescue efforts, HSLA raised $1,100 on social media to pay for the puppies’ vaccinations and medical exams. Fortunately, against long odds, all the puppies appear to be healthy and seem to prefer sleeping on sofas and pillows as opposed to the wet ground and drainage ditches (see accompanying photos).

To adopt one of the puppies, please contact Animal Advocates of Louisiana at animaladvocatesoflouisiana@gmail.com. An adoption counselor will arrange for an interview and home check. Adoption fees are $250.

To learn more about AAL, please visit its page on Petfinder at https://www.petfinder.com/member/us/la/baton-rouge/animal-advocates-of-louisiana-la441/.

To make a donation towards the puppies’ care and other rescued animals in need, contribute through their Venmo or Paypal accounts at @animaladvocatesoflouisiana.

Those interested in joining HSLA rescue team or interested in forming a humane organization are encouraged to contact HSLA at info@humanela.org.

Established in 1988, the Humane Society of Louisiana is one of the largest animal protection organizations in the state and operates the Enoch J. Donaldson Animal Sanctuary in Mt. Hermon, La. For more information, please visit http://www.humanela.org.