by Nancy Gallimore | Photos courtesy of Helpless Hounds
I remember when Amity Edwards mentioned she was going to start her own
breed rescue. I run our local Dalmatian rescue, and there are other area breed-specific rescues for golden retrievers, Labs, German shepherds, and other breeds, so I asked Amity which breed would be her focus. “Hounds,” she replied. “Hounds?” I questioned. “All of them?” Her reply was yes. All of them.
And here is the part where, for once, I managed to keep the thoughts in my head from coming straight out of my mouth. What I said was, “Great! Good luck!” But inside my head? “Oh, girl, you are in for a ride.”
Edwards, an interior designer by trade and owner of 918 Interiors & Window Coverings, is a longtime hound-dog fan, having grown up with basset hounds. Prior to starting her own rescue, Edwards was a regular volunteer with Oklahoma Alliance for Animals (OAA), helping dogs of all shapes and sizes, but specifically drawn to dogs with hound traits.
“Hounds are generally misunderstood,” explained Edwards. “People think of them as hunting dogs or working dogs and often don’t realize they can make great family pets.” With a strong desire to help bassets and other similar breeds, Edwards established her own nonprofit, Helpless Hounds, in late July of 2019. Her idea was to offer additional assistance specifically to hound breeds, but on a conservative level. That was the plan.
“I really thought I might help a dog here and there — maybe five or six hounds in a year,” Edwards said. But fate had other ideas. The young rescue was called into action almost immediately when a fellow OAA volunteer made Edwards aware of an injured coonhound at Tulsa Animal Welfare.
Ellie May was a black-and-tan beauty, just one year old. She had a badly injured
front paw and needed immediate veterinary care. With her newly minted rescue in place, Edwards was able to pull sweet Ellie from the shelter to help her on the road to recovery.
To say that Edwards dove in headfirst is perhaps a bit of an understatement. It was quickly determined that Ellie needed to have her leg amputated, so the first order of business was to raise funding for the initial $900 to $1,200 surgery. Which Edwards did. Ellie May came through surgery in great form, found a wonderful home, and that initial rescue mission got a big check mark in the win column.
Long-Legged Hounds
Looking back, Edwards will be the first to admit she didn’t realize what she had signed up for. She laughs as she reminisces about her on-the-job education. “I was envisioning rescuing a few basset hounds, then Ellie came along, so OK, a coonhound” she said. “Then suddenly I’m getting calls for all these long-legged hounds. I got a quick lesson about just how many hound breeds there are.”
The American Kennel Club recognizes 32 hound breeds. Of those, some are considered sight hounds and some are scent hounds, based on the inherent hunting style of each breed. Helpless Hounds focuses on rescue efforts for scent hounds, including basset hounds, coonhounds, and beagles, to name a few.
And those long-legged hounds Edwards was getting calls about? They are treeing walker coonhounds, a breed that has now become one of her favorites. These hounds sport markings similar to those of bassets or beagles but have long legs and a lean, athletic build. In fact, it was Copper, one of this variety of coonhound, who became Edwards’ best teacher, friend, and dog mentor in her rescue journey.
Common Story, Special Dog
Copper’s story is a tough one, and sadly, not an uncommon journey for many hounds. Likely a dumped or lost hunting dog, Copper was picked up as a stray by animal control in Geronimo, Oklahoma. Soon after arriving at the city’s shelter, Copper was part of a big adoption event to hopefully find all resident dogs new homes. At the end of the day, every single dog had found a home except Copper.
Copper was considered a difficult dog to place, so the shelter scheduled him for euthanasia. Thankfully, a compassionate woman in the area learned of the hound’s plight and stepped forward at the last minute to save his life. While this fortunate turn of events should have been the happily-ever-after part of Copper’s story, it was anything but a fairy-tale ending.
It turns out that Copper was an accomplished escape artist. The dog spent a year hopping out of his owner’s yard, cruising around town, chasing cats, and wreaking havoc in true hunting-dogs-gone-wild form. After several citations from animal control, Copper’s owner realized the dog needed more help than she could provide.
Enter Helpless Hounds rescue. Copper joined the program and soon gave Edwards her biggest challenge, but at the same time became her greatest teacher. “He was the worst dog we had in our rescue,” claimed
Edwards with a laugh. “He was timid with new people, very aggressive toward cats, and able to leap over a five-foot fence with ease.”
A frustrating challenge, but Edwards still saw something very special in the six-year-old hound with the soulful eyes. Determined to save the dog, she worked with him nonstop. And yes, Copper did get adopted. And then, unfortunately, returned to the rescue — twice. “Copper needed someone to give him the time and patience to help him settle into a new home properly.” Edwards dedicated herself to him by keeping him in her own home and taking him with her to work every day. In the process, she fell in love.
Copper is now a beloved member of the Edwards household and an integral part
of the rescue. “When we have new foster dogs come in, we introduce all of them to Copper. He shows them the ropes and helps them feel comfortable.” The once “worst dog” is now a valued team member for Helpless Hounds.
“He is the cuckoo-crazy coonhound that means everything to me.”
Exceptional Companions
Helpless Hounds celebrated its three-year anniversary a few months ago. To date, the rescue has come to the aid of 800 hounds and hound mixes. Of those dogs, 281 have been transported to out-of-state rescue partners in California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Maine. The remaining 519 dogs have found placement locally and throughout the country with careful screening by Edwards and her volunteers.
Those are staggering numbers for a small, independent rescue. It speaks volumes to the plight of scent-hound breeds in and around our area. “Most of the dogs that come to us are abandoned hunting dogs that have never been inside a home and never had an owner teach them how to be a part of a family,” explained Edwards. “It takes time and work, but our hounds can become exceptional companions.”
A big part of Edwards’ job in rescuing and rehoming hounds is educating potential adopters about the breeds. The big brown eyes and velvety, floppy ears paint an adorably appealing picture. And when you take a moment to research breed characteristics on the American Kennel Club website, you read descriptions about good-natured, low-maintenance dogs who can get along well in families with kids and with other dogs.
The treeing walker coonhound has even earned the nickname “the People’s Choice” for its sensible, affable nature. But at the same time, each breed comes with considerations. Most of the AKC descriptions also detail an independent streak and a persistent prey drive, which
means if a hound’s nose catches a bunny trail, it might turn a deaf ear to your calls while the dog’s instinct to hunt takes over. Each breed also has exercise requirements — both physical and mental — to ensure a happy, enriched dog. A bored or anxious hound can become a very destructive hound.
“A basset is obviously not the same as a coonhound or a bloodhound, so education is vital to successful placements,” Edwards said.
Finding Hope for the Future
When Edwards is asked what her greatest challenges are in running Helpless Hounds, you might be surprised that caring for the dogs is not what she notes first. Topping the list are returns — the dogs who don’t work out in their new homes. “Returns are tough because we are responsible for our dogs no matter what, so we immediately scramble to find space. It’s heartbreaking for humans and dogs alike.”
Like most small rescues, Helpless Hounds does not have a facility or a kennel to house waiting dogs. The group relies solely on volunteer foster homes or boarding facilities, and of course Edwards’ home and office are never without a few extra hounds in residence. And that leads us to the second challenge Edwards cites — volunteers.
The nonprofit relies heavily on volunteer help for running the rescue and caring for dogs. Although Edwards is grateful for her core volunteers, there is always a need for more. It seems there are never enough hands, never enough foster homes available to meet needs.
Funding is also an ongoing challenge. Yes, there are adoption fees to help with some of the expenses, but it’s never enough to fully pay all the vet bills, buy supplies, or cover the food bills. Edwards credits good friend and volunteer Jennie Loucks for creating and spearheading unique and fun fundraising events to help keep the rescue afloat, a never-ending job. “She takes our crazy ideas and makes them happen. I couldn’t do this without her.”
And the hardest challenge of all that comes with running a dog rescue? For Edwards, it’s when she has to say no. “It’s incredibly difficult to learn of a hound in need of help, but because of lack of funds or lack of space, I’m not able to offer assistance.”
But when asked if it’s all worth it? Edwards’ reply says it all.
“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s a lot of heartache; there’s a lot of discouragement. Some days it’s like banging your head against a brick wall,” she explains. “But who knows where 800 hounds would be if we didn’t exist? It brings me a lot of joy to see once broken-down hounds living their best lives in new homes with families that loves them.”
Eight hundred check marks are now in the win column as testimony to the efforts and dedication of Edwards and her crew. With a track record like that, it almost seems appropriate to change Helpless Hounds to Hopeful Hounds. Surely the group’s alumni would all howl in agreement.
