[Tia] I got a call from a shelter
in Cleveland, Mississippi, that needs help
with some hounds.
The shelter sent me evidence photos
of the location and how the dogs had been living.
And it was pretty horrific.
These dogs were in an extremely emaciated state.
Shelter said not only are they
physically in trouble,
but the emotional part of it
is actually almost worse.
You know, the dogs wouldn't let anybody touch them,
they were terrified.
They were completely unsocial.
It was a problem.
The emotional state of these dogs,
there was zero chance of them coming around
in a shelter environment.
The utmost important thing
was to get these dogs into a different environment
if they had any chance of coming around at all.
So, it's pretty urgent.
-[Jamie] Hi. -[Tia] Hi.
[Jamie] It's not the prettiest
-facility, obviously. -[Tia] Oh, what, girl, you do--
[Tia] Trust me, trust me.
-[Jamie] We do intake, breezeway, adoption. -[Tia] Mm-hmm.
Intake's for our new arrivals and dogs we don't have room to move over and then adoption
-for dogs that are ready for adoption. -[Tia] Right.
I'm Jamie. I'm the Director of the Cleveland-Bolivar County Animal Shelter.
[Jamie] The hounds are the first group here.
This is definitely one of the bigger intakes we've done,
especially for large-breed dogs, that we've done.
We absolutely would consider this to be an animal cruelty case.
And I know in larger cities, I'm sure,
charges would be pressed.
In this situation, you know, we are not well versed in going to court,
so our situation, we wanna just retain custody of the dogs.
[Tia] Oh, there is a big boy.
-[Jamie] Towser and Stella. -[Tia] Mm.
[Tia] Hi Towser and Stella.
Hi.
[Jamie] Then Rufus.
-[Jamie] And then Zouma and Raven. -[Tia] Oh, okay.
[Tia] This is another dirt road rescue.
They are warriors because they are dealing with
unspeakable circumstances.
No money, no help.
But are doing the best they can with what they have to work with.
So, I really feel compelled
to wanna really help them.
[Jamie] Clifford's covered 'cause he had-- I told you, he had a little cough.
-And these are my girls. -Okay.
This is Trusty and Ladybird.
These two break my heart 'cause I don't think they're at least a year old.
[Tia] Oh, my gosh.
Ladybird had--
her feet were so swollen when she got here with those--
She had a secondary skin infection on top of demodex.
-[woman] They're both excited. -[Tia] They're so tiny.
We had them separated at first,
but they were so terrified, we put them together.
I do not think that
the unsocialized, the scared,
no other rescue is gonna step up for them
because it is difficult, especially when they are heartworm positive,
and when they are terrified of people.
Most rescues are gonna go, "You know, that's too much for me."
So I think that that was the only chance
for them to get out as a group and to get out everybody
was for Tia to step up and do this.
Stella.
Oh, when they get going, the whole kennel gets to go in.
[Tia] What are you barking at, Stella? Stella?
What's the matter, girl?
What's the matter?
-I love that sound. -I do too. Yeah.
The whole kennel gets to go in.
They taught one of our little pit-mix puppies how to howl.
Just come here and then do it.
[Tia] You can't judge any dog in a shelter environment.
I always equate that to somebody who is in prison.
That the person that's in prison is not the person that's out here,
and vice versa.
When we get a dog out of a shelter, or we see a dog in a shelter,
we never make, you know, knee-jerk assessments.
[Jamie] The only one that's been a little twitchy was Ladybird.
-But even she is doing so much better. -[Tia] Yeah.
[Jamie] Stella rode in my passenger seat.
-I took her to the vet riding in my passenger seat. -[Tia] Yeah.
-And Towser would go with anybody. -[laughs]
[Jamie] He's never met a stranger.
-[Jamie] He doesn't hold a grudge. -[Tia] Hi, Towser. Hi, Towser.
[Jamie] He does not hold a grudge for the conditions he's lived in.
[Tia laughing] Look at his picture.
-[Jamie] His poor little eyes were just awful. -[Tia] He just, like, knows.
[Tia] The one thing I did notice
out of all these dogs,
is the one that was the most outgoing
was the big male that they had named Towser.
The shelter people, they said, "Oh, yeah. He's, like,
completely untraumatized,
at least emotionally."
Now he was the worst physically, which is pretty amazing.
He is the worst shape.
Yet he is the one
with the boldest temperament and personality.
You look like my Neely.
Aw.
[Tia] You know, there's no way to figure out why.
Just like humans.
Some people handle traumatic situations better than others.
So, Towser is probably just one of those dogs.
What time y'all open tomorrow?
Somebody will be here by 7:00.
I'm typically here at 8:00. We can get here as early as y'all can.
-We can get here at 8:00. -I know that was a long drive.
-We appreciate y'all making the trip. -Oh, it's okay. It's okay.
I got wild animals to deal with in my van, too. So, um...
Okay, yeah. So, come in the morning.
I tell people all the time,
'cause we get asked every day if we're full.
We are always full.
We take in about 1,000 animals a year.
Our rate versus our population is about 5.2%.
So we are about two times the national average for intakes
for our population.
You are not treading water in the South
with animal rescue. You are drowning.
-You are just drowning slow. -That's great.
-That's a great way, it's a sad great way of putting it. -Yeah.
[Tia] Tomorrow morning we're gonna come back
load them up,
and then head back to Louisiana so that we can get back home
at a decent hour and get the dogs unloaded.
-Thank you. -[Jamie] Yeah.
We are really excited for them.
[Tia] They're pretty cute.
[Tia] Fortunately, while I'm out here in Mississippi,
rescuing these dogs,
M2 is holding everything down back in Assumption Parish.
Oh, man. I got morning hair.
[M2] Being a dog rescue family is really interesting.
We are definitely not like the normal family.
Whoo! Whoo!
[all laughing]
[M2] My day starts really early.
Usually around 5:45, 6:00.
In the morning, it's about getting up, getting the kids ready for school,
for the baby sitter
making sure they ate.
[M2] Do you wanna eat your eggs?
-[M2] No? -No.
[M2] Life was getting
pretty easy with Luke being older.
Loop that into an 'e'.
-[Mariah] Just like that. Yeah. -[Luke] Oh, my good God.
Once Leilana got here, it got a little complicated again, you know?
She's smaller. She's a baby.
So, she needs all of our attention.
Let's get those mosquitos and flies.
Thankfully, I have a really great husband
and he is always really
present and there.
[baby cooing]
-Ow! -[Mariah laughs]
-[M2] Did she get you? -[Kanani] Ow.
[M2] Mirak.
You are fine. Give me your belly.
Here is her belly.
All eight of my dogs at home
came in as rescues.
I have to make sure that I get them out in the morning before I leave.
And then I also have to be back
a few hours after that to get them out.
Go, get it.
Go the other way. Run the other way. [laughs]
There is so much to juggle.
I think it's just a non-stop hustle.
Bye, Cece bug.
See you later.
Look at her little wave. [laughs]
Since meeting Kanani
and becoming a part of the rescue full time,
my life has changed tremendously.
It is definitely a lot more hectic,
but it does have a lot more meaning.
My job at the rescue is
definitely demanding
most of the time.
And it can be pretty physically exhausting.
Gosh. Oh, my gosh.
I'm in charge of
quite a few dogs out here in the country.
We do have the highest intake rate out here.
I do all the medical
for all of the country dogs in the Assumption Parish location.
And I try to handle as much as I can on my own
because our employees out here already have, you know, a lot of work to do.
[clicking tongue] See?
Certain days I do rescues
or, usually, I have a vet run in the morning.
Come on.
I know you are scared of the car. I gotcha. Come on.
Ready?
Good boy.
[Tia] It has been said that
M2 has become like a mini me.
Hi, Mirak. Hi, Mirak.
[Tia] You know, she is very
dedicated to the dogs.
Look at how bouncy and happy he is. [laughs]
He's, like, "Whoo-hoo! I'm home. Whoo-hoo"
She puts all of her heart and her soul,
you know, into helping them.
Where's dog?
[Tia] When it comes to the Assumption Parish location,
she knows every facet of what goes on here.
She can make all the decisions.
You know, she is, kind of, like a one-man band. Like, she...
she knows how to rock it.
So I have 100% trust
in letting her just run the place when I'm away.
[M2] Thank you. Good night.
[dog barking]
Jethro, we are gonna be bringing some more
of your people in here.
Got to be a little bit more welcoming than that.
[Jethro continues barking]
-[laughing] It's a no. -[Tia] It's a no.
[Tia] This morning we are here at the animal shelter
in Cleveland, Mississippi.
We are getting ready to load up all the dogs
and head back to Louisiana.
And, hopefully, just get them comfortable.
[sighing] Okay.
Good morning.
We are gonna start with, like, the lab
-and the two smaller hounds. -[Jamie] Okay.
Better not leash them but we can loop them and then we'll carry them out.
At least, if they have a leash on, if they start biting and we have to drop 'em,
we've got them on a leash, you know, kind of thing.
Because these dogs had come from a horrific situation,
when they were rescued off the property,
to then be put in a shelter, which, no matter what shelter,
it's, it is a scary situation.
-Hi Roof. -All right, he's, he's big.
-Heavier. -Okay.
Okay, baby.
-It's okay. It's okay. -[Tia] Of course, that construction next door
-is not helping. -It's okay. Let's go.
You're okay, baby. Okay. Got him.
Good.
[Tia] Honestly, a dog that is afraid,
the more closed in they are, the safer they feel.
So the van was going to become
a safe place very quickly.
All right. Let's put Towser in first
-'cause he is going in the back. -He is excited. [laughs]
[Tia] And then I got to scoot her in past my
wild animals.
Come on, bud, Come be with your people.
Good boy.
There you go.
[dog growls]
I know. It's one of your peeps. Come on. Come on.
Come on, Mama. Come on, Stella.
-There you go. -Come on, baby girl.
-Yeah. There you go. -I know it's different. Come on.
-There you go. -Don't worry about that.
All right. Come on, babies.
[clicking tongue]
Come on, baby.
-See. See. -Oh, my gosh.
Out of all the dogs,
the-- what's upsetting me the most
is the black lab.
-Hi, Mama. -So terrified.
-Hi, Raven. -I'll [bleep] stop.
Oh. She's peeing.
[Tia] And when they are peeing and pooping on you
and trying to bite you, it's just fear. You know?
And I don't mean to stereotype,
but, you know, labs, they're, like, so outgoing.
They are so outgoing. And to see that dog just terrified,
you just think, "Wow," you know?
Wow. So many questions that we're never
gonna be able to get the answers for.
God.
-Oh, man. -[Tia] Oh, look at them.
Have a little minute here.
[Jamie] I can't tell you how excited we are
-for them and for y'all, too. -Aw.
To make this big trip for the dogs.
Hopefully, they come out of it,
you know, okay, as far as their emotional state.
Thank you, guys, so much.
[overlapping chatter]
Thank you so much.
[Tia] The first thing is to get medical done and go from there.
[Jethro barking]
[Tia] Shush, stop, stop.
Jethro, stop, stop.
[Jethro barking]
So, this week, Tia is picking up a few hounds
from a shelter in Mississippi.
So, it's my job to get
the location where they are gonna be
staying at ready.
'Cause I gotta rearrange this today.
You're good.
That means getting crates
and supplies all together for when she gets there with them.
-What, all of it? -No. No, no, no, no. Okay.
[M2] That's eight more dogs
that I now am responsible for their medical,
and all of their socializing.
It's just a lot more on my plate,
but it's eight more dogs that we get to save.
You are, like, you're trying to hit me.
Kanani is a really great partner at home and at work.
We juggle a lot everyday.
We have a lot to do at work.
We have a lot to do at home with the kids.
Wait. That was 66.
Wait. Hold on.
We are actually lucky enough to be a couple that can work together,
and still get along,
and not get irritated with each other or fed up.
All right. Let's go drop this food off
and then we'll unload the rest of the food in there.
What is this?
Why is there an empty box in here?
I definitely think that
what brought Kanani and I together was our love for dogs.
You know, I volunteered for the rescue
before we even knew each other and got together.
So I definitely think that passion
and having the same interest brought us together.
Seventeen.
Eighteen. I'm getting weak.
My spouse is, like, super awesome.
And she, like, is a beast at everything that she does,
especially the work we do.
[M2] Here, babe.
That's okay. You don't have to stack it. She's gonna put it in a wheelbarrow.
No matter what's going on in our personal lives,
at the end of the day,
the dogs here at the rescue are always our first priority.
Hey, what's on that floor? What's on that floor?
Good dog...
So when Tia gets back with these hounds,
our main priority is to make them feel as comfortable
and as safe as we can
because, from what Tia's told me, they've had a really rough start.
It's not even lunch time yet.
[Mariah] Come on, hobbles.
I've had Rant for a little over a year.
Come on, baby!
Rant came to me from a friend
that couldn't keep him anymore. She was moving.
I knew that there was no way I could put him in a kennel.
It would deteriorate that dog. He's old!
[barks]
He'll just stay on my couch, it's fine. [chuckles]
All right, come on.
Rant is the name that the person before her gave him.
His name is Rant Edward.
And, yes, he knows his middle name very well. [laughs]
Who's that, Athena? Come on!
He is very entertaining.
He loves dogs, he loves kids, he loves people.
He's a social butterfly for sure.
[Mariah laughs]
Get it! There you go. Here, Athena!
Let him have... Hey.
Let him have his.
At the beginning when I took Rant, I didn't really have a plan.
I just took him.
This is as far as he's going to get.
After a while, I knew that I needed to find him a home.
I also knew that it was going to be a little bit harder
because he's around, like, eight or nine years old,
but he has degenerative arthritis in his back legs.
Rant, you want your bed?
He still gets around just fine.
But now he can't really hold his pee sometimes.
You all right?
It's really hard to find someone that is excited to take that on,
that's a lot of work for someone.
So, my mom told me that one of her past adopters, Jenny,
had unfortunately lost the dog that she had adopted from us, Silver.
[cheering]
[Mariah] And Jenny was ready to take on a new dog,
so my mom and Lizzy immediately thought of Rant.
All right, come on, guys.
Come on!
Hi!
-[Jenny on laptop] Hey. -Can you see me?
Jenny hasn't met Rant, she's just seen videos,
but I really want her to understand how much time it takes
just to take care of him.
How are you?
Good. How are you?
Good, I have Rant here with me too.
[chuckles]
Hey, buddy!
My name's Jenny and we were interested in Rant
because we had previously adopted Silver
and she was a senior dog when we got her as well.
Let's show her home, Diesel.
[boy] Your new home, yay!
She definitely stole our hearts
and we have decided that it's our trajectory
to go for the senior dogs.
I'm going to start crying, I'm sorry.
Um, that, you know, I don't want to say nobody wants
because obviously there are people that want them, but they, um,
have a hard time getting adopted.
And we have space and the ability
and we're happy to have naps on the couch
and, you know, take short walks.
And, so, I'm hoping that for him...
we want to make sure it's good for him.
That's not an easy placement.
So, what has Lizzy told you about him?
[Jenny on laptop] Lizzy's told us that he is, um, senior,
a senior pup. He's got some arthritis...
Is y'all's backyard fenced-in or are you guys going to be walking him--
-[barks] -Oh, yeah? You got something to say?
[chuckles]
No, we have a fenced-in backyard. Yeah.
Okay, that makes it so much easier with him.
Thankfully, with past adopters,
Jenny is already approved.
She did move from Florida to Virginia, so it is a new house.
But she knows what we're looking for already.
I don't know anything about the dog that you currently have.
How is your dog meeting new dogs?
He does fine meeting other dogs.
He is, um, typically
on the hyper end.
He will play for maybe a couple minutes,
-but then he gets tired because he's seven-- -Perfect!
-Yeah. -[both laughing]
He loves to play with other dogs,
but yeah, he gets pooped out and he gets knocked over and...
He wants to party all the time.
We call it his 'whoo-hoo' and I don't know if Lizzy sent you those videos.
-Did she? -She did, yeah.
-It sounds like he's saying it, doesn't it? -Yeah.
-[howling] -[Mariah laughing]
-[Mariah] Whoo-hoo! -[imitates Mariah]
My other dog is a hound mix, so he will be in good company with--
-Okay! - the barking and making noise.
So, yeah. Diesel will love that, I'm sure.
[barking]
Seeing Rant in the videos and on Zoom
was just super cute with his woo-woos.
He just seems like a genuinely happy dog.
You know, typically we had Silver and sometimes he would want to play with her,
but she was, like, no.
Okay, well, he will play.
-[barking] -Got it.
Oh, I can see him in the back.
He hears him. [laughs]
His tail was wagging for a second.
You hear your new brother? [laughs]
I mean, of course I'm really worried about her dog meeting Rant.
We don't know if they're going to get along.
I do know that Rant loves everything and every dog.
But
that doesn't mean that they're going to get along, still.
Yeah, call me if you get anything before
and Rant and I will see y'all soon.
-All right! -All right, bye! Have a good day, guys.
Stay safe, bye-bye!
[barking continues]
Really?
[barking continues]
[dogs barking]
[Tia] So, I recently rescued eight dogs
from a shelter in Cleveland, Mississippi.
All right, let's put Towser in first 'cause he's going in the back.
-[woman] Yeah, he's excited. -Then I've got to scoot her in past my wild animals.
-Did you bring all the medical? -Yeah. I got 'em right here.
-Oh, good, okay. -[M2] Yeah, some of them are on meds already.
We had everything worked out for these dogs.
We did not put them in, like, main population within our kennel system,
we actually had a mobile home that was set up for them.
These two definitely are buddies.
-Okay. -These two are buddies.
Then that's the purebred Lab.
They almost look like they could--
Well, that's what we were all talking about 'cause look at this guy,
it's like a black bloodhound, almost.
[M2] I know! They could all-- Well, they were all at the same breeder, right?
They were all at the same place?
[Tia] Yeah, then I have the two pure-bred puppies.
Every dog that we get in is filled with parasites,
especially when they come from, like, rural environments,
and where those dogs came from was a really nasty, dirty environment.
But now it's just a matter of just getting the dogs healthy,
you know, and start their heartworm treatment when they're ready.
Is that the one, that's the big--
-Oh yeah, that's Towser. -Towser.
That's trouble looking for a place to happen.
-[Towser howling] -I know.
-[Lizzy] He's got a lot to say. -A lot to say.
-[Towser howls] -What, Towser?
They don't look as, like...
-[Lizzy] They look better today. -[M2] They look happier.
-[Lizzy] He's comfy. -[Tia] Yeah.
I wonder if he's older than five. He looks old in the face.
[M2] He's gonna be big when he gets healthy.
[Tia] Yeah, he's like a baby Bocephus.
-I think they look, like, less shut down today. -They look young.
-[Tia] Yeah. -You know?
It's also really quiet over here.
[Tia] They have their own house, they're watching movies.
They're decompressing.
Like, when I walked in I was like,
"Oh, my God. This could not be more perfect for this group of dogs."
At this point, it's just getting them healthy enough to get to know them better,
so that, eventually, they can get adopted.
Look at her, she's going to sleep.
Yeah.
Today, I am loading up my foster dog Rant
to take him to his possible new home in Virginia.
I know I'm forgetting stuff.
From here to the town in Virginia that I'm going to, it is about a 15-hour drive.
But when you have dogs with you, you have to stop
and you're feeding and walking every couple of hours,
and, obviously, it's a little bit slower with Rant
because his arthritis in his back legs.
This way! [smacks lips]
I've had Rant in my house for a while and at one point
I thought that Rant was just mine,
that I was never going to find someone that would care for him
up to my standards.
Until Jenny came along, and now I'm going to be driving Rant
all the way to Virginia.
Good boy.
I'm also bringing my personal dog, Pastor, with me.
Come here! [smacks lips]
You excited?
This is also Pastor's first big road trip,
so it's a big one for everyone.
Whoa! [laughs]
Calm down, dude.
I think my biggest fear with this adoption is her dog not liking Rant.
Get in your own seat! Go.
'Cause her heart is already set on helping him.
If her dog doesn't like him, I can't leave Rant there, that's not fair.
I really hope that her dog likes him
and that I will not be coming back with Rant.
All right, bud.
You ready?
[M2] So, today I had Kanani and my daughter Leilana
come and help me test a new dog we just rescued, Stamps.
[smacks lips] No, no, no!
There you go, there you go, baby.
Yes! Oh, my God, yes!
[yells happily] Okay.
You want me to carry you?
Come here, I'll carry you.
She is still very shy, she's very untrusting,
um, so it's gonna take some time to gain her trust
and get her more comfortable and more out of her shell.
You going to perk up when you see the puppy?
I brought along my beagle Shiloh as well,
he's extremely great with dogs.
You want to meet Shiloh?
He doesn't care about anything,
he'll let you be shy or he'll let you play.
You know, he's just a really good dog to try with.
[smacks lips]
Look, Shiloh likes you!
-Those are puppies. Those are puppies! -Shiloh likes you!
[M2] What do you think about him? [smacks lips]
Hi, mama. Good girl!
Here, you want to go in here? [smacks lips]
Come here, Stamps. Good girl!
I think she's one that needs a dog for confidence.
Hi, pretty girl. It's okay.
[smacks lips] What you think?
You want to let Leilana walk around?
Kids can be really intimidating to shy dogs. They're loud,
so I wanted to see how she would do with that.
You like the puppy? [smacks lips]
Say "Hi." Oh, look!
You just like him, is that what it is?
Hi! [smacks lips]
Shiloh, here! [smacks lips]
Look, she wants to be by Shiloh, actually.
Hey, come here, baby girl.
Good girl, it's okay.
She was the one behind the post office.
-Mm. In the cane field? -Mm-hmm.
I went over there and she, like, disappeared.
Like, was super skittish.
-Oh, Stamps because of the post office. -Yeah.
[Kanani laughs]
It was either that or, like, Mailbox.
[both chuckling]
Here, you know what, baby? Put Leilana behind you and let her walk around.
Sometimes shy dogs really like kids
'cause they can, like, sense the innocence.
[Kanani laughs]
I know, she's not, she's not quite innocent, is she?
Leilana is at that age, she just turned a year,
so she does not have any concept of what being gentle is.
Here, why don't you sit down?
It's a funny age,
so using her for dog testing is really good
because she does stuff that maybe we don't allow our kids
but other people will allow their kids to do,
so it's really good to see how the dogs react.
Look, you want to sniff her now?
You being a good girl?
[Tia] I am one of these mothers
who believes that all children should be around animals and nature
because I think it makes you a better person.
I do think that the kids raising their kids around the dogs
definitely has an impact
on helping them become compassionate and patient and understanding.
You learn so much from them.
[M2] Like, the day I rescued her, I took her back to my office
and gave her a few minutes and some treats,
and then, all of a sudden, she was rolling on her belly
and chasing the toy.
So, like, I think she'll be nervous in a home in the beginning,
but I think once she
understands, like, nothing--
-Right, yeah. -You know, everything's good, she'll come out of her shell.
One of the benefits from having a family in rescue,
especially for my kids,
is that they learn from a young age how to treat animals
and just the compassion you need when dealing with them.
Leilana's only one and she's already learning how to hold the leash
and she really wants to be involved.
So I think it's really nice, that's a good benefit,
you know, a lot of kids don't get that experience
and my kids are getting it at a really young age.
This is Ambria, she is around a year and a half old.
Ambria really, really loves to learn.
She absolutely loves other dogs, she loves children.
She would honestly do great with an active family
that loves to go camping and hiking,
play in the backyard. She just gets kind of wild, so,
kids that aren't babies would probably be best.
Hi, sweetheart. Oh, thank you. [laughs]
If you're interested in adopting Ambria or any other Villalobos dog,
or donating to Villalobos,
go to animalplanet.com/pitbulls.
[Tia] So, I've had the two bloodhound puppies
for a couple of weeks now.
They are improving
as far as, you know, being more social with me.
Gotta go out and check on the little pups.
They've been getting a little bit better.
And...
[clanking]
Oh, my God!
Are you kidding me?
So, I just put the puppies in a little temporary pen,
for a couple of minutes, and, as they say,
don't turn your head for even a brief second.
Yeah, you guys have so come out of your show now.
The puppies tore down my cypress siding
on the side of my house.
And then ate through the wall.
They ate a hole in my house!
[dog whining]
The one thing that I noticed right away, which I'm not surprised,
is that they are very untrusting of people.
But they're doing pretty good.
[dogs howling]
Thankfully, my dogs are amazing
when it comes to working with other dogs.
So, that's what I did, is, I introduced the puppies
little by little to the different dogs.
[Tia laughing] Oh, look at the cotsies.
They don't have cooties, buddy! You'll be okay.
[Tia laughing]
They had a blast. They are super outgoing now
with other dogs. I mean, they're doing really well.
[Tia laughing]
Before they got too attached to me,
I wanted to then move on to the next step,
which was to bring them around other people,
move them to a different location,
to kinda prepare them for their new home someday.
So, Orome is the one that looks very bloodhound-y.
She's a black and tan,
Myrtlebell's the tri. She's the one that has demodex.
These two, for where they came from...
-[M2] They're doing really good. -[Tia] Amazing!
I did not expect them to get crate-trained so quickly,
-The other ones are doing really good for at least-- -Okay.
-They'll love it here 'cause-- -They love other dogs, yeah.
They love other dogs.
Okay, girls, you got new friends!
You wanna see your new friends?
Because we get so many beagles in,
we actually have an entire house dedicated to just them
at the sanctuary that we call Beagletown.
[M2] Hi, baby!
Hi, sweet baby! Hi, Oda!
Like most hounds, beagles are very social with each other,
they're super dog-friendly,
they love being around other dogs.
So, when it comes to helping us
socialize dogs that are a little shy,
the hounds, hands down, are the best dogs for the job.
-Come on, let's go, let's go! -[M2] You'll be fine.
-[Tia] Look at them. -[M2] I know...
-That's why I was, like, look at them! -[Tia] Come on.
She's, like, is Cece still there?
Wait till you see all the beagles.
-It's like they love you already. -[dogs whining]
[Tia] The beagles do really well with any puppies we get in.
So, I think it'll be a good thing for them.
-[Tia] You're okay. You're okay. -[M2] Maybe--
-[dogs whining] -[M2] Oh, no, no, no.
Okay, look, look, look.
[Tia clicking tongue] Come on, inside the shelter.
Here's an idea. Bring out some of your friendliest beagles,
and put them in one of these yards.
-[woman 1] Okay. -I mean, I don't know if it's time for a let out,
-but they love other dogs, so-- -[woman 1] Okay.
That'll be good for them.
It was a little, a little scary for the pups, you know.
But you look at them now to how they were coming out of the shelter,
it's like night and day. They're on leash,
they were just looking around at things.
I mean, they were still a little scared.
[M2] Here come some beagles!
Beagle friends!
[dogs whining and barking]
[M2] Aww, hi!
Beagles are the smallest of the hound family,
and they're also very social. They're adorable.
-[Kanani] Hey, now, oop! -[M2] Watch where they're headed there.
So, we keep them together
just because they love playing with each other.
Oh, my God, she's so teeny tiny!
[M2] She's so confident and friendly!
[M2] Carousel!
-Look at how cute she prances! -[Tia] She prances!
[M2] She's a really cute one.
[Tia] The Beagletown is really cute.
Everybody sleeps inside at night in crates,
and then they're outside during the day.
They play with each other.
It's like romper room for little dogs!
It's adorable there. It's a fun environment.
The beagles will work their magic and, I imagine,
within a few days, they're gonna be just fine.
All right, girls.
So, it is good for them to get out.
You know, their world's gonna expand a little bit,
than just dealing with me all day.
Once they start to get more confident there,
then I'll have the girls start walking them around the sanctuary,
because we wanna prepare them for adoption.
Aw, well, they're not as scared as they were, so--
-The fact they're walking away from me is good. -Check what Carousel's doing.
They're doing great.
[Mariah] Today, we are in Virginia.
And we're gonna be doing my foster dog Rant's adoption.
We're at, actually, a past adopter's house,
but she lived in a different state before,
so this is a whole new house for me to check.
[Jenny] I'm excited for today!
I wanna see how Diesel does with Rant.
This is gonna be exciting.
Hello, sweetheart!
[clicking tongue]
Hi!
Hi, sweetie, you can do that all you want.
I'm hoping you guys are in love with each other.
I really want him to stay here.
[Jenny] So, I have that room set up for him, that we can gate up
with the bed and food and water.
-[Mariah] Okay. -[Jenny] When we're not here, we can put Rant in there.
Why don't we do the backyard first?
-[Mariah] Then I'll do a walk-around. -Okay.
[Mariah laughs]
He may not wanna go out 'cause he doesn't like the rain
That's fine. If he doesn't want to, he doesn't have to.
[Mariah] Okay, I mean this is pretty easy.
-Rant is old, I'm not worried about him getting out. -[Jenny] Yeah.
If it was a dog that was younger, then I'd tell you
-you need to put step on the bottom. -[Jenny] Mm-hmm.
-But he's not going anywhere. -[Jenny] Yeah.
-[Mariah] This worries me a little bit. -[Jenny] Okay.
If I were you, I would try and get
-the thing that goes across right here. -[Jenny] Okay.
-But, other than that, this is easy. -[Jenny] Okay.
[Mariah] The backyard is perfect. There's only a couple of stairs
Rant can get up and down them, and if he can't,
it won't be hard for her to help him out,
'cause Rant has no problem being carried.
-[Mariah] You wanna open the garage? -[Jenny] Yeah.
[Mariah] Okay, I'll just come through and meet you in there,
-and then we can introduce them. -All righty.
You stay, Pastor.
Rant, sleepy, bud? Okay.
Ooh! Goodness gracious. It's raining.
-[Jenny] You smell him? -[Mariah] Come on.
You got it!
When we introduce dogs, we always come out of the house,
out of the area that that dog is used to,
and go on a walk.
But, of course, it started pouring rain when I got there,
really, really bad. I didn't really have a lot of options.
It wasn't even to the point where we could
go in the backyard and bear it,
because the dogs-- we wouldn't get a normal reaction.
[Jenny] Look how cute he is!
[Jenny laughing] Hi! You're so cute!
-[Mariah] So, he's a very happy dog. -[Jenny] You're so cute!
-[Jenny] You're jealous, just like Silver was, too. -[Mariah] Happy always!
[Jenny] You're a little guy!
Meeting Rant for the first time was so much fun.
He just seemed so happy and you--
I don't think he can tell that his back legs aren't 100%,
'cause he was jumping around.
[Mariah] Good boys!
[all laughing]
Good boys, come on!
-What do you guys think? -He's so cute.
The way that I introduced them is not how I would normally do it.
But I know this dog so well!
We have them on leash, if anything happens, we can pull them away.
Rant is not gonna do anything.
He's just gonna-- he's excited!
-[all exclaiming] -[Mariah] Good boy.
I think the dogs meeting for the first time went well.
-[Mariah] Whoo-hoo! -[dog howling]
[Jenny] Diesel, he was on the anxious side,
but I think over all it went well.
[Mariah] He's excited.
[all laughing]
[Jenny] You like it here? You like it here?
Rant, you wanna go inside?
[Rant barking]
Got it? Whoo, look at you go!
Here, Rant. [clicking tongue]
Are you comfortable letting him off leash?
Whoo-hoo! Yup, you're good.
-I know it's-- -[dog howls]
Whoo-hoo! Here we go!
You're gonna have a noisy house.
You prepared for that?
[Jenny] We're looking forward to caring for him,
because he does have some special needs,
and I think Diesel took really good care of Silver.
And, so, I'm hoping now he can kind of be Rant's caretaker too.
[Mariah] All right, if you wanna leash him, I can hand you Rant.
But things went exactly how I though they would.
-[Jenny] All righty. -[Mariah] I'm not crying.
I don't have any fears with this,
except her having to deal with Rant's stinky butt.
But she knew what she was getting into!
[Mariah] All right. All right.
I didn't think this day was ever going to come for me.
These are the parts of fostering dogs,
it's always hard, is when they leave.
But I am so thankful for her and her son.
Like, he can finally have his home. He deserves it.
You happy you got a buddy?
[Mariah] Oh, my goodness. All right.
-I'm gonna sneak out. -[dogs barking]
[Jenny] Thank you!
[Jenny] Bye!
We like having two dogs. It's so quiet with just one.
Believe it or not.
I mean, uh, that's gonna change!
What do you think? Okay.
Careful!
However many years he has left,
we wanna make sure it's, um, it's good for him.
[paper rustling]
Idea, I'm just gonna put the presents in there.
Today is Leilana's birthday.
and we are doing a small get-together,
just with me, Kanani and the kids.
[M2] You wanna eat some food first?
-Or just go straight into the cake? -[Kanani] Whoa!
-[M2] We only live once! -[Kanani] Yeah!
-[M2] You're only one once. -[Kanani laughing]
[in sing-song voice] Birthday party, birthday party!
I don't know how you have that much energy after school.
[Kanani] How was your day today?
[M2] I was busy. You were there for most of it.
You ready to get really messy and smash some cake?
These little moments of us just at home,
just us four, enjoying each other,
and kind of laughing and just being in the present,
and letting it slow down a little bit,
are really important to me.
[Lana gurgling]
All right, you're done 'cause now you're playing.
Those are the ones
I know the kids will actually remember
versus the constant going and the constant running around.
[M2] Look what I got!
Oh!
-[Lana exclaiming] -[Kanani laughing]
-[Kanani] She says, "I know, I remember this stuff." -[M2] Yeah--
-[Lana crying] -[M2] Okay, hold on...
Hey, hey, patience!
I didn't even finish my dinner and we went to cake.
[clicks tongue] I'm happy.
[all singing] Happy birthday to you!
-[M2] Go. -[Luke] Cha-cha-cha.
Okay, we'll all three do it, ready?
[all three] One, two, three.
You ready?
-Argh! -[Luke laughing]
[M2] I think some of the things
I want Leilana to grow up learning
and I can hopefully model for her,
is how to just be a strong woman,
how to be tough.
I really want her to be her own person
and not be afraid to speak up for what she believes in.
-Is that yummy? [whispering] Oh, my God! -[Leilana laughing]
[M2] Look at her face. [laughing]
She's, "I want my presents."
-Oh, no, right? -[Kanani] Mm-hmm.
-Okay, I think your brother is more excited than you are. -[Luke giggles]
I also want them to learn that it's okay to be compassionate
and be humble.
I really hope that they see that in me,
and I hope that I can teach them to be that way as well.
Look Cece.
[all gasping]
[M2 exclaiming] What is that? What is that?
[Kanani] It's a present.
[M2] Oh, you're opening and you don't even know!
[Luke whooping]
-Come here. -[Luke] What is that? What is it?
Let him give it to her.
[Luke] Ooh, what's that?
It's a puppy-unicorn! You gotta raise it!
-[Kanani] Wait, she's only one! -It's a puppy!
[M2] I know. [laughing]
I hope Leilana and Luke can take away
from watching me and Kanani work at the rescue together.
There's the teamwork.
Everything in our life is kind of intertwined.
So, we lean on each other at home and at work.
Happy birthday, Leilana. Love you, baby girl.
We can bond and work together for a bigger purpose.
You know, it's bigger than me and him,
but we use each other to get there.