Shannon Allen began her representation in southwest Virginia in July 2009.  She is a 36 year old accountant turned stay at home mom to eight amazing furbabies and full time volunteer for Dogs Deserve Better and has recently accepted the role as national Rescue Coordinator for DDB. 

Beginning on day one she started receiving requests for help from her website:  http://dogsdeservebetternrv.org.  And after an interview with WDBJ 7 http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=10840058 and the Virginian Leader http://dogsdeservebetternrv.org/valeader002.pdf , she began receiving an outpouring of support from her community bringing to her team a trainer and private investigator. 

Although she initially said that she would rather not foster she took in her first unchained dog, Hokie, that she had been working on getting help for before even becoming a representative.  Hokie is a beautiful German Shepherd who had been chained, living under a deck for eight of her nine years.  Shannon is still fostering Hokie and marvels in her positive spirit everyday. 

After Hokie, came three more previously chained dogs from Chesterfield , VA:  Pudge, a Shar-Pei; Georgie, a pit bull; and Blacky a Lab.  Pudge and Georgie both had eye surgery and Blacky was Heartworm positive.  Blacky found his forever home quite quickly.  Shannon is still fostering Pudge and has adopted Georgie, now Juno, into her resident pack. 

She has been successful in working with many families to unchain or unpen their dogs and has found reputable rescues for them with the help of her fellow Virginia representatives.  These include:  Lulu, a lab; Maya, a hound; Ginger, a sheltie mix; Serina, a hound; Sam, a golden retriever; and Dunn, a Great Pyrenees. 

She was also able to get Chief’s family to bring him indoors with some help from her volunteer trainer. 

Shannon has also fostered Poochie, a pit bull and her litter of seven puppies who were born and abandoned in a back-yard when their previous caregivers were evicted in the Richmond, VA area.  All of Poochie’s puppies were adopted to wonderful families and Poochie, now Bisha, has become a part of Shannon’s resident pack. 

Dogs Deserve Better’s national office received an email regarding a chained Catahoula Leopard Dog in Bedford, VA.  By the end of the week Shannon had driven 3 hours through a blizzard to pick Gabbie up just days before Christmas.  Shannon fostered Gabbie for only a short while before she found her forever home in South Carolina. 

Then there was the fight for Radacus!  Rad was a chained boxer that Shannon had been working on getting unchained until Rad decided to take it upon himself to escape.  Rad landed himself in the county pound, still dragging his chain, where Shannon rescued him from.  Shannon fostered Rad long enough for him to receive his vetting and to process his adoption application.  Rad found his forever home in Christiansburg, VA. 

As she was on the phone with a fellow VA representative discussing their plan to introduce an anti-chaining proposal to the General Assembly, her fellow rep received an email about a chained pit bull in the Charlottesville, VA area.  Shannon said, “You get her unchained, I will foster her.”  Maybelline, actually a beagle mix, was safely in Shannon’s care by the end of the week.  Maybelline recently went to her forever home in New York. 

In January 2010 Shannon received a call from a ‘friend of a friend’ in Arizona.  Cash, an Am Staff mix was found roaming the Arizona desert.  Shannon agreed to take Cash provided they could get him from Arizona to Virginia.  Not thinking in a million years that a long transport such as this would be possible, she was surprised to get a message that she needed to pick Cash up at the airport.  He had been flown via Pet Airways.  Because of Cash’s severe separation anxiety, Shannon has decided to adopt him. 

All while rescuing, vetting, transporting, home checking, advocating, fundraising and attending tabling events Shannon was working on a suspected dog fighting operation.  After nine long months of investigation the dogs were seized.  Of the original twelve, only half survived.  One was found, dead, hanging by his tether.  One was adopted, one was sent to a rescue and Shannon bought the remaining four to her home for foster:  Lokie, Ismay, Bella, and Adora-Belle.  Adora-Belle has found her forever home and she is still fostering the remaining three.  The case is still open and arrests are to be made soon. 

Shannon also rescued another dog from a suspected dog fighting operation.  Chance is believed to have been a bait dog.  She is a very tiny pit bull, filed teeth, and many wounds.  Chance is being fosters by one of Shannon’s foster volunteers. 

In March 2010, she was excited to learn that the family of a chained pit bull was ready to surrender after 4 months of discussion with Shannon.  She has made Dymond part of her resident pack. 

Her most recent rescue was a joint effort between her; the Saint Bernard Rescue Foundation, Inc; and DDB founder, Tamira Thayne.  Brandy, a senior Saint Bernard had been chained most of her life.  Upon receiving Brandy’s sad photo and story, she knew Brandy needed help but could not foster her as she is caring for five fosters.  Tami stepped up immediately and Brandy made her way from Virginia to Pennsylvania. 

Shannon as utilized many Internet resources to assist and to find assistance through:  Twitter http://twitter.com/ddbnrv, YouTube http://youtube.com/ddbnrvva, blogging http://dogsdeservebetternrv.blogspot.com/, MySpace http://www.myspace.com/ddbnrv, and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106120841918&ref=mf 

Shannon’s future events and project includes:  Pets On Parade event on June 12th at Warm Heath Village in Blacksburg, VA; The National Animal Rights Conference in Washington DC on July 15-19; and her local Chain Off event in Blacksburg, VA (date TBA). 

Riding the coat tails of the dog fighting bust, with the support of the Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney of Giles Virginia, she will be working on getting an anti-tethering ordinance on the books. 

Through the happiness and heartache of animal rescue Shannon credits her fellow Dogs Deserve Better representatives for giving her advice and strength to keep going.  She also credits the dogs she has rescued and those still waiting, “Most dogs I have bought into my home have been neglected and abused.  It takes time for them to learn trust and that not all humans are bad.  When you see that light turn on, when you know that they know they are safe, it changes your heart forever.”