Rivers News Story!

Volunteers try to rescue a dog named River
Posted - 12/11/2009 at 6:03PM
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Tucson - In this Holiday season, even our 4-legged friends need a hand. River the dog was first spotted along the Rillito River in early November. Now, well into December, animal rescue volunteers are trying to bring River to safety."It's a God given gift inside, you just get attached to this animal," says Marc Hammond a Wildlife Rescue Expert."At night time you think about it. Before you go to bed you think, does this animal have shelter? Is it going to be warm?"Hammond was called in by animal rescue groups to help find River, a medium sized female Shepard Huskey mix."I got a new one I was just showing." At his van, he demonstrates to some concerned volunteers a new humane trap he hopes will catch River."Once she pulls on that, it's going to activate the trap. And then it's going to shoot a cable over her neck."Hammond thinks River chose this river because it gives her shelter. "There's a lot of different places right in the river bank there where the dog can get into," he explains.Lisa Judge first saw River back in November."It appeared to me she may have been dumped by someone. She has a collar on. She seems to want to be near people but she's very un-trusting and afraid of people right now."Lisa has been putting up flyers, bringing out food each day, and organizing other volunteers on Craig'slist. She worries because River is injured. A rear leg and front right paw are causing her to limp a lot.Marc is worried about coyotes getting her. It's a harsh environment for any domesticated animal."There's hundreds if not thousands of stray animals out there. Why River?" News 4 asks Hammond. He laughs and says,"I knew you were gonna say that. And you know, I promised myself I wasn't gonna get attached to this dog but it happens."So Lisa's hope this season for River is, "getting her in somewhere out of the elements into a safe and good environment for a dog would be the end game we're looking for."Go to Tucson Craigslist -- in the Pets section -- type "River the Dog" for volunteer information