SUMTER, S.C. (WIS) – Following Hurricane Katrina’s impact, the idea of Danny & Ron’s Rescue was born in hopes of giving dogs in need a better home and life.
They’ve been living in their home, which was converted into a doghouse roughly two decades ago, continuing to serve dogs ever since.
Co-Founders Danny Robert Shaw and Ron Danta said they had no idea what they were getting themselves into by turning their Sumter County home into a doghouse. They’ve been passionate animal lovers their entire lives, working with horses in show jumping.
They were inspired to start rescuing dogs in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina swept through Louisiana.
“We sent our horse trailer down with supplies to help all of the dogs that were floating in water and we kept bringing dogs back,” Danta said, “We ended up with 600 dogs from that area,” Shaw added.
The two started converting their house after they got back from Katrina, when they realized they needed space for all the dogs. They would eventually realize it would take more than just the two of them to ensure their dogs had the right care.
Danny & Ron’s Rescue began hiring additional staff after that, and officially became a nonprofit in 2008.
“We had to figure out ways to keep the dogs separated and we wanted to get them all neutered and spayed,” Shaw said, “It was a lot of repeat visits to the vet, and keeping them apart, and all those details that come in, plus they had to wormed, have their shots and have everything done.”
Over the years, Shaw and Danta have rescued over 14,500 dogs, helping many of them recover from traumatic situations and find their forever homes. They personally care for injured and abused animals until they are ready for adoption.
“People when they’re looking for a dog at a shelter; they want a dog that comes up to the kennel (and) those shy dogs just never get adopted,” Danta said, “We take a lot of pride in taking those dogs, letting them live in our house and get rehabilitated so they can go to a family.”
The nonprofit has used the equestrian community on Facebook they’ve been a part of over the years, continuing to help the rescue raise donations that go towards taking care of all the dogs.
This came in handy for one rescue named Taran, who Danny and Ron received all the way from California.
“We have some friends who live out in California and kept calling about a dog that was on Facebook that was in the back of the kennel in a shelter, head down, wouldn’t look at anyone, shaking, and try to find a rescue out there,” Danta said.
A group of equestrians were so persistent in getting Taran help from Danny and Ron, they raised the funds to have her flown from the west coast all the way to the Midlands.
For the first year and a half Danny and Ron took care of her, they couldn’t figure out why she was so afraid of people. After one phone call, Ron discovered the root to Taran’s anxiety stemmed from watching her previous owner get murdered.
“I called the LA shelter where we got her from and I said, ‘Can you look up (where you found) this dog that we received?’ Danta said, ‘Oh my gosh that was really a tragic thing; the girl (who owned her) was in her thirties and was stabbed to death.”
Now, Taran is in a much better place as a sanctuary dog, living out the rest of her life at the Rescue.
“She’s sweet, she’s friendly, she’s cuddly, she loves belly rubs, she’s a completely different dog,” Danta said.
Although the two have faced many challenges continuing to keep the dog rescue running, they say their love for the animals is what keeps them going.
“We started it for the love of the animals and hating to see them neglected, punished, or abused in any way, that just really stresses our heart,” Shaw said.
The nonprofit has a handful of outreach programs and adoption events scheduled throughout the year. People can help support Danny & Ron’s Rescue by donating to them and visiting their website.
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