2,000 Animals Saved By Smithtown's Guardians of Rescue

SMITHTOWN, NY — Guardians of Rescue, an organization based in Smithtown with the mission of rescuing animals across the United States, says it has saved more than 2,000 animals this year.

The organization, which partners with law enforcement across the country, aims to help rescue abused and mistreated animals. With more people staying at home, the organization has seen more animal abuse going on around them, and it has been taking steps to help bring it to an end.

"This year we have been extremely busy helping animals around the country," said Robert Misseri, president and founder of Guardians of Rescue, via news release. "Not only do we get calls from individuals who want to report animal abuse taking place, but we also work with other smaller organizations, so we have been able to do a lot of work, thanks to the help we receive from our community of supporters."

Guardians of Rescue works with many law enforcement agencies around the nation that lack the resources to go after those suspected of animal abuse, according to the organization. The rescue helps law enforcement by investigating animal abuse calls it receives, as well as by working with small animal rescue organizations that are in more rural areas. In those areas, the organizations tend to work with police and the sheriff’s department to go after illegal puppy mills and hoarders. The organization has done more than 2,000 animal rescues this year, and its investigations have led to multiple arrests.

Some of the cases Guardians of Rescue has been working on this year include:

• Tennessee Boneyard Dogs — Grundy County, Tennessee, Jan. 16, 2021 – Guardians rescued more than 200 dogs from a hoarder/puppy mill, where there were dog bones and skulls lying around, according to the organization. Hundreds of dogs had suffered and died there on the property, with their remains still scattered about. The dogs that were rescued required immediate medical attention. The woman who ran the place was arrested and charged with many counts of animal cruelty, the organization said.
• Cat Hoarding Hell — Mingo County, West Virginia, Feb. 6, 2021 – Guardians worked with others in Mingo County to help rescue more than 100 cats from horrible conditions. They were in freezing conditions, and there was no fresh water or food around. The cats were suffering and fighting for survival, including turning to cannibalism.
• Cold and Dark Nightmare for Chihuahuas — Mason County, Kentucky, Feb. 18, 2021 - Guardians was urgently called to rescue about 20 little dogs who had been trying to survive in a shuttered home, left on their own with no food or water, for two weeks. This house had no electricity or heat. Even the toilet bowls were frozen. The dogs were freezing and ill, according to Guardians of Rescue. They were in need of immediate medical care.
• Dumped Mountaintop Dogs — West Virginia, Jan. 24 and March 2021 - More than 70 dogs, many of them chained, were living without shelter on a mountaintop in a remote area of West Virginia. Guardians was contacted by local authorities about the situation in Mingo County, West Virginia. The team, along with its placement partners, rescued the dogs.
• Kentucky Hellhole Puppy Mill — 300+ dogs, March 25, 2021 - Guardians was called to Kentucky to get hundreds of desperate dogs out of a "hellish puppy mill facility," the organization stated. The property was infested with large rats, and there were remains of dead dogs all over the property. All of the dogs had been used for profit and were abused and living in prisons, according to the rescue.
• Chester County, Tennessee — May 22, 2021, 50-plus dogs removed from nightmare - Guardians got an urgent plea for help from the Chester County Sheriff’s Dept. — 50-plus dogs needed immediate help. "The animals were living in a hell," the organization said. They were rescued and all adopted out.
• Hart County, Kentucky — May 20, 2021 — 65-plus dogs needed to get out. Guardians received a "disturbing call" about a potential hoarding/breeding operation, so its investigation team reached out to law enforcement and expressed its concerns. When law enforcement made contact with the owner, it was found there were more than 65 dogs on the property, some needing immediate veterinary care.
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — June 2021, Guardians on the ground in Philly. The team distributed more than 1,000 pounds of pet food, collars, harnesses, pet shampoo, and feral cat houses. These items helped homeless animals. Additionally, it investigated reports of animal cruelty in the area.

"We are so glad that we could be so productive and help so many animals in the last six months," Misseri said. "We can’t do all this work without the donations of those who support what we do. Every bit helps and adds up to keep us doing this work. Please consider making a donation so that the second half of the year we can continue to fund our mission."

Guardians of Rescue provides assistance to animals out on the streets and investigates animal cruelty cases. It is located in Smithtown, but it helps animals in many places around the country. It also helps military members with their pets.

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