Humane Heroes
- 1. Prison Dog Programs
- 2. Eye on the Witness
- 3. Wyatt to the Rescue
- 4. Edward Gorey
- 5. Fashion Forward (Heather Chase)
- 6. New England Wildlife Center
- 7. Animal Sanctuaries
- 8. Ojai Raptor Center
- 9. Search and Rescue Dogs
- 10. The Catman of Millbrook Farm
Wyatt to the Rescue
D. Lynn Black
Wyatt Tyler is a dog’s best friend. Sure, this remarkable and compassionate 10-year-old from Wauchula, Florida, does the usual 10-year-old boy things: He goes to school, plays with friends and pitches for his Little League baseball team. But in his spare time, he also runs Wyatt’s Ruff Rescues, his own animal shelter.
It all began in December 2000 when Wyatt and his mom, Linda, visited the Hardee County Animal Control Kennel to donate pet food. Wyatt inquired about the red tags that only some of the animals wore. His mother explained that those animals would soon be euthanized because no one had adopted them. “I couldn’t stand the thought of that,” recalls Wyatt, who has four dogs of his own. “I had to try and save some.”
Back home, Wyatt collected his Christmas and allowance money and returned to the kennel that same day to adopt a Labrador retriever named Sasha. In order to find Sasha a good home, the resourceful fourth grader wrote a letter to the Wauchula Herald-Advocate about Sasha’s plight and almost immediately someone called to adopt her. Suddenly, Wyatt knew what he had to do. “I wanted to save more dogs. My mom agreed—as long as I took care of them and found homes for them,” he says.
Wyatt swung into action. His first fundraiser was a yard sale, which netted $400. Word of Wyatt’s Ruff Rescues spread to the Chicago, Illinois-based Animal Welfare League, which donated $25 a month to offset the cost of dog food, and Wauchula veterinarian Ross Hendry volunteered to spay and neuter the rescued animals for free. Wyatt got a local radio station, WWOJ, to publicize his program. Linda also helped out, listing Wyatt’s Ruff Rescues with Petfinder.org, the ASPCA’s online partner and national animal cybershelter. To date, Wyatt has rescued close to 100 animals—mostly dogs, but also a few cats—saving an average of eight animals a month. He shelters as many as five “red tags” at a time. “I housetrain and leash train them and teach them basic commands,” he explains. Most pets are placed in homes within a month. But not just any adopter will do. Adopters must sign a pledge promising to take proper care of the animal and agree to return him if things don’t work out. “I’ve only had about five dogs come back, and I always adopt them out again,” he proudly states. In return for a pet, Wyatt requests only a small donation.
The honor student at Wauchula’s Zolfo Elementary has persuaded everyone from the assistant principal to the town’s chief of police to adopt one of his rescued animals. Wyatt’s ultimate goal is to become a veterinarian so he can help even more animals. “I want to save as many animals as I possibly can,” he proclaims.
D. Lynn Black is a freelance writer and animal lover living in Akron, New York.
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To learn more about Wyatt Tyler and his Ruff Rescues program, check out his webpage at www.petfinder.org/shelters/FL135.html, or e-mail him at Wyattsruffrescues@hotmail.com. |
© 2002 ASPCA
ASPCA Animal Watch - Summer 2002
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