Angels Among Us Watching Out for East Cobb Animals

How many people would spend two weeks trekking through the woods in freezing temperatures, searching morning and night, leaving food, baiting a trap and talking to strangers in an attempt to find a stray dog they’d met only briefly?

That’s exactly what East Cobber Lara Shaw did in early January to save a dog named Erika when she escaped from her new foster home. Shaw is the event planner for Angels Among Us, (www.angelsrescue.org) a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing dogs and cats from high kill shelters in North Georgia and transitioning them into foster and forever homes.

“We pull animals from kill facilities so they don’t die,” said Shaw.

Erika was a stray dog that the Angels staff rescued from a North Georgia kill shelter. Erika was initially transitioned to Camp Woof in Norcross – a dog daycare facility that temporarily houses many of the Angels rescues. After the standard treatment of bathing and socializing Erika, she was taken on January 8, to the Angels Among Us bi-weekly adoption event at the Avenue at East Cobb to meet her new foster mother, an East Cobber who lives in Chimney Springs.

But, about an hour after Erika was welcomed into her new foster home, she escaped into the neighborhood and remained elusive for the next two weeks. Through the January snowstorm and the days after, volunteers and residents banded together to help find Erika.

“The coming together of the East Cobb community during the two weeks of Erika’s search was unbelievable,” said Lisa Zambacca, a former East Cobb resident who handles public relations for Angels Among Us.

Though several sightings were reported around area, it wasn’t until January 22 that Shaw was able to lure Erika into a trap with food and then take her home. Following her dramatic rescue, Erika was quickly adopted into a forever home.

Angels Among Us was founded in 2009 by Valerie Weinberg and LuAnn Farrell. Once rescued, each animal is spayed or neutered, given the proper vaccinations and brought back into good health before finding temporary shelter in a foster home or a permanent place to be loved. The medical care is paid for entirely by Angels Among Us and the organization relies on volunteers, donations and fundraisers for support. Animals are housed by a network of more than 120 foster homes throughout the metro area and adoption events are done every other Saturday from 11am-3pm in front of the fountain at the Avenue at East Cobb. Events are also held at The Forum in Norcross on alternating Saturdays. The organization has saved more than 720 animals in the last year.

Angels Among Us is in need of East Cobb volunteers to help with animal transport, holding dogs during the adoption events, marketing, fundraising and to serve as foster families. For more ways to help, email susan@angelsrescue.org or visit their website at www.angelsrescue.org.

Written by Elizabeth Wentz. This article also appears in the March print edition of EAST COBBER.