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S. Fla. Rescue Saving Dogs Dumped In The Everglades

LIGHTHOUSE POINT (CBS4) - It's a heart wrenching problem, dogs of all shapes and sizes are being dumped in the Florida Everglades.

Whether it's the economy or cruelty, you can see these sick and suffering animals roaming the outskirts of Homestead and the Redlands.

But a group of volunteers has been feeding and trapping these abandoned animals.

Last weekend they spent ten hours in the pouring rain coaxing a dog they nicknamed 'Candy' to safety.

"We've rescued 50 since July," says Amy Restucci who helped rescue Candy.

"I have no words to describe what I see when I go there. New faces every time. Emaciated to the point, if we didn't show up that minute the dog would die," said Restucci.

Some of the animals have been nursed back to health at the Acacia Animal Hospital in Lighthouse Point.

"A lot of these kids coming in are scared to death because they've had to fight for themselves.  It takes a special home to fix them up," said veterinarian Mark Stevens.

"They weren't born in the wild.  They're not used to foraging for themselves.  They don't know how to hunt so they wither into starvation," added practice manager Lauren Liutermoza.

"We need veterinarians to step in, the community to step up.  We need homes for these dogs, we desperately need help from the community," says Amy Restucci.

If you would like to help either through a donation or adopt one of these rescued dogs go Facebook and search 100+abandoneddogseverglades or go to www.thenokillnation.org

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