Mazie’s Mission: To the Rescue and Beyond
Building bonds that last can lead to the fostering of the hope that gets us to a place where we can heal. A lasting bond can be an end to woes, and the beginning of something new. The development of such bonds takes time, and a lot of work. Yes, there are varying degrees of difficulty, but patience is the key ingredient, in any process. It is integral, whether it be with our friends, our peers, our pets, or even ourselves. The same applies to the patience it takes to learn, and grow, so that we can not only make things better, but understand how things are made better.
Mazie’s Mission is a nonprofit veterinary clinic and hospital, based in Carrollton, Texas. The clinic exclusively serves homeless cats and dogs that are in the rescue system, by providing them with affordable, quality care. They treat a wide variety of illnesses, such as advanced skin disease, heartworm disease, parvo, distemper, and respiratory infections. They also treat traumatic cases, such as broken bones, and instances in which an animal has been hit by a car. While they treat more heartworm cases that anyone, in Texas, the most severe cases that they treat are skin diseases, such as mange.
When they officially opened their doors, in January 2014, they became “the only veterinary clinic of its kind, in the country.” Since then, they have grown to the point of needing to expand into a larger facility. The Mission currently has two full-time veterinarians, and a hard-working staff of nine people. Serving Dallas-Fort Worth and the surrounding areas, the Mission works to save countless lives, everyday alongside their rescue partners, with the aim of serving homeless, underserved, abused, and neglected animals.
Per the organization’s website, they began by rescuing as many animals as they could. These rescues were “destined for euthanasia,” or “extremely ill.” They were treated, then adopted by people who gave them forever homes. Along with the clinic and hospital, the Mission includes community outreach programs, a rescue program, and a veterinary forensic veterinary medicine division. The Mission hopes that the clinic to fund a land purchase that will allow them to procure just under 10 acres of land, in order to construct an “Animal headquarters that is synonymous with animal welfare.” Another goal for the Mission is to make veterinary care affordable for rescue animals, so that more rescues can get the care that they need.
The Mission was founded by Dr. Erin Shults, after she decided to leave private practice to focus on serving homeless animals. Currently, she is training is veterinary forensics, so that the Mission can aide law enforcement is mill seizures, cruelty and neglect cases, and instances of animal hoarding. "Our rescue program is growing, and to date we have saved dozens of very sick or injured pets who otherwise would have been euthanized," said Dr. Schults. "Our outreach to rescue groups and volunteers grow an average of 35-40%, every year. We have over 300 rescue partnerships, and that grows weekly. When the clinic started in 2014, we had two employees and one volunteer. We now have a staff of nine, and over 50 volunteers that help with the rescue program."
Mazie's Mission is named after the first animal that Dr. Schults adopted from a shelter. "When I was younger, I was uneducated on the plight of animals in the nation, and would look in the paper to purchase a pet. Once I learned how many animals were euthanized, I vowed to never buy an animal, again," she said. "I call Mazie my "heart dog," which is a term to describe an animal that you have an extremely strong bond with."
The relationship that she had with Mazie was so impactful, that it not only lead to the founding of the clinic, but the clinic was named in honor of Mazie. On how Dr. Shults' bond with Mazie led to those things, she said, "I picked her out from a large line of animals looking for homes, in the Richardson shelter, because she was huddled in the corner and not barking, or even trying to make eye contact with anyone. I knew she was shutting down, and wanted to save her from mentally deteriorating further. We formed a bond that was indescribable, and I tell everyone that I swear she could understand what I was saying. She still lived with me, when I volunteered in my first puppy mill raid, in 2009, and that changed my life forever. I founded this organization in her name, as a promise to do all I can to prevent animals from euthanasia."
When it comes to the current state of animal welfare, in North Texas, and across the country, Dr. Shults said, " Compared to 10 years ago, animal welfare has improved drastically. Our euthanasia numbers are down (thanks to spay and neuter), and laws are being passed to protect the voiceless." When it comes to tracking trends in animal welfare, however, there is no centralized database. This is due to there being no clear-cut guidelines or regulations for acquiring sample data, along with respondents not always being in agreement. This is why animal welfare data are estimates that vary. Collective efforts like Shelter Animals Count are projects that seek to solve this problem. Shelter Animals Count “is home to the National Database of Sheltered Animals.”
According to the organization’s website, before they began collecting data, “accurate and comprehensive nationwide data collection did not exist.” This project’s purpose is to “create an effective infrastructure for complete and accurate shelter reporting, to understand risk-factors,” and utilize those data to “positively impact efforts.” While accurate animal welfare information is spotty, Mazie’s Mission continues to take an active approach to saving as many homeless animals as they can, in the hopes that the euthanasia rate will drop, as a result.
Working with rescue organizations makes a huge difference, when it comes to what Mazie's Mission seeks to achieve in the long-term. The Mission works very hard to help those animals brought to them from rescue organizations, at a low cost. "Trust is huge, when it comes to veterinary medicine, and it is even more vital, when we are dealing with pets that have major illnesses or trauma," said Dr. Shults. When it comes to what drives a successful relationship between the Mission and its rescue partners, she added, "We look for rescue partners who want only the best for each animal they care for, and they do not allow themselves to get overwhelmed, which is very easy to do."
The Mission's ultimate goal is to "reduce all unnecessary euthanasia, in the United States." When asked about how working with rescue partners fits into the Mission's ultimate goal, Dr. Shults said, "Rescue organizations are the absolute core to make that happen. We want to show the public that adoption is the only option, and that buying a pet from a breeder or pet store is literally killing pets across the nation. If we can prove that pets, either in shelters or rescue organizations are healthier, then we can move towards no more euthanasia."
The story of Mazie’s Mission is one about lasting bonds, and the healing that takes place, as a result. In developing trust between themselves and those with whom they work, this organization has found that happy medium which benefits humans and animals, alike. The animals that they take in, and the people that treat, foster, and adopt them are made better by the care that makes those lasting bonds, and the healing that takes place, possible. It is the work that goes into that care, and the forming of those relationships, that makes it possible for the organization, and their partners, to achieve mutual ends that seek to improve the welfare of homeless animals.
"I feel that bonding with a pet is different for every person," said Dr. Shults. "For me, it was seeing how sad Mazie was in a shelter, and being able to see her transformation into a wonderful companion. She was also with me, when I went through a painful divorce, and I never felt alone, when she was there. For others, it may be that they just give companionship during retirement, or it is the first pet they owned on their own, after college. The most important aspect is to find a pet with a personality you are seeking, and that is where rescue groups are so vital-- they know each individual animal." The Mission is always in need of help, from volunteers, to rescue partners, and donations. If you would like to help, here is where you can find ways to do so.
Sources
Shelter Animals Count, https://www.shelteranimalscount.org/data-dashboards
ASPCA, https://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender
Humane Society of the United States, https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/pets-numbers
Mazie's Mission. https://maziesmission.org
Dr. Erin Shults, via email interview response(s) on May 28, 2021