The nonprofit animal rescue Mutts in Need sends a monthly transport to the Los Angeles airport to pick up a group of dogs scooped from the streets in Armenia — shuttling them to Orange County for rehabilitation and a chance for a new life.
Saved by a partner in Armenia who gathers up street dogs and obtains certification for canine air travel, these pups often arrive with varying degrees of injuries or other issues.
“A lot of them are not in very good shape and need a lot of work to get them socialized,” said Steve Bittner, president of Mutts in Need. “In Armenia, there’s a lot of street dogs, and they don’t treat them very well. We rehab them and get them adopted.”
The rescue also brings in stray dogs from Mexico in addition to pulling dogs at risk of euthanasia from shelters across Southern California. About 90% of the dogs saved by Mutts in Need are from kill shelters, while the rest are a mix of strays and owner surrenders.
Mutts in Need often rescues dogs that have unique health or medical conditions that might require expensive surgery or special care and attention.
The 100% volunteer-run organization operates with a central location in Newport Beach in addition to a dozen foster homes across the county where volunteers house dogs waiting for a permanent home.
Mutts in Need is also a no-kill organization that’s dedicated to reducing dog overpopulation, abuse and neglect.
Bittner, the organization’s president for the past five years, first started volunteering with the group about 10 years ago, walking dogs known to be more difficult to handle.
“We’ve taken on cases that you wouldn’t think had a chance of getting adopted,” Bittner said, “and we turned those dogs into great dogs that got loving homes.”
Bittner is also a dog trainer who works to socialize and rehabilitate many of the canines rescued by Mutts in Need, ensuring they’re ready for a new home.
“When they first come in and they’re scared and shy — some of them can be a little aggressive,” he said. “Once you work with them for a couple weeks, and you see them turn into this awesome dog that can be taken anywhere and is adoptable, then it just makes you feel good about what you’re doing.”
“You helped this dog go from being on a possible red list or euthanasia list to getting a home,” he said.
Bittner recalled a border collie named MooMoo rescued last year. She was surrendered by owners who had confined her to a second-story apartment balcony. Bittner said that when MooMoo was first rescued, she wasn’t socialized and didn’t like being around people.
“After working with her for a couple weeks,” he said, “she turned into this incredible dog that I could take to Fashion Island or the Spectrum or take her anywhere and have no reservations about her at all.”
“When the light goes on, and they realize what it’s like to be a dog, that’s the biggest thing for me,” he said.
Mutts in Need hosts adoption events most weekends across the county for visitors to meet some of the available dogs.
Many of the volunteers foster dogs in their homes and help prepare them for a new family.
Volunteers like Krista Lagsdin open up their homes and help teach the dogs basic social skills and house manners so they can be the best candidates for adoption.
Lagsdin has been volunteering with Mutts in Need for the past five years.
She first got involved with the organization after adopting two sister dogs named Willow and Magpie from Mutts in Need. The dogs had contracted canine parvovirus and had been dumped and abandoned by previous owners.
Now, Lagsdin fosters dogs in her home as they wait for a chance to get adopted into a permanent home. She also helps transport dogs to medical appointments, reviews adoption applications, conducts yard inspections for new adopters and volunteers at adoption events.
When asked about why she chooses to foster, sitting in her Villa Park home on a couch surrounded by dogs of various sizes, bones and toys, she started to tear up.
“Even if someone volunteers or fosters once a month — it saves lives,” Lagsdin said.
“In Orange County and L.A. in particular, shelters are 40, 60, 80% over capacity. We are busting at the seams. Our rescue’s capacity is usually 40 or 50 max; we’re almost at 100 right now. Most of those dogs are in foster homes. It really does make a difference.”
Mutts in Need is always in need of volunteers to walk dogs at their location in Newport Beach, foster dogs in their homes or help in other creative ways.
“Any type of volunteers with skill sets that can contribute, in addition to any pennies they’re willing to donate and their time, it just goes so far for us,” Lagsdin said.
To learn more about Mutts in Need, click here to view the organization’s website.
To find out more information about volunteering or donating, click here.
Many of the dogs featured in this article are available for adoption. To review dogs available for adoption from Mutts in Need, click here.
Angelina Hicks is the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service Editor. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.
