Trisha Bragg, 50, began saving dogs from the animal shelter in Boone County in late February. She has found new homes for 53 dogs.

More Photos »Molly and Ladybug are just a couple of the lucky dogs who got a second chance at life courtesy of a stranger.

Trisha Bragg, a 50-year-old Boone County resident, recently rescued the pups from the county animal shelter and quickly found each a new out-of-state home. 

Molly, a black Lab mix, actually was due to be euthanized the same day she was transported to Pennsylvania, and Ladybug, a Daschund mix, was nursed back to health by Bragg after being mistreated by her former owner.

"Save the dogs girl" is Bragg's online handle and Web address, and it fits.

On any given day, Bragg has anywhere from 12 to 17 orphaned dogs in her home - only one of which is her own - who are all awaiting transports to new families or no-kill animal shelters.

Bragg, whose career is in computer maintenance, began her canine-saving heroics only a few weeks ago, but already she has found new homes for 53 dogs.

It was late February when Bragg first heard from a friend about some dogs in need at the animal shelter in Boone County.

That's when she decided to visit the shelter, where she discovered what she deemed unacceptable.

The shelter had only 10 cages that could harbor a maximum of 20 animals, most of which were paired together no matter age or sex, she said.

Soon after, she discovered the reality of the state's animal laws.

From the day stray animals arrive, shelters are only required to keep them available for adoption for five days before they legally can be put down.

Bragg said her heart crumbled at the thought of it.

A longtime helper of the shelters in Putnam and Kanawha counties, she took it upon herself to find the dogs permanent or interim homes, all while fighting to get new laws passed to help control the pet population.

She now goes to the Boone shelter several times a week to snap pictures of the dogs. She then posts those photos on various Web sites, including her own, to see if she can lure any potential pet owners. 

Her main objective, other than getting the dogs loving owners, is to try and keep the shelter under its 20-dog limit, she said.

She also rescues cats.

Bragg also often pays, either out of her pocket or through donations, the $50 charge to spay or neuter each animal before it can be adopted, she said.

Molly was gently patted on her fluffy black head and Ladybug was delicately asked to behave before they each bid a tail-wagging, hand-licking goodbye to a lady they had only known for a brief time.

Molly and Ladybug are just a couple of the lucky dogs who got a second chance at life courtesy of a stranger.

Trisha Bragg, a 50-year-old Boone County resident, recently rescued the pups from the county animal shelter and quickly found each a new out-of-state home. 

Molly, a black Lab mix, actually was due to be euthanized the same day she was transported to Pennsylvania, and Ladybug, a Daschund mix, was nursed back to health by Bragg after being mistreated by her former owner.

"Save the dogs girl" is Bragg's online handle and Web address, and it fits.

On any given day, Bragg has anywhere from 12 to 17 orphaned dogs in her home - only one of which is her own - who are all awaiting transports to new families or no-kill animal shelters.

Bragg, whose career is in computer maintenance, began her canine-saving heroics only a few weeks ago, but already she has found new homes for 53 dogs.

It was late February when Bragg first heard from a friend about some dogs in need at the animal shelter in Boone County.

That's when she decided to visit the shelter, where she discovered what she deemed unacceptable.

The shelter had only 10 cages that could harbor a maximum of 20 animals, most of which were paired together no matter age or sex, she said.

Soon after, she discovered the reality of the state's animal laws.

From the day stray animals arrive, shelters are only required to keep them available for adoption for five days before they legally can be put down.

Bragg said her heart crumbled at the thought of it.

A longtime helper of the shelters in Putnam and Kanawha counties, she took it upon herself to find the dogs permanent or interim homes, all while fighting to get new laws passed to help control the pet population.

She now goes to the Boone shelter several times a week to snap pictures of the dogs. She then posts those photos on various Web sites, including her own, to see if she can lure any potential pet owners. 

Her main objective, other than getting the dogs loving owners, is to try and keep the shelter under its 20-dog limit, she said.

She also rescues cats.

Bragg also often pays, either out of her pocket or through donations, the $50 charge to spay or neuter each animal before it can be adopted, she said.

"If the dogs are going to a rescue (shelter), then they waive the charge," she said. 

Bragg said she realizes she can't find new homes for all the animals.

But what really makes her heart ache is the fact that so many shelters around the state are struggling with overpopulation and other problems, from outdated methods of euthanizing animals to a lack of medical care and dilapidated cages.

Bragg is lobbying now for West Virginia to pass new laws to control the pet population.

"Euthanization is not working," she said. "West Virginia needs mandated spay and neuter laws."

She cites laws passed more than a decade ago in New Hampshire as a good model for other states.

In 1994, New Hampshire began Solutions to Overpopulation of Pets (STOP), which is a state-funded program that helps fund the sterilization costs for people adopting animals from a shelter.

In the program's first seven years, about 37,000 fewer dogs entered animal shelters in New Hampshire.

Bragg has sent copies of the New Hampshire laws to West Virginia officials, and she also has propositioned businesses with extensive plots of land to allow her to build a no-kill shelter nearby. So far she has been denied, she said.

What she could use in the meantime are volunteers, and for people to realize what really goes on at many shelters, she said.

"It's not the fairy tale people think it is," she said.

"There are animal lovers out there, but I have yet to get any volunteers," she added. "It gets extremely frustrating. I can pull five (dogs) and the next day there's nine more. It has to stop."

Bragg isn't just taking the dogs out of the shelter to keep them from dying - she won't send them to just any home.

Before she gives a dog to a new owner, she requires adopters to fill out an online application, answering questions about where the pet will be kept, what kind of veterinarian services will be available and provide references.

She also stresses that if the dog isn't a good fit or if the adoptive owner ever wants to return the pet that they return it to her rather than giving it back to a shelter, she said.

"If there's any problem, I'll come pick them up," she said. "Whether my phone bill gets paid or not, I have to get them a home."