Lollie with Chella Melnechuk

In September, Lollie and her young pups had been nabbed in a catch, spay and release program. While the babies easily found foster homes, it’s much more difficult for the adult dog. Most are just released back onto the streets to continue to fend for themselves.

Newly spayed and sick with heartworm, ehrlichia, parasites and plenty of fleas and ticks, Lollie was about to be another statistic. Then appeared her guardian angel, in the form of Chella Melnechuk. It was obvious to Chella that this little dog was in dire need of a savior, as are so many other homeless wandering the streets of the beautiful islands of the Bahamas.

Chella does her best to help as many of these dogs as she can, and she does it purely from the heart, with only donations from others who also care about these wounded souls. Chella Melnechuk took 94 dogs off the streets in 2015 and except for a few who weren’t able to survive, has found “forever” homes for all of them!

Many volunteers put in countless hours to paper the city of Niagara Falls with flyers and monitor and bait humane traps. Citizens dutifully called in dog sightings around the clock. Finally, after a particularly cold and snowy day that hampered her usual foraging for food, Lollie was tempted by the trap set behind Ventry’s pizza, baited with freshly roasted chicken. Within 24 hours, Lollie’s “Mom” Chella was on a plane bound for New York, anxious to once again lay hands on her beautiful golden fur.