Dallas is known as more of a “ghetto” and impoverished place for people and animals with starvation, homelessness, gang violence and destitution. I apologize if this sounds insulting, I am trying to convey the area for those who do not live here.

Tawana Couch, local and “famous” dog rescuer whose area of expertise is Oak Cliff – may end up single-handedly saving every dog there at the rate she is going and we are so proud to know her and to help if we can! Tawana doesn’t “cheat” in rescue – she saves dogs that nobody wants. I expound on this by saying DASH saves dogs many people want and we are not heroic; even our sickest and most injured dogs are considered “desirable.” I read Tawana’s book, and many of the dogs she saves truly begin as the dogs nobody wants. I say this with admiration and some envy – I am not that strong.

This is “Griffin” the day Tawana rescued him from Oak Cliff streets, as she tells it:

I named him as I was driving him from being rescued — I looked at a traffic sign that said Griffin and I thought this would be his name. His story was that I had seen him eating garbage on the side of the road. The road was too busy to stop then. I saw him a few days later on a street but it was dark and in a bad neighborhood so I could not get him then either. Then a few days later I finally saw him by a church and it was dark and he was so hungry I was able to grab him and put him in my TWO SEATER CAR. Yes, that big dog rode with mange next to me to the vet.

This video shows a much clearer image of the extent of Griffin’s mange and other skin and ear issues:

This is Griffin just 3 weeks later when we picked him up from Downtown Dog Daycare:

This is Griffin THIS WEEK, after going through 5 foster homes and a boarding facility – he has never gotten to settle in and find his “role” amongst too many other dogs and he has tended to bully some weaker dogs, but when he is with only a couple of other dogs he is loving, sweet, loyal and smart:

And for the Grand Finale, THIS IS GRIFFIN’S “NEW VIEW” – the home where GRIFFIN IS HEADING TO BEGIN HIS FOREVER LIFE WITH ADOPTER BILL FADO — IN PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA:

THANK YOU ALL!

Tawana for stopping her car and caring so much, DDDC for his initial boarding, The Neals, The Suttens, The Smiths, and most importantly Bill for seeing in Griffin “the diamond in the RUFF” – haha.

Credit: Tawana Couch at Society For Companion Animals