By Cathi Eagan

For The Tribune

In late summer of 2021, Ruth Riley of Red Sky Rescue closed her doors at 8305 W. County Road 150N near Clearspring when she moved to Florida, leaving 51 dogs on the shelter property.

Shannon Auffenberg, who had been a volunteer at Red Sky Rescue for several years, purchased the property from Riley and began caring for the dogs under a new rescue, Indigo’s Rescue Ranch and Sanctuary.

She named the rescue after Indigo, one of the dogs that had been at Red Sky Rescue for years and gave her the inspiration for her mission — to not leave one dog behind when finding them loving, caring homes.

During the first year after opening Indigo’s, Auffenberg worked closely with other Indiana rescue groups and out-of-state receiving shelter partners via CanINE Express to find homes for the 51 dogs that were at Red Sky Rescue when she purchased the property.

Since then, Auffenberg has accepted 81 owner-surrendered dogs from Jackson County families as well as followed up on phone tips about 72 dogs that were running as strays in Jackson County and brought them to Indigo’s.

She has pulled 82 dogs from the Brownstown pound, sheriff’s department K-9 center in Brownstown, Medora Police Department, White River Humane Society in Lawrence County and Indianapolis Animal Care Services and brought them to Indigo’s Rescue Ranch and Sanctuary.

Rescue groups pulling dogs from overcrowded shelters is a common and much-needed practice in Indiana and across the country. Animal welfare groups must work together to save lives of companion animals because at the rate that the public is relinquishing pets, there simply aren’t enough open kennels, and pulling dogs saves lives.

When pulling dogs from overcrowded shelters, there is a large financial cost to rescue groups, like Indigo’s Rescue Ranch. Unaltered dogs must be spayed and neutered, be given rabies and distemper vaccines, wormed for intestinal parasites, tested for heartworm and treated if the dog is positive, microchipped and given flea and tick preventative. These medical procedures can reach upwards of $300 to $500 per dog.

For dogs that are in sanctuary status — meaning Indigo’s will be their permanent home due to medical issues or they are dogs no one has come to adopt, such as seniors — the cost is far higher.

There are no paid staff members at Indigo’s. Each day, Auffenberg and one other volunteer, Kenny Haywood, clean kennels, launder bedding, feed, administer medications and exercise all of the dogs in their care. This labor-intensive process occurs seven days a week, 365 days a year. Like other volunteer-run rescue groups, Auffenberg and Haywood deeply care for the dogs and see their work as a labor of love.

During the spring, summer and fall, the 3-acre property must be mowed, fence lines trimmed and inspected to make sure there are no breaks where the dogs could escape when going out to play, move 50-pound bags of dog food from storage to kennel buildings and clean play yards where the dogs eliminate.

In the winter, shoveling snow is essential so the dogs have walkways and the driveway can be kept clear for taking dogs to veterinarian appointments and potential adopters can come meet the dogs.

Computer work is an essential part of running an animal welfare rescue. Records must be kept on each dog at the rescue to keep track of vaccinations and medications. Dogs must be posted on social media, like Facebook and Adopt-A-Pet, to advertise them for adoption.

The Indigo’s Rescue Ranch website must be maintained and correspondence answered. Medical records and behavior test information for dogs that will be transported is sent by email attachment to CanINE Express Transport Project receiving shelter partners in northern Indiana, Cleveland, Ohio, the Chicagoland area and northwest Illinois.

Approximately 85% of the dogs that come to Indigo’s are transported to receiving shelter partners, where they are adopted, meaning Auffenberg does not receive adoption fees for these dogs that have been in her care for weeks or months.

There are hefty monthly utility bills to be paid for electricity, gas and water that is essential for the comfort of the dogs and the maintenance of the kennel buildings. There also is the ever-increasing cost of dog food and treats.

Rescues like Indigo’s are solely dependent upon donations and volunteers to meet their missions of caring for the animals and finding them adoptive homes.

If you would like to make a financial contribution to help the dogs at Indigo’s Rescue Ranch, donations can be made via PayPal on the website indigosrescueranch.org. Checks or money orders can be made payable to Indigo’s Rescue Ranch and Sanctuary and mailed to P.O. Box 3, Vallonia, IN 47281. Indigo’s is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 87-2577816), and all donations are tax-deductible.

If you would like to volunteer at Indigo’s, contact Auffenberg at 812-528-9194. Volunteers always are needed for a variety of activities, including walking, bathing and playing with the dogs, doing laundry, taking dogs on outings or adoption events, mowing and trimming grass and working at fundraising events.

Fundraisers include the upcoming inaugural Indigo’s Rescue Ranch Poker Run to be held Aug. 5 or at Indigo’s concession stand at six Indiana University home football games in Bloomington this fall.

Foster homes for Indigo’s dogs are always needed, too.

Become a Facebook friend of Indigo’s Rescue Ranch and Sanctuary so you can find out more about dogs available for adoption, volunteer opportunities and upcoming fundraising events.

And most important, spay and neuter your pets to stop unwanted litters in Jackson County. This is crucial to reduce the number of dogs and cats that are entering our nation’s shelters and rescue groups.

Cathi Eagan is founder and director of CanINE Express Transport Project.