PACIFIC, Mo. – An animal shelter in Pacific, Missouri, is in need of foster volunteers after taking in more than two dozen Shih Tzus from a local breeder.

Kristen Duhr, the director of Home 2 Home Canine Orphanage, said she and a handful of volunteers picked up the 27 dogs and brought them to Cheap Pricks – a low-cost vet clinic – for an intake and to assess their health. 

The breeder had released the Shih Tzus, along with other dog breeds. 

“This particular breeder today was actually evicted for having too many dogs, or at least received an eviction notice,” Duhr said. “So, the urgency was great. So, we just found out about these dogs 48 hours ago and had to be there to get them pretty quick.” 

Home 2 Home often brings rescue dogs to Cheap Pricks before they go to other facilities or foster homes. 

“It’s definitely overwhelming to see how many dogs have been bred over and over again,” vet technician Abbigail Steibel said. “These poor mamas, they just have so many babies, over and over again. And it definitely makes me feel good that they’re here, and they’re not in that situation anymore.” 

At Home 2 Home, there are no dogs left behind, so it’s critical that they get fosters. Especially for a mom with three-day-old puppies.

They have an extensive process to make sure they’re staying in a good home. Fosters have to fill out a standard application, then submit a video of their home and yard, and provide vet documents for any animals they already have. 

“We meet every single one of our fosters, of course, face-to-face,” Duhr said. “We want to make sure that there’s also a support system there, so if they need something or if they’re having any issues with the dogs, we have trainers on staff.”

Anyone interested in fostering one of the dogs can fill out an online application.