This couple from South Carolina has adopted more than 11,000 dogs since 2005 to save them from euthanasia.
The pair, Ron Danta and Danny Robertshaw, currently lives in their home with 86 rescue dogs.
Danta says that they’re the guests rather than the dogs and they share a king size bed with around 15 to 18 dogs per night.
The Couple Decides to Open Up their Own Shelter
After the hurricane Katrina, the couple offered help from the storm to the dogs who were homeless. Eventually, they opened up their own shelter, which they named Danny & Ron’s Rescue.
This shelter rescues all kinds of dogs-from puppies and mill dogs to shelter pets and bait dogs. It’s located in their home in Rembert, South Carolina.
Originally, the couple had a plan to rescue only several dogs and keep them for several weeks; however, they explained that there’s always another dog that needed help.
After 10 years and thousands of rescues, the couple has a movie made about their lives dedicated to saving animals.
The movie explores the couple’s trials and tribulations, but also the joy which comes from housing numerous animals in your own home.
The net proceeds from the movie were donated to various charities for rescues throughout the country. In the first week after the movie’s release, the couple had 15,000 users following them on their social media page on Facebook.
Also, they got 300 to 400 emails per day from people from all over the globe giving their comments about the documentary and expressing their interest about helping animals.
Ellen DeGeneres said about the movie that she is supportive of the couple and encouraged her followers on Twitter to also watch the documentary that was aired on Netflix.
They Didn’t Accept the Offer at First
When they were first informed that they want to make a documentary about them, the couple said how they only smiled about it and shut the door.
Still, the director was persistent and took them out to dinner several times until he had them say yes. The selling point was to donate the funds to animal shelters.
Despite seeming like too much for some people to live with that many dogs, the couple says that having them at home rather than in a different place eases their rehabilitation.
The couple, both horse trainers, have had a love for animals since a young age.
Even years before their rescue, they went to animal shelters and took some animals home and cared for them before they found them forever homes.
Sources: