By Rachel Hunter
Operation Underdog poses for a Christmas card with their four-legged friends. All the dogs are either rescue dogs or are up for adoption. (L-R) Sarah Buday, Erica Stock, Elizabeth Raney, Erica Tuck and Sharon Masula
Erica Stock says she has always been an animal lover and has been taking care of homeless animals for as long as she can remember. “It was instilled within me to help those who can’t help themselves,” says Stock. Her volunteer efforts include sitting on the board of directors for the Humane Society of Raleigh County (HSRC) and, more recently, co-founding Operation(Underdog), an organization formed to assist the Humane Society of Raleigh County. Since its beginning, Operation Underdog has proved to be more than successful in assisting the animals at the shelter and cutting down the number of euthanized animals.
Stock began her work with the Humane Society of Raleigh County in 2010. She had previously worked with other shelters, primarily no-kill shelters, until she decided she should try to make a difference and help out at a shelter that euthanized almost 90 percent of its animals. “I found myself wondering if I could save at least one or two of the animals from the gas chamber,” Stock says of the decision.
Co-founder Sarah Buday with Butterball. Butterball was saved from the Humane Society of Raleigh County and transported to her rescue thanks to Pilots and Paws.
She soon found a group of ladies with the same passion and love for helping those who cannot help themselves, and Operation Underdog was born. While the organization was founded on the principle of providing assistance to the local shelter, it has since grown to help other local shelters and community animals. “Our main objective is to save lives and provide good homes for these deserving animals,” says Stock. “We love animals, and our work is focused on making the community a better place for both pets and people.”
Stock and the volunteers at Operation Underdog work closely with other animal rescue organizations and shelters with the ultimate goal of preventing euthanasia. “We represent the underdog,” Stock says. “The true underdog is not expected to win and has the least chance of succeeding.” Operation Underdog increases chances of succeeding for the four-legged underdogs in their community by establishing foster homes for the animals, organizing vetting, arranging transportation for trips to the vet and contacting rescues. They also try to show the residents of the community the importance of spaying and neutering.Aside from the help of a large network of hard-working volunteers, social media has played a big role in gaining support and the overall success of Operation Underdog. “Facebook has opened up a new world for us,” Stock says. “It allows us to make connections we never thought were possible. Our efforts would not be possible without using social media because unfortunately, in this field, time is of the essence.”
Honey Bear and co-founder Erica Stock. Honey Bear was rescued twice by the organization.
Stock says many of the Operation Underdog and HSRC volunteers help out with social media and update the organizations’ Facebook pages hourly so that as soon as an animal is placed in the shelter, they are already networking to find the animal a good home. Facebook also offers a way for Stock and those affiliated with Operation Underdog and the HSRC to recruit foster homes, find people willing to transport animals and gain other supporters and volunteers. They also post to Facebook when they have specific needs, such as dog food or funding for medical care. “Once people see your dedication to saving lives, they want to help,” says Stock.
In addition to social media, Operation Underdog and the HSRC thrive with the help of numerous fundraisers. Monthly adoption events, The Fast and the Furriest 5K, Howl-O-Ween Festival, Pennies 4 Paws, fundraiser nights with local restaurants and online fundraisers and parties have all contributed to Operation Underdog’s ability to save lives. Stock says she and the other volunteers try to participate in every event within the community by having a booth with some of the animals from the shelter present because it’s a good way to receive donations for medical funding and increase the probability of adoptions.
Spice was rescued from the Humane Society of Raleigh County the day she was to be euthanized. As you can see, she was quite happy to be out of the confines of her shelter kennel. Spice was adopted in Virginia.
Operation Underdog literally goes above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to doing all it can for the animals. It works with Pilots for Paws, a group of pilots that volunteer their time to fly animals to no-kill shelters if there is no ground transportation available. Operation Underdog has transported dogs to homes as far away as Boston.
Stock credits her team of five women with the overwhelming success that Operation Underdog has brought to the HSRC. “It isn’t very often that you can take five women with different personalities, full-time jobs and families and create the level of team work I see within this group,” she says. “Rescue work is very demanding. It’s hard physically, emotionally and financially. You tend to have a constant feeling of being overwhelmed, so when you are on a team as strong as this one, it makes things much easier.”
For more information on Operation Underdog or how you can help, go to operationunderdog.org or find Operation Underdog on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OperationUnderdog. You can also contact Stock and the other volunteers by e-mail at opundo@operationunderdog.org.
About the Author
Rachel Hunter is a print journalism major at Marshall University (MU), where she has served as a reporter for The Parthenon, covering the environment beat. A summer 2013 intern for West Virginia Executive, Hunter is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. In her spare time, she enjoys music festivals and spending time with her rescue dog, Willie Nelson.
