Canine Canyon Ranch

The Sante Fe New Mexican’s Sunday Pet Page recently featured Canine Canyon Ranch founder, Leslie Moniot and her remaining foster dogs. Ben Swan, the founder of the Scoop page and network for Sante Fe’s millions of pet owners (Ok, maybe not a million, but a LOT!), wrote a wonderful article explaining why Leslie needs to move-again. Unfortunately her husband (and income) is now gone and this area has not been a great area for a woman with two college degrees who doesn’t speak Spanish to find work.  So, Leslie is moving on and willl hopefully be able to find a buyer for the ranch here..she is eyeing Colorado which seems to be “calling” her.  Read the article here (and see some happy adoptable dogs too):

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Scoop/Saving-one-dog-at-a-time

Leslie Moniot is shown with a few of the dogs she rescues, fosters and adopts out.
Moniot runs Canine Canyon Ranch Rescue for mutts over 50 pounds.
Credit: courtesy of Leslie Moniot

Article published in the Bakersfield Californian

Mutts ready to leave the ranch        By Leslie Moniot

Five hundred dogs in my house? Am I nuts? Yes, I am a dog foster mom and I run Canine Canyon Ranch Rescue for large mutts over 50 pounds.
When I moved to Tehachapi in 2001 and finally had a yard, I thought I would get a dog of my own. After years of working 12-hour days, I decided to “get a life” in the mountains. When I called the local humane society about adopting a dog, I found out that there was a huge need for foster homes … doggie auditions! I did pick one dog right away, and then, well, I just kept going.
On the way I went out on my own in 2004 and Canine Canyon Ranch was founded.
Eight years later, I have now fostered and adopted out many hundreds of homeless dogs. After three years here, I found just the right place in east Tehachapi, on 21 acres with no neighbors. I’m only eight miles from town, and I wake up surrounded by green trees, mountains and at least 10 dogs in my living room, more in better weather.
I planned a sanctuary, but “rescue” served a much greater need. I have no problem saying goodbye to each dog that finds that perfect “forever” home. I love when they drive off down my road and don’t look back.
In 2008, Canine Canyon Ranch found new homes for 115 dogs and many others passed through to other rescues.
Rescue is hard physical work, emotionally draining, even dangerous at times. My personal dogs sometimes get the least amount of attention when surrounded by eight to 10 foster dogs with “issues.”
My house has been marked by hundreds of male dogs (strays are most often un-neutered males), females too. My furniture is chewed up and I’ve been growled at, charged and bitten. I get dogs that have been kicked and beaten and worst of all, totally ignored.
After a week or two here, they become normal dogs. How? The Dog Whisperer mantra of “exercise, discipline and then affection.” It works!
I’ve had people “dump” their dogs, lying about their age or health status. I answer calls every day from people needing to “get rid of” dogs and people losing their homes. I can’t help most of them but I do give lots of free advice and referrals based on my experience. I must turn down pit bulls, because I can find a home for 20 to 30 mutts while one pit gets adopted. Hard choices are necessary because “you can’t save them all and if you try, then you can’t save any.”
Amazingly, I sleep quite well at night, 10 dogs snoring softly in the living room, warm, safe and happy. I wish I could help every homeless dog, but I do what I can. I have had dogs here for an hour, a year, and just last month, a three-year resident finally found his perfect home, a big ranch in Montana. I hope it happens again tomorrow.

Meet your new best friend at www.caninecanyonranch.org.