Community | December 22, 2008 | 12 comments

Woman living in van has 100 dogs

source: http://www.news9.com/global/story.asp?s=9563013

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AwesomeJosh
Struggling to make it herself, an Oklahoma woman risks her life to take care of more than 100 abandoned dogs. Catherine Titus lives in a rural area outside of Ardmore with her dogs in only a van.

For the past five years, 71-year-old Titus has called rural Oklahoma home, living out of a van with her closest companions, all 100 of them. She does it because her four-legged friends mean everything to her.

She has also given up almost everything to continue to care for the animals.

Titus used to work for the Humane Society in Texas. She said she fell on hard times and eventually landed in Oklahoma.

Now, she survives on her $700 Social Security check, most of which goes to feeding the dogs.
One Woman, 100 Dogs
But Titus said her situation is nothing compared to what the abandoned dogs have gone through.

"I get them wandering in from the pasture, stranded and beaten," Titus said.

Most are dogs she never asked for, but she's adopted them anyway, and once the word got out, they kept coming.

"I pick them up out of trash bags. I picked them up out of cardboard boxes," Titus said. "They tie them to the fence. They tie them to the gate."


That's a lot of dogs...
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12 comments // Woman living in van has 100 dogs

  • shroomfairy
    • 0
      shroomfairy  

    • I still do not understand why people don't spay and neuter their animals. Thank goodness this woman is able to care for some of them.

    • 3 years ago
  • razz51
    • 0
      razz51  

    • What has this country come to that an elderly woman has to live in a van? And shame on those who dump their dogs!

    • 3 years ago
  • ClareW
    • 0
      ClareW  

    • That is sweet of her but kind of misguided, could she not find people to adopt them? Being surrounded by 100 dogs constantly sounds horrible.

    • 3 years ago
  • juicie
    • 0
      juicie  

    • when we moved to our new place, our dog was in heat and a neighbor's dog staked out waiting for her to come out. The poor girl couldn't poo for three days because as soon as we went out for a walk, the stud was on her like stink on poo. we would have to sneak out and run to try and get her business done before he sniffed out our location.

      Then we went to get her spade... and whoever did it was obviously unqualified because he didn't sew her back up! thank God we noticed right after getting back home and so we took her to another emergency vet right away... and this all happened the day of my wife's grandma's wake. good grief!

    • 3 years ago
  • barbara3d
    • 0
      barbara3d  
    • juicie:

      That was bad. Life is not perfect with animals. Because we do love them so, we just take care of things. There is really no other option for people unless an emergency like death.

      My 15 mo Akita has been diagnosed with severe Glaucoma and may be losing her sight. The meds are expensive but we are making it. My other dog is a Senior now with severe knee and hip problems and we pay for his medicine.

      The costs and anguish are worth it because we "Adopted" them...not 'borrowed' them. In sickness and in health.

      Bless people like this woman. She had a career of it and keeps on going on that small amount. Some people have such courage and strength. I wish I had more of it.

    • 3 years ago
  • MavericktheMaverick
  • ALLNATURALVEGANS
    • 0
      ALLNATURALVEGANS  

    • I am so thankful for people like this woman.. I would live in my car before i would EVER think of abandoning my dogs.. both of which are neutered, I wish that more people would be responsible with their animals!

    • 3 years ago
  • sesml2001
    • 0
      sesml2001  

    • Glad to see their are agencies like Compassion Seeds to help her out. Hope those reading the story will make donations or if they live close enough adopt some of the animals.

    • 3 years ago
  • crob80227
    • 0
      crob80227  

    • Inspiring story. Though I wish the community would take more pro-active steps.

      Mandatory spade and neutering.

      Also, unfortunately, people should be screened before ever being allowed to own a dog or cat.

      Some will think this is an invasion of privacy, but we'll all end up paying for it sooner or later.

      When a unfit pet owners flakes out and just abandons a animal in town (or whevere), ultimately we're the ones who are going to have to pay for it some form or another.

    • 3 years ago
  • unashamed_muse
  • ScratchyPants
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