Military Policeman Making Difference in Dogs' Lives

January 25, 2011
By CPT Darrin Haas, Courtesy of Tennessee National Guard Public Affairs
Nashville, TN, United States

When Mandy Bellemore joined the Tennessee Army National Guard as a Military Policeman, she swore to “serve and protect” those in her care. It’s an oath she took seriously and takes seriously, but her concern for those in need extends w-a-y beyond the ordinary.

When Bellemore first moved to Tennessee, she was saddened when she saw how some animals were being treated. “I saw dogs and cats simply left along the highway,” she said. “Some were tossed out of moving cars to fend for themselves. These poor things were just thrown away like trash, and I was afraid they’d eventually starve or get killed.”  

“I love them all, but I especially love dogs,” she explained, as she gently petted Milo, a sad-eyed Chihuahua mix she recently rescued. “I’ve always wanted to do something to help the ones who’ve been abandoned, neglected and abused, and I became determined to make a difference in their lives.”

And make a difference is exactly what she’s done … in a big way.

“In the beginning, I started to take in stray animals and care for them; now I have 10 dogs and nine cats of my own,” she said with a hint of a grin. “Then I decided, ‘Something has to be done for all the others.’ ”

Back in 2009, ideas were whirling around in her head on how she could start some sort of shelter for dogs. It didn’t take her long, though, to realize that she was thinking about something that might be bigger than she could handle.

Then everything was suddenly interrupted when she was alerted and a short while later deployed to Iraq with Cleveland, Tennessee’s 252nd MP Company.

“To me it was just temporarily putting things on hold while I served my country,” she explained. “I never stopped dreaming about easing the suffering of those unwanted, uncared-for animals.”

But then it hit me: my deployment would be a great opportunity to earn the money I needed to start the shelter! So I decided to save all my military pay and use it for exactly that.”

“Before I went to Iraq, my stepfather, Walter Foster, drove all the way from Tennessee to Fort Dix, NJ, to visit me where I was training before heading overseas. I had a four-day pass before we left for Kuwait, and in that time we put our heads together and came up with a final plan and even drafted some blueprints to build kennels.”

A short while later, using the money she was earning as a specialist, her stepfather started construction. Building the kennels from scratch, he laid the foundation and began erecting the structure in a hayfield near their home.

 “The whole time I was gone, he kept me updated on how the project was going. I couldn’t wait to get home and help,” she recalled.

While Foster was building the kennels, Bellemore was stationed at Forward Operating Base Delta at Al Kut, in the Wasit province. She took part in numerous and varied missions, but primarily she was a .50-caliber machine gunner and helped train and mentor Iraqi police forces.

Bellemore saw a lot of animals in Iraq that were sick, malnourished and not taken care of. “It was so sad to see dogs roaming the streets, abandoned and left to starve and fend for themselves. It made me even more resolved to help other dogs when I got back home.”

She returned home on July 26, 2010, after 11 months in Iraq, and went about putting the finishing touches on the kennels and getting them ready to accept animals. It wasn’t very long before she started rescuing dogs. “When I first got home, I found a golden retriever who had been left along the highway,” she said. “They’re all strays or owner surrenders. Wayne County and Lawrence County have a lot of stray dogs in need of help. I imagine it’s that way everywhere.”

Together, Foster and Bellemore added outdoor “runs” for each individual kennel so the dogs could get their exercise.

Now, after two years of hard work, the gritty but soft-spoken 20-year-old has her shelter, built by hand from scratch by Mandy and her stepfather on his own land. It’s located about halfway between the cities of Lawrenceburg and Waynesboro, TN, nearly straddling the county lines.

She decided to call it the “Tennessee Animal Rescue and Shelter, Inc.”

“I saved all the money I could,” she said. “So far, I’ve spent over $26,000 to get everything up and running.”

Since the shelter started, she has personally rescued and nursed back to health more than 60 dogs. Some she’s already found homes for, and she is looking for homes for all the rest.

“We started getting a lot of volume, especially when people knew we were here,” she said. “We’d get calls at all hours about strays, and we’d go get them. Occasionally, owners just show up and give me their dogs. Some told me that if I didn’t take their pets, they’d kill them.”

As of the first week in January, she had over 40 dogs at the rescue site. “We even have three litters of puppies. We picked up a sick and starving stray in Waynesboro who was pregnant. She had five puppies just after Thanksgiving.”
                                                                       
Once each animal is nursed back to health, Bellemore makes sure they have the proper shots and then puts them up for adoption. “I want to make sure they all go to good homes,” she said.

Some are posted online at www.adoptapet.com. Bellemore can be reached by email at tnarsinc@aol.com. She is also at the kennel daily, and walk-ins are welcome. So far she has helped 21 dogs find new owners.

“We keep them here as long as possible to get them adopted. Most shelters have time limits on how long a dog can be kept before they destroy them. We don’t do that here. All of these dogs are gentle, loving and well-behaved, and I believe they deserve a second chance.”

The shelter currently takes only dogs but in time will expand to other animals. 

Even now, construction is not fully completed, but Bellemore plans to have a grand opening in the spring. “We’re constantly making improvements to it to give the animals better living conditions. Because we’re a nonprofit shelter, we’re also accepting donations to help with their care. Every little bit helps.”

Because of Bellemore’s big heart and determination, there are a lot of dogs who had no future who are now healthy and well taken care of.

“I truly love what I’m doing. Some people would never understand and probably think I’m crazy, but it makes me feel so good knowing that those we’ve rescued are now leading better lives.

“They’re what it’s all about.”