Divide Dog Shelter On Its Last Leg

By Lindsay Watts

DIVIDE- Toni Phillips hasdevoted her life and her home to dogs that no one else wants. Mariah’s Promise Animal Sanctuary has taken in about 500 dogs in the last seven years, most are pit bulls, some have been brutalized.

“Somebody had taken acid and poured it down her back,” saysPhillips of her dog Petunia, who still has a long scar.”She had multiple body wounds, but the acid was the biggest one.”

Phillipsand her husband run the shelter as a non-profit. They also owned a sheet metal shop, but the business recently went under. Now thePhillips and their almost 80 dogs have been evicted from their home. Their landlord has given them a few weeks to try and figure something out. They’re now selling their belongings, raising money and applying for grants; hopingto save the house.

“To, in a perfect world, be able to buy back this place so we don’t have to move and uproot,” says Phillips.

Most ofher dogs are from the Denver area where pit bulls are banned.

“I was staying up in Denver and I couldn’t keep him there anymore,” says Erin Personett of his pit bull.

He saysMariah’s Promisewas the only no-kill shelter he found that would take his dog.

“Nobody’s really interested in pit bulls or real big dogs,” says Personett.

He was so impressed by whatPhillips was doing he ended up helping out.

“We just started volunteering here,” says Personett.”She needs a lot of help, this is a full-time job. It’s more than a full-time job really.”

The Phillips ideally would like to get all of their dogs into good homes.If you’re interested in adopting an animal or donating to their non-profit, you can find out how at http://www.mariahspromise.com/.