There aren’t many 20-year-olds like Maddisyn Evans.
The young Saultite is on a mission to spay, neuter, and house as many dogs as she can in the Sault Ste. Marie and surrounding area.
Just two months after creating “Maddy’s Mighty Mutts” — a foster-based rescue she operates out of her home and barn — Evans already has 21 dogs in foster care, while 25 others have been adopted.
“It’s something I always wanted to do,” she said. “Seeing them thrive in their new homes makes it so worth it. I also have lots of support from my friends and family, and my boyfriend’s a great help too.”
Evans currently has 16 dogs at her house that are waiting to be fostered, including two litters of puppies.
One of those litters, along with their mom, had just been rescued from Garden River where they were living under someone’s deck — one of many unfortunate situations Evans has come across since she got involved with rescues years ago.
“It’s a really big issue,” she said. “Everyone can’t afford to get their dogs fixed and there’s no vets in the Sault taking on new clients. It’s really hard. The population is out of control. People are giving away puppies left, right, and centre.”
To help combat the problem, Evans, alongside her volunteers, grabbed some pups and spent the afternoon at Bellevue Park on Sunday to spread the word about her rescue while generating foster-related interest from the public.
“I asked high school students to come out and volunteer because I was always that kid that wanted to be involved, but you have to be a certain age to go to the shelter,” Evans said. “By getting the kids involved, hopefully they’ll keep volunteering as they get older.”
By the time SooToday arrived at Bellevue on Sunday, Evans already had several attendees express interest in becoming fosters.
Maddy’s Mighty Mutts has also earned a significant social media following since forming in June as her Facebook page is nearly 1,000 members strong.
Evans is currently in the process of registering as a non-profit, which will provide her with additional opportunities to continue growing the rescue.
Readers interested in fostering or adopting a puppy or dog can reach out to Evans on Facebook, or by emailing [email protected]. Donations by e-transfer can also be sent to that email.
Evans will send interested applicants a questionnaire so she can get to know the family. Then, she’ll do a home visit with the dog to make sure they’re an appropriate fit.
“We make sure they have all their vaccines, they’re microchipped, and fixed before going to their new homes,” she said. “We’re really just trying to get to the root of the problem, so we try to fix as many pets as we can.”