Volunteers and staff of a local dog rescue group are scrambling to provide adequate exercise and care to the homeless dogs that they provide sanctuary to this evening after a Kansas City Missouri police department invaded the property yesterday afternoon searching for stolen items from the Ward Parkway Target. The gate to the yard where the dogs in this rescue get to exercise was permanently damaged when the police department entered the property, leaving the group with no way to adequately exercise the dogs in their care. Several dogs are moving from this facility to The Pet Connection tomorrow because of the groups inability to provide adequate exercise since the secure boundaries were damaged.

Local business woman and owner of the damaged home has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars every year for the past 30 years of her own private dollars to house, provide vet care and other services to large breed mutts including Dalmatian, Labrador and shepherd types. The damage done to the dog's sanctuary is hardly something that she had in the budget and The Pet Connection is accepting donations and providing housing to some of the dogs to help assist her with replacement of her front gate.

The home was invaded because an employee was implicated in the theft of the Ward Parkway Target. Members of the rescue group had been picking up donations of dog food and general supplies from the Target for the last year. Unfortunately, it seems they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yesterday morning a member from the rescue group drove to the Target on Ward Parkway and picked up a van load of dog food and miscellaneous supplies that were to be used by the adoption agency for the many dogs that they care for throughout the year. This person ended up in the middle of the sting operation, which led to the police going to the home where the dogs live.

The volunteers and the dogs have been through quite a stressful ordeal Animal rescuers are used to their lives being filled with craziness and they know that things may not go as planned, but the drama that played out last night at the home was a trauma for many of the dogs and for the group in general. What happened next is what you see in the movies. The police felt the need to invade the property, taking out a $9,000 gate and costing another $3,000 in other damages. The gate is what keeps the homeless dogs in this 5-acre sanctuary and safe. Rambling down the driveway, guns drawn, volunteers and employees were thrown to the ground and handcuffed. The home was ransacked; the police did not heed the safety of any of the pets that were in the home and being cared for. Dog aggressive dogs, old dogs, dogs being treated for injuries or illnesses were of no consequence and were given no consideration. They went through the house as if they weren't there and even tazered a dog simply because he was "in the way."

Right now, The Pet Connection is doing what they do best by trying to assist this group with raising the money for the damages that they incurred from this unfortunate state of affairs. In November of 2008, The Pet Connection had a theft occur at their place of business and the community responded in an overwhelming way to make sure that the dogs and cats could receive continued care.

We are hoping that this community will again rise up and help us raise $12,000 to repair the damage so that the dogs can be moved back to their permanent location. Last year this rescue group, now so desperately in need of our help, rescued, cared for and assisted with the adoption and care of hundreds of large breed dogs who otherwise would have risked death in area shelters. We are currently housing some of their rescued dogs to assist with the responsibilities while they get their facilities operational. This rescue group is a community resource where animals are housed in a cage free environment and attention to their daily needs are met in a more progressive environment than that of the traditional shelter.

Donations can be sent to The Pet Connection, 5918 Broadmoor, Mission, KS. 66202; Memo should say SOS, for SAVE OUR SANCTUARY.