Judy Dole and Dr. Michael Heffron, owners of PYRescue (Great Pyrenees Rescue and Sanctuary Inc.) are celebrating the shelterís 25th anniversary this month.Dole and Heffron purchased the shelter, then called Great Pyrenees Rescue, about five years ago from John and Linda Kryder. The Peyton-based shelter provides a safe and loving environment for Great Pyrenees dogs awaiting adoption.PYRescue is a 501 (c) 3 organization that was recently upgraded from a rescue facility to a shelter by the Pet Animal Care Facilities Act program with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, Dole said.Dole said they moved the sanctuary to a former dairy farm and upgraded it to include two large barns on about 5 acres. Each barn has eight indoor kennels, measuring 50 square feet. Each kennel covers 100 square feet and has a raised bed for each dog.Each kennel opens to one of two 2.5 acre outdoor areas, which can be accessed by the dogs through their outdoor enclosures, she said. The larger area allows the dogs more space to play and socialize, Dole said.ìWe only keep the dogs locked up for meals and bedtime,î she said. ìThe rest of the time, they get to roam.îThe solid construction of the barns keeps the dogs warm and protected from the elements, although Dole said she plans to upgrade to a propane heating system from the space heaters she is currently using.According to the Pet Animal Care Facilities Act program, her shelter can hold up to 48 dogs, but she prefers not to have that many animals because it becomes too chaotic. She said she tries to keep the limit at one animal in each of the 16 kennels and is currently at that capacity.†Although donations are always welcome, Dole said the main thing PYRescue needs is more consistent volunteers to clean the kennels, walk the dogs, pick up after them and help socialize them so they can be adopted.ìGreat Pyrenees bond really well with people,î she said. ìTheir whole job is to bond with their flock and keep them safe. They are very good with kids and families because the people become the dogsí flock.îAdoptions have been slow in 2019 so far, Dole said. Only six dogs have been adopted; in 2018, the adoptions totaled 253, with each dog staying an average of 19 days at PYRescue.There are certain traits, however, that can make Great Pyrenees dogs less than ideal for urban settings, such as their propensity to bark throughout the night, when they tend to be more active than other breeds, she said. ìThey are non-aggressive in general,î Dole said. ìThey just bark to scare things off.îThey are also big. Dole nicknamed the smaller dogs ñ- those weighing about 65 to 70 pounds ñ- ìPocket Pyrs,î since full-grown dogs can weigh up to 200 pounds, she said.Dole said this breed also struggles to learn tricks or skills that it does not deem necessary. Fortunately, that often works well for people who need service animals for support, like those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, as opposed to physical assistance. ìWe just started a partnership with Victory Service Dogs in Colorado Springs that train dogs specifically for veterans,î she said.Dole said PYRescue gets their animals from owner surrenders, various humane societies, including the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, and often from high-kill shelters in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri.Overall, Great Pyrenees dogs are one of the most loving breeds of dogs, Dole said. She hopes to find equally loving families for each dog, which is why PYRescue is open Monday through Sunday ñ- by appointment only ñ- for anyone interested in meeting the available adoptees, she said.The adoption fee for a dog from PYRescue is $250, plus a $125 refundable spay/neuter deposit on all unaltered puppies, Dole said. “We return that (deposit) to the adopter when they alter the dog within a specified time frame, per PACFA laws,” she said. “However, if the owner does not get the puppy altered, we pay part of that $125 fee to the Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund, who, in turn, gives grants to rescues to help with spaying, neutering and microchipping.”Available dogs can be found on the shelterís website at https://pyrescue.org,; appointments can be made by calling 719-749-2340.
