Dying Texas man finding homes for rescue dogs in final days

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 05: A Labrador peers from its box on the first day of Crufts dog show at the National Exhibition Centre on March 5, 2015 in Birmingham, England. First held in 1891, Crufts is said to be the largest show of its kind in the world, the annual four-day event, features thousands of dogs, with competitors travelling from countries across the globe to take part and vie for the coveted title of 'Best in Show'. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 05: A Labrador peers from its box on the first day of Crufts dog show at the National Exhibition Centre on March 5, 2015 in Birmingham, England. First held in 1891, Crufts is said to be the largest show of its kind in the world, the annual four-day event, features thousands of dogs, with competitors travelling from countries across the globe to take part and vie for the coveted title of 'Best in Show'. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

A Texas man named Richard Ewers is spending his final days trying to find homes for his rescue dogs.

A Texas man, Richard Ewers, is spending his final days trying to find homes for his rescue dogs.

Ewers saw it as his mission to help abandoned stray dogs, which he has done for the past several years, but he is dying of stomach cancer, and has only days left to live, making this task more difficult.

Dog O’Day learned of this news from San Antonio TV station WSAT, which has been following this story for about a year.

Volunteers from Save Our Strays San Antonio have been trying to find homes for the dogs since Ewers was placed into hospice care; at one point he had collected 27 strays, though now that’s down to a more manageable 11 mutts looking for their forever homes.

Neighbors and volunteers have assisted the elderly man with caring for the canines, which has included repairing the backyard fence.

Volunteer Mary Oyler has been dropping by daily to make sure the dogs have food and water, but she noted that even though the dogs have access to shelter on Ewers’ property by climbing through an open window of the house, the conditions aren’t ideal because of a lack of human connection.

Even if they are adopted or fostered, it will be a slow process to warm up to their new caretakers.

“All they’ve ever known is Mr Richard, so it’s going to require a family that has a lot of patience,” Oyler told WSAT.

All of the dogs have been spayed or neutered, as well as vaccinated, but a trip to the vet for an overall checkup is highly recommended, should they be adopted.

If they are not adopted or fostered, the county will take them.

For more information about adopting the remaining dogs, see this Facebook page, “Helping Mr Richard and His Dogs,” for more details.