For a chapter of my next book (about dogs and their humans), I’m spending time in East St. Louis, a city of 35,000 people—and thousands of stray and feral dogs, some living in packs. East St. Louis is the poorest and most dangerous and depressing American city I’ve visited, and that’s saying something, because I’ve been to the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans after Katrina. It is a forgotten city, an “urban prairie” of abandoned and burned homes, potholed streets strewn with garbage, and entire blocks overgrown with vegetation.
There are also brothels, strip clubs, and crack-addicted hookers. But there are very few police cars. I’ve been here three days and have yet to see one. “The police only come here to pick up dead bodies,” a local told me. And there are plenty of those in this city with one of the highest crime rates in the country. Every few blocks, there’s a stop sign or a makeshift shrine decorated with clothes or teddy bears, to signify where someone has been murdered.
Where there is hopelessness and urban blight, there are also street dogs. I’ve come here to write about them, and the remarkable man, Randy Grim of Stray Rescue (pictured in several of my photos above), who has spent much of his life rescuing dogs from the ghettos of St. Louis. We talk a lot in this country about how good our dogs have it these days. We feed them special diets, send them to doggie day care, and buy them Christmas presents. But in East St. Louis, and in many other American cities, dogs are fought, shot, abandoned, sold, abused, or simply chained to a fence and ignored.
In three days on these streets, I’ve seen a mutt with a bullet wound in its side, a great dane/pit bull mix near starvation (second row, middle picture), and an abandoned black and white pit bull (third row, middle picture) that spent a few minutes kissing us and then followed the jeep as we drove away. (She clearly wanted us to take her, but we had to attend to another dog. We’re going to go looking for her again another day.) I’ve also watched the successful rescue of a handful of dogs, including a feral pregnant mother, two puppies who were going to be used as “bait” in dogfighting training exercises (third row, right), and a friendly stray sheperd mix with a bum leg (third row, left).
What will tomorrow bring? Keep checking back here for occasional updates over the next six months as I travel the country hanging out with dogs (and their humans) for my book.
Benoit,
That is a heart-breaking story. Can you post an address for the rescue guy? My partner Michael loves dogs — our dog’s a rescue — and I’m sure we’ll send a check.
The new book sounds great.
all the best,
Bob
I’m assuming that’s Randy Grim of Stray Rescue. The man has a huge heart and does fantastic work. Their website is strayreacue.org.
Benoit, can’t wait to read the book.
I have always had a passion for dogs, but it was extended when I began to volunteer for Randy Grim and Stray Rescue of St. Louis. You cannot even begin to understand what he and his teammates have done for these animals, and it lights the fire that everyone needs to: care a little more, give a little more and love a little more. The stories don’t always have happy endings, but many times they do. If a dog’s last moments were spent with Randy Grim…boy were they lucky
I LOVE Stray Rescue!!
Benoit, thanks for the visit and remember to keep practicing your throw net techniques! Going out for the Dane mix in the morn….the rescue from hell! Will be weird not having you with me and helping rescue. You get a gold star for helping me save…I think… you and I did 8 dogs. Cahokia is stable but she still might not make it. If she does ….I am bringing her to Boston for you and your partner!!
woooooooooooooooooof
Randy
We love Molly! Molly’s mom was rescued when she was pregnant with 10 puppies. We adopted Molly when she was 8 weeks old. We are looking forward to fostering puppies as soon as I recover from foot surgery. Adopt Adopt Adopt!! and donate strayrescue.org
Benoit,
Love the clip from the book. I can’t wait to read the whole thing! Was nice meeting you while you were in St Louis.
Donna
i would like to say what Randy is doing is a wonderful thing.I live in E.St.Louis & I see alot of sray dogs myself.When I’m riding & see a dog that’s skinny I try to feed it whatever I have in my car.I even have cans of dog food in my car just in case I see a dog.I had the pleasure of going to Stray Rescue back in 2008 to drop of 9 puppies that a dog that took up at my house had.The person that helped me out name was Jamie.I have 3 big dos & a newborn puppy plus a cat that took up at my house.I really would like to meet Randy.Thank You so much for caring & keep up the good work!!!! Ms.Kisha Cole
ESTL has been stolen from for decades by both poltical parties. You saw the bad, but there is also lots of hope and stability in some areas of the city. There continues ot be a history of success being made by folks coming from the area. You see the dedication Randy and his helpers have for going into many towns in that region. I also hope you get to see the folks who have stayed and kept straight helping others. I pray that the new administration is successful in ending the infighting and political selfishness that plagues this whole country so towns like ESTL can rise back up. Help humans and you help the animals.
Randy Grim is a angel for animals. I wish I could come where he is and volunteer to help him in the mean streets of wherever he goes but all I can do is offer small sums of money to help feed whatever they can. Yhere is s small organization in Baltimore Md. called Alley animals that does the same work that he does and the founder Alice Arnold has cancer now. I also give them samll sums throught out the year. God Bless you and keep you safe while you give mercy to those that cannot speak.
I’m crying as I type this! We were adopted by one of the stray rescues on New Year’s Day. Now, I check the website almost every day to see what amazing thing Randy accomplished since the last time I checked. I cry every single time! Somethimes sad tears, sometimes happy tears, but most of the time it’s both at the same time. Then I go home and try to avoid being knocked on my butt by our newest family member, as I’m tackled by 50 lbs. of “I’m so glad you’re home!” love! I have always said that some angels have fur instead of wings. I have never been so proud to be born & raised in the place that does what Stray Rescue does. The city may have been forgotten, but thanks to Randy Grim, the dogs aren’t!
Good luck in your journey and on your book. It is a sad story, but it needs to be told.
It just kills me that people leave these animals to take care of themselves and starve — from both food and affection. Like children, they are helpless. When will it end? Maybe when you start realizing they (like people) need to be taken care of. Get a clue, folks!
Benoit….I became a devotee of Randy Grimes some years ago after reading an article “Dead Dog Walking”. It was life altering for me. I have never met Mr. Grimes, though I would dearly love to. I defied family who said there were more important issues to focus on, but it became my purpose in life to do what I could for the dogs forgotten. My “family” lovingly consists of Storm….one of 13 lab puppies found abandoned with their mama, Skye….lab/spaniel x beaten and left for dead, Breck and her sister Ridge…..two coon hounds taken from a muscular tumor research program gone bad, Maggie Mae…..an English Pointer locked in a kennel for the first 12 weeks of life and Finnigan, my English Springer Spaniel…..born deaf and scheduled for euthanasia at 8 weeks because he couldn’t be sold. Randy Grimes is a saint among us……and you sir, a huge thank you for sharing your time with him.