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Freedom Baking Co. in Ball helps four dogs find permanent homes

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Renne Free, owner of Freedom Baking Company in Ball, and her family and co-workers noticed that all of the animal shelters were full lately and it broke their hearts. So on Saturday, she invited the Grant Parish Sheriff's Office Animal Control and Friends of Grant Parish Animal Control to host an adoption event at her business.

“We're all huge dog lovers and just wanted to do something to support our community,” Free said. “We don't have a lot of money to donate, but we can do something like this and help put on an event that will hopefully bring people in and get some of these babies adopted.”

The Grant Parish Animal Shelter and Friends of Grant Parish Animal Control try to host an adoption event at least once a week in Rapides and Grant Parishes, volunteer Amanda Dykes said. Other places they regularly host adoption events include Tractor Supply and Petsense.

“Miss Renee reached out to us and offered to come over and set everything up,” she said. “We haven't been here yet and we're hoping it's a good day. Miss Rennee has been really looking forward to it.”

Dykes' mother had taken in one of the dogs available for adoption, named Jewels.

“She's beautiful,” Dykes said. “I don't know how old she is. She's pretty young. Very gentle. Great with other dogs. She lives in a yard with four or five other dogs.”

Jewels is “very laid back” and not a show-off, Dykes continued.

“She would really make a good companion, even for a senior,” she said. “Someone who is older and just wants a companion in the house – Jewels would be great for that. She doesn't have a high energy level, even though she is a larger dog.”

Some of Grant Parish's inmates have worked with the dogs, training them to prepare them for people and home life, Dykes said.

The inmates at Grant Parish worked with some of the dogs, such as Ghost and Barbara, in obedience training.

“Part of their stay is working with these animals, and they love them,” Dykes said. “They treat them like they're their own pets. So in that respect, it's a really good program because it gives people something to spend their time with while they're there.”

The adoption fee at events like this is $30 and includes vaccinations, microchipping, and neutering.

“If they are not spayed and neutered and do not have a microchip, they will be before the adoption is complete,” Dykes said.

She said they also take in foster children with the goal of adoption.

“If someone is unsure if they're ready to make a commitment, they can do a trial run and bring the dog into their home for a few days and try them out,” she said. “See how they get along with their dogs, with their other pets, with their children.”

The trial version is free.

“And of course we always need foster parents and volunteers,” she said. “Donations are always welcome because the organization is run entirely by the community and volunteers, so we always need all the help we can get.”

At the end of the event, four of the seven dogs were adopted, including Jewels, Ghost and Barbara.

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