In 2019, a six-year-old little girl living in Saluda County, SC, found a homeless puppy while playing in her front yard. That little girl, named Malani, had recently read a book about "How to make a difference in the World". She knew she wanted to make a difference but didn't yet know how. Until... she discovered that precious puppy she named "Wiggles".
Because Wiggles was found in Saluda, SC, that meant there was little hope and a dim life for a wandering dog like her. Saluda County does not have an animal shelter, thus leaving very little hope for homeless animals. With no where to go and no one to turn to, a stray pet's only hope in Saluda is to wander to a home that will open their hearts and find them help.
Luckily for Wiggles on that hot, Summer day, she wandered into the yard of 6-year-old, Malani. Malani became very sad when her Mommy explained Wiggles didn't have many options for a good life because she was a Saluda Stray. Immediately, Malani began brainstorming ideas not just to help Wiggles, but to help all homeless pets in Saluda. Her Mommy, Brittin, made a promise to help make her daughter's Mission come true and provide a path for homeless pets to find their furever home.
That day, Malani's huge heart for animals and her Mom's connections with the Veterinary world inspired the formation of Saving Saluda Strays.
Since 2019, Malani & Brittin, with the help of PetCare of Newberry and their amazing staff, have helped save more than 50 cats and dogs from Saluda County. With no assistance and the mounting veterinary bills, they were only able to help on a small scale. Brittin held out hope that Saluda County would soon find a solution for Saluda's strays, however, as the years went by and the number of pets increased, she decided to be the change she wishes to see.
On October 26, 2022, Saving Saluda Strays was formed with the sole intention of helping save as many of Saluda's strays as possible. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the hundreds of animals wandering Saluda County. We are giving a voice to the voiceless & hope to the hopeless.
We may not be able to save them all, but we can make a difference one pet at a time!
