Shy Dog Volunteers

BAY COUNTY, FL - There are amazing people in Bay County who rescue skittish dogs that have been abandoned or dumped. They do this simply because they care for God’s creatures, who have often been forsaken by humans. When Lisa Keppner started Shy Dog Volunteers—she’s not quite sure when it began; she just remembers becoming aware of the problem and thinking, “I can’t do nothing”—she had no idea what it would become. Lisa is a biologist who has volunteered for Lucky Puppy Rescue for 12 and a half years and still collaborates with them. Lucky Puppy Rescue is a regional nonprofit run by Teri Mattson in Bonifay, Florida, which originally specialized in rescuing dumped and abandoned dogs but now focuses on rescuing pregnant dogs and spaying them. Lisa and her Shy Dog Volunteer Team remain focused on discarded dogs and are determined to educate pet owners on the risks of abandoning them.

 She remembers her first shy dog—a medium-sized, yellow, four-month-old puppy born feral, having never had contact with humans. Teri named her Sparky, and Lisa took her home to work with her. That very day, after sitting with Sparky for hours, Lisa left her tethered outside for a moment, and when she returned, Sparky was gone. She had chewed through her leash and vanished into the woods. She wasn’t seen for two weeks, but the food left out for her was being eaten. When Sparky began to come out to play with Lisa’s other dogs, it was easy to get her into the fenced yard, but it took another year to get her inside the house. Lisa learned so much from Sparky and was endlessly entertained by her unusual behavior. Twelve years later, Lisa still has her. Sparky is still shy but has come a long way and is now happy and healthy—definitely safer!

In early 2015, Teri told Lisa about two women who were feeding two dumped dogs in Panama City and asked if she was interested in trying to catch them. Michelle Moore and Frieda Rogers had been feeding “Thelma and Louise” for a couple of years and had rescued several litters of their puppies from life on the streets. Lisa joined the effort, and plans were made to get these two girls to safety and end their “littering.” Louise and her most recent litter, along with Thelma’s litter, were caught on October 31, 2015. It took another year to catch Thelma. By the end of 2016, the Shy Dog Team began working more independently from Lucky Puppy Rescue. Lisa had a three-car garage, one bay of which they turned into an “apartment” for rehabilitating the dogs. Unfortunately, Hurricane Michael destroyed the apartment, so the Shy Dog Team now relies on fosters for any dogs they catch. When fosters are unavailable, the only other option is Bay County Animal Control, where the dogs do not stand a high chance of being adopted. 

To recruit more fosters, the Shy Dog Team went public by starting a Facebook page in December 2023. Since then, they have tripled the number of active volunteers and now have an amazing team. Even so, they still aren’t able to help many dogs due to a lack of available housing. The group was created to get dumped and abandoned dogs to safety, vet them, ensure they are healthy, socialize and train them as needed, and find fosters and the perfect homes for them. Period. It is not a sanctuary, there is no facility, and there is no fountain of resources for that level of care. It’s just volunteers who love animals and are willing to help, donate, foster, and much more.

Currently, the Shy Dog Team needs more fosters and volunteers. If you truly want to help, they will find a way for you to get involved! If you aren’t able to volunteer, you can still help by donating. Monetary contributions are critically needed for vet bills and other expenses. The initial cost to have each dog vetted is $200 at a low-cost clinic, which does not cover any special medical needs the dog may have. For more information, Lisa Keppner can be contacted through the Messenger app. Please follow the Shy Dog Rescue Team Facebook page to learn more about this group, shy dogs, and their stories.