Somehow, I found Saving Georgia Dogs, an online group of dedicated people who work tirelessly to help unwanted dogs in high kill shelters. Unlike New Hampshire, Georgia's shelters are extremely over-crowded. Strays, abandoned animals, unwanted litters and owner turn-ins flood the shelters daily. I was shocked to see how many animals each week are "urgent"—lack of space means many animals are euthanized. And not all are "put to sleep" painlessly. Some shelters use a gas chamber filled with carbon monoxide. Others use a "heart stick", a lethal injection that passes through the chest wall into the heart. Dogs of all breeds and ages, puppies included, share this grim fate.

Statistics from one shelter are staggering—in April '08, this shelter took in a total of 348 dogs. Yes, all in one month! 194 dogs were impounds and 154 were owner surrenders. In that month, 263 dogs were euthanized. So, only 85 dogs made it out alive and were either adopted or sent to other rescues. The year-to-date number of dogs taken in by April was up to 1,263. Of these, 1,051 dogs were put down. These dogs were not ill or temperamentally unsound—they were simply victims of an ongoing overpopulation problem.

With the help of people and the internet, many of these animals are saved. Websites like Petfinder.com allow shelters to post photos and information about each animal. Georgia dogs are transported across the US and Canada to rescues that can help place them into loving homes. Volunteers in all parts of the country pull together online to rescue certain animals. Thanks to their efforts, Buddy made his way from Georgia to New Hampshire.