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Woman Cares for 100 Abandoned Dogs

By Jon Jordan, NEWS 9

ARDMORE, Oklahoma -- Struggling to make it herself, an Oklahoma woman risks her life to take care of more than 100 abandoned dogs. Catherine Titus lives in a rural area outside of Ardmore with her dogs in only a van.

For the past five years, 71-year-old Titus has called rural Oklahoma home, living out of a van with her closest companions, all 100 of them. She does it because her four-legged friends mean everything to her.

She has also given up almost everything to continue to care for the animals.

Titus used to work for the Humane Society in Texas. She said she fell on hard times and eventually landed in Oklahoma.

Now, she survives on her $700 Social Security check, most of which goes to feeding the dogs.

One Woman, 100 Dogs

"I get them wandering in from the pasture, stranded and beaten," Titus said.

Most are dogs she never asked for, but she's adopted them anyway, and once the word got out, they kept coming.

"I pick them up out of trash bags. I picked them up out of cardboard boxes," Titus said. "They tie them to the fence. They tie them to the gate."

Karin Morrison runs Compassion Seeds, an animal sanctuary just a few miles from Titus' home. Once she got word of the situation, Morrison and her co-workers jumped into action.

"She did a wonderful job for what she had to deal with," Morrison said. "Is there any help for these dogs? You know, you never know if there is any hope or not. Maybe for some, but not for all."

They have taken more than 40 dogs from Titus and spayed and neutered them in hopes of giving them a second chance.

"They need to be adopted. I've done what I can for them, but they deserve a home. They deserve as much love as anything else does," Titus said.

Compassion Seeds is asking for help with the dogs through adoption. To learn about how you can adopt one of the dogs, visit Compassion Seeds Web site or call 580-229-0400.

If you'd like a make a donation to help Catherine Titus and her animals, you can make a check out to: Compassion Seeds, Inc,  In Care of Catherine Titus.

The checks can be mailed to Compassion Seeds, Inc. 13423 State Highway 76 Healdton, OK 73438. The staff at the non-profit animal sanctuary will ensure that every penny goes toward helping the dogs and Titus.