Illinois Woman saves abused dogs lives - CBS4 - WHBF Quad Cities, IL-IA News Weather Sports

Illinois Woman saves abused dogs lives

By: Jillian Wilson

jwilson@cbs4qc.com

Liz Ellis is passionate about dogs. But when she found some disturbing photos of abused animals on Face book, she turned that passion into action.

It was these photos from Houston's downtown area that Liz could not ignore.

"I felt compelled to help. I found a group called the 'Forgotten Dogs of the Fifth Ward' and it's amazing. And that place is a nightmare," says Liz Ellis, Adoptions Coordinator, Knox County Humane Society.

Just how compelled? She hopped on the next flight to Houston to meet these dogs.

Many of them were starving or used for sport fighting.

So she rented a U–Haul and brought 14 dogs back to Illinois with her.

"I wish there was more I could do," says Ellis.

Now she's finding them homes and here's big boy.

He's a Houston pit bull that just made his way into a man's heart.

"I just seen the stories that were in his eyes and he moved my heart and I couldn't let him go after that," says Gregory Brown.

But the medical coordinator at Knox County Humane Society says TLC is just what these animals need.

"They just need a lot of love and time to kind of work with the people and see and get to trusting people again and with running in packs, they really had no human interaction," says Chris King, a Medical Coordinator with Knox County Humane Society.

Big Boy's new owner agrees.

He has two other pit bulls and he says it's all about how you treat them.

He sees no aggression from big boy.

"I thought I was going to see it in Big Boy because he lived on the street for two years since he was a puppy, and I was a little concerned what the outcome was going to be, he's just as loving as the other two that I've got," says Greg Brown.

As for the other dogs, they are still looking for new homes.

But for right now, they seem happy with their new life in western Illinois.

They just have to get used to the temperatures.

"The weather, they've never seen anything like it, they're from Texas. We came from 80 degree weather to this."

In the conditions they are in," says Ellis.

If you want to give dogs like big boy a home, you certainly can.

Folks from the Knox County Humane Shelter say they are always looking for people who want to adopt.