An Army of Normal Folks - Suzy Hollenbach: 70 Million Homeless Dogs And Cats (Pt 1)

Episode Date: March 4, 2025

Suzy is the founder of All 4's Rescue League, which has distributed 1,680 doghouses to outside dogs without them, have gotten 1500 dogs spayed and neutered, and 2,460 dogs unchained. And she dives into the local and national crisis of homeless animals that endangers all of us.Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/premiumSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

And we walk in the backyard and there's another dog on a chain, no doghouse. And this time the dog is so tangled in her chain that she can't move and she's standing in a puddle of ice and she's just emaciated. And I proceed to beg this lady, please let me just take this dog home. And oh no, I love my dog. I love my dog. I said, ma'am, this dog's not going to survive this weather standing out here in ice. Can you bring it inside?

No, no, I can't bring the dog inside. And I literally stood in that yard in tears and thought, how many dogs are living this way in Memphis? I had no idea, had no idea, and I just I haven't stopped since. Welcome to an army of normal folks. I'm Bill Courtney. I'm a normal guy. I'm a husband. I'm a father. I'm an entrepreneur and I've'm a husband. I'm a father. I'm an entrepreneur. And I've been a football coach in inner city Memphis. That last part, it somehow led to an Oscar for the film about our team. It's called Undefeated. Y'all, I believe our country's problems are never going

to be solved by a bunch of fancy people in nice suits using big words that nobody ever uses on CNN and Fox, but rather by an army of normal folks. That's us, just you and me deciding, hey, you know what? I can help. That's what Suzy Hollenbach, the voice you just heard, has done. Suzy is the founder of All 4's Rescue League,

which has distributed 1,680 dog houses in Memphis, have gotten 1,500 dogs spayed and neutered, and have gotten 2,460 dogs unchained. And even though this is a dog story and a Memphis story, the tragedy of dogs not being properly cared for is a nationwide problem, and it even affects everyone without dogs, which if you listen, you'll found out how. I cannot wait for you to meet Susie right after these brief messages from our generous sponsors.

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soccer in Oxford. You have you shouldn't have you're like a parent, you shouldn't have, you're like a parent. You shouldn't really have favorites, but you do. It happens. Claudia's daughter, Shelby. Wow. One of my top five favorites. Well I bet, not Claudia, she's a wonderful person. So she's.

Well, she must think a lot of you because she called Alex and said, you have to have Suzy on the show. So here you are. We have actually, we've definitely hit it off. She's been out with me in the field and just ran from there. She's been very involved since.

Well, we will get to her, to all of that. Spoiler alert, Susie here's the founder of All4s. spoiler alert, Susie here's the founder of All 4s, that's a number, 4s, All 4s Rescue League, which is a cute name and I get it and so will everybody else once they hear it. But first of all, just tell us a little bit about you. Where do you come from? What's your story? Well, I'm born and raised in Memphis. I grew up in Raleigh. Yeah, and I Have two boys. Yeah, and three grandchildren. Yeah, you don't look like a grandma I don't feel like one yet. So I'll take that. Thank you Married no

divorce and I am seeing someone but I just recovered from that and running a wonderful organization. I stepped out of the corporate world to do this full-time. What'd you do in the corporate world? I was in sales for hazardous waste company. I've been in the waste industry for years. Got it. And started this work really part-time. And during COVID, our company restructured and I took a buyout and survived off of that for a while until I went full-time with this. Yeah, so. We'll talk about what this is. Why does quote this really matter that much to you? What is it about animals, dogs, pets?

I mean, honestly, there are pet lovers in the world, there are not pet lovers in the world, I mean, honestly, there are pet lovers in the world. There are not pet lovers in the world, I guess, but I mean, what is it that, what draws your heart in to caring for uncared for pets? Well, you know, there, I've been drawn into dogs, really stray dogs, probably since I was young, but Memphis has such

a horrible issue with not only strays but the chain dogs. I worked for years just putting out shelter for stray dogs in the winter months and once I I had no idea we had dogs that lived on chains in backyards and came across a situation that brought my attention to it. And I just couldn't believe how some of these animals are treated and felt like something needed to change. Lisa, my wife is like an animal lover from and her parents tell me at three, she was

an animal. Right. She would dress her dogs and cats up. She just she's a huge animal lover. I've always had dogs and or cats. We actually have a cat right now named Frank. Did you have you ever seen Follow the Bride? Yes. Maybe. or cats, we actually have a cat right now named Frank. Did you, have you ever seen Follow the Bride?

Yes. The movie? Yeah, yeah. You know the wedding planner, Frank? Right. Well, Frank was originally named Butterfly for two years because, well, because Butterfly's a great girl's name for a cat.

Right, right. Well, when they took the cat, or maybe a year, when they took the cat, or maybe a year, when they took the cat to the vet to talk about having it spayed or neutered, they found out that Butterfly was not a female, in fact, a male cat. Oh. And they renamed him Frank. That cat is 22.

Oh, wow. And if cats- Oh, that's great. Well, if cats have nine lives- They do, absolutely. Well, this cat has like 30. Oh, wow. And if cats... Oh, that's great. Well, if cats have nine lives... They do, absolutely. Well, this cat has like 30. Oh, wow. And Lisa's nursed, Frank, back to health a number of times, but like he's the goat of

the family. I love it. He was curled up by the fireplace last night. Lisa loves her animals. And I mean, she always, I can, we have four kids and I can remember my wife always saying these are God's creatures. We have to care for them. Treat them well and Lisa has always said that you can tell a lot about a person by the way

that they treat animals. Right. I do. I think we're deeply connected in how we treat animals and how we really go about our life. I mean, you know, I don't think you necessarily have to have an animal to be a good person. I'm not saying that, but I do think, you know, it's, there is some connection there that no doubt, you know, plays a part, especially for, and just really the route that this took me. So you grew up in Memphis, had a corporate job, and there was an incident that you just referred to

in your life that awakened you, and I guess really pulled at your passions for uncared for animals. Tell us about that story. Well, like I said, I'd for some time just put out shelter when I knew there were strays that we. What does that mean, put out shelter for a stray? Well, I would, there may be stray dogs. My mother still lives in Raleigh,

and at the time the economy had dropped and started really noticing a lot of strays Raleigh is a kind of a enclave or Semi-suburb it's inside the city limits, but it's on the north side of Memphis right right and Yes, so I started really noticing the strays in the area When I would go to visit her. And so I just, you know, in the cold,

it just bothers them to see animals, you know, suffering. So I would put out a dog house or a makeshift dog house in a, you know, area where they may be trying to, you know, survive. And I had a friend of mine that we had actually rescued a dog together and she contacted me to just say, Suzy, I'm passing this dog every day when I go to work. He's chained up to a tree with no shelter at all.

And it's 30 degrees out. She said, can you get something over there? We've got to help this dog. So I put something together. And of course, by the time I get over there, it's nighttime. So I go up and knock on this door. It's just randomly knock on a person's door with a dog chain to a tree at night. You're crazy. In Orange Mound. Are you okay? I'm out for everybody listening. Orange Mound is a very city center neighborhood with a very very

proud long-lasting heritage in the African-American community and some parts of Orange Mound are great and very active. Some of the fringe areas of Orange Mound can be challenging. Yes, yes. Well and so you go up in the middle of the night, right? Knock on the door. White woman. Yes. Knocking on a door. Knocking on a door. And I thought they're gonna think I'm insane. Yes. No telling what's about to happen here, but I knock on the door and I said, hey, I noticed you have a dog, you know, that needs a dog house. Is it okay if we give your dog a dog house. Oh, they were so thankful, so appreciative. It was great. And their children come out with them. They were so happy.

And of course, the dog just immediately gets in and burrows down. We have it filled with straw. And so the dog's all excited. Will the children start asking, can you help my aunt's dog? Can you help my aunt's dog? And I said, where's your aunt's dog? They take me two houses down and we walk in the backyard and there's another dog on a chain, no dog house. And this time the dog is so tangled in her chain that she can't move and she's standing in a puddle of ice and she's just emaciated and so I'm just distraught at how bad this dog looks and I tell them go get your aunt go get your aunt and I proceed to beg this lady please let me just take this dog home. And oh no, I love my dog, I love my dog. I was just in tears.

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I really hope you'll think about it. We'll be right back. I said, ma'am, this dog's not going to survive this weather standing out here in ice. Can you bring it inside? No, no, I can't bring the dog inside. So there was a make, there's a wire crate next to the dog which even if it could reach the wire crate it's not gonna help but we you know tarp it and get it full of straw and at least help the dog have have some something to bed down in for the night and I literally stood in that yard in tears and thought how many dogs are living this way in

myth I had no idea had no idea and I just haven't stopped since okay we're gonna get to all of it but when I read that story about a thousand questions right. Okay. One. How can you say you love a dog? When you have it chained up to a tree and 30 degree weather standing in a pile of ice not eating? Does that work? Well, it's it's hard. And that's you know, at the moment you want to scream and say, what? Are you serious?

Really? You love this dog? If that's what love looks like, I'd hate to see that. Absolutely. But, and that's one of the things I have to try to do is rein that in and understand where they're coming from and why are we here. Talk about that. Well, in so many instances, it's just how they've seen dogs

their whole life treated. And if the dog is inside, it takes work to walk that dog, take the dog outside, make sure it eats and goes out periodically throughout the day so it doesn't mess in the house. Well, if you eats and goes out, you know, periodically throughout the day so it doesn't mess in the house. Well, if you don't do that, of course you've got a mess in the house. That happens once or twice out that dog goes on a chain. So you think there's a lack of, I don't, I'm gonna come up with a term that's probably stupid, but het education? Absolutely. I mean, that's

that's certainly a factor that, and we we try to get involved to help them not only get that education, but what can we help you resource-wise to get the dog surrendered, but our goal is, because you can take the dog, they're going to get another one. So you want to try to work with them to better deal with their pets and include them in the family because I, and this can take us down that rabbit hole but I absolutely see that missing connection with the kids in these neighborhoods. That leads me to another question I had when I read the story. How old were these kids at this first house? Probably anywhere from 11 to 6. Okay. Four or 5 of them running around. If an 11 and a 6 year old come out to you to thank you for the dog house and they say

can you help my aunt's dog? There may be a lack of education about proper pet care but at a very basic level there's an understanding that what's going on with these poor animals is not right because the kids are begging you for help with their aunt's dog. Yeah. And what, you know, I say this a lot and, you know, it's, I see so much in these neighborhoods, but I think this is one of the early heartbreaks of some of these children. And you have to kind of look at it and piece it together. They come home with the puppy, you know, the kid's all excited and it makes a mess.

They're not going to let it happen very often. It continue to happen. So they make them put the dogs outside. So I mean, we find come up on properties all the time the six week old puppy on a chain. So that's that's kind of how that starts. And I don't even understand why you want a dog if you're going to chain it to a tree. Now the child is in love with the dog and they want to keep the kid happy but

we're not having that mess in the house. So this seems like so many other things we talk about and I mean we talk about all kinds of pretty deep things and to be talking about dogs but the point is it's more than just the dog. Absolutely. There's, and that's, I mean, really drawn me in, especially what I've seen in the underserved areas and all the missing links, you know, the resources that aren't there, not just for dogs, you know, just trying to put some of those pieces together for the human element. You know, we see so many homeless, we deal with people that are borderline homeless, that have pets, and then we get the call, hey, we need your help because we're homeless now.

It's interesting because on a very basic level, human beings like loyal pets. Absolutely. Even when they can't care for them properly. Right, right. Which is a concentric circle of misery for the pet and the human being. Right. Okay, so another thing is, and I now I may be way off base here, but I think I know this. I think a lot of municipalities have a no chain law where you are, you literally can

be locked up and fined if you put a pet on a chain to a post-defense or a tree. Is that accurate? In some areas, yes. Because I've had, you know, like I said, I was in the corporate world and I had other people that would come in town for our work, they would see dogs chained and tell me, this wouldn't be allowed in our area, you know, Virginia. I mean, certain areas of Virginia, that's not all areas, but just other areas, yeah.

I mean, I would travel to other cities and not see a dog. Then the minute come back into Memphis, there's dead dogs all over the interstate. So yeah, it's, we really do a horrible job managing the animal population here and enforcing ordinances. And I can't believe, I can't believe it's just Memphis. I'm sure there's... Well, absolutely. The South in general has a major problem. But it's, there's a huge piece to the dynamic that's

happened over the last, especially in Memphis, six or seven years, over the South as well. But your large nonprofits have gotten their tentacles into these municipal shelters. And I know what you're about to say. Dundee, you can't euthanize a dog campaign. Right, right campaign right right no kill that's there in which every shelter should have a goal to you know no kill i mean absolutely but and when we talk about no kill we're talking about um uh euthanizing for space you euthanizing for space but that's Ufanizing for space, but that's okay. So when we talk about euthanizing a dog, that's horrible to sound, that sounds horrible. Yes. And I get people are like, you know, they're creatures. We shouldn't be just breeding and then

euthanizing animals, but in the same respect, if you if you have if a shelter keeps animals for some extended period of time, there's there's a finite amount of space. And if nobody's going to come claim that dog or care for that dog or love that dog, and that dog is going to exist in a three foot by three foot wire cage for its rest of its life, there comes a time where euthanization makes sense. Plus, if you can't euthanize the dogs, your shelter fills up, so what do you do when more dogs show up?

Right, right. And that's the rub, is it not? Right, so the no kill, of course, it's been screamed all over the country, and everybody's against any shelters that euthanize. So some of your larger organizations have given out funding to the shelters in an effort to reduce the intake at the shelter so they could call themselves no kill, which in turn

left strays in the neighborhoods. They wouldn't take the strays in and also leave dogs on properties that were basically neglect situations, but left them there so that they wouldn't have to bring them into the facility. That's run around and clearly kind of a wild stray or even a pack which happens I'm gonna call the dog pound. I Guess it's not called the dog pound anymore. What's it called Memphis Animal Services? Everybody comes up with a really bright name for I Right, all right, they're going to show up in a white truck. That's got a or they're not going to show up Okay, that's one of our problems in Memphis Right, you're gonna show up with a white truck or van this happens all over the United States All right with a white truck or van and some guys gonna get out with big leather gloves and a pole with a rope on

The end of it and try to snatch that dog somehow. Good luck catching a dog that wants to run from you but they seem to do it and they're gonna take it to a dog pound and hold it for a specific amount of time. Correct. And then if they can't, if no one wants to foster it or adopt it, eventually that dog is put down. That is my understanding of how strays have worked ever since I was a kid. Now tell me where I'm wrong about all that. Well, that's really how animal control has worked for so long.

You know, that was the end goal was just let's euthanize them. They get their three day hold, just straight to euthanize. Three days? Three days. I didn't realize you said three days. Yeah. You just have to, you know, they only have so much space. And then as rescue groups have gotten involved, then it's helped alleviate some of that euthanasia. And, you know, of course the shelters have progressively, you know, put outreach to get

more adoptions and have events, that kind of thing. But what's happened, Memphis was one of the pilot shelters for this human animal support services where it's considered community sheltering. Let's leave the strays in the neighborhoods with the expectation that the community would help that pet find its way back home or help find that pet a new home and just leave them in the neighborhoods. Well, that's a great idea. So now they're not spayed or neutered and now your two dogs end up eight which end up 16 which end up up a pack up.

We have had people mauled. Absolutely. I mean, you know, my five year old granddaughter could tell you that's not a good idea. Okay. So why is that? Why? When you call the dog pound, dog catcher guy, they're just not going to show up. Correct. So when you call, what do they say? We're not, we don't have room, unless the dog's aggressive or injured, we can't help. They just leave it. Yeah, at my lumber yard in North Memphis,

we have had dog problems before. Oh yeah. And we have called, and on one occasion showed up because one of the dogs snapped at one of my employees. But other than that, yeah, they don't, they don't show. And driving out of your facility, Bill, I've seen packs of dogs running together. Yeah. It happens all the time.

And they're always kind of halfway looking pit bull mix type animals. And that's what we're dealing with. You know, it's usually large breed dogs, pit bulls are the primary breed that we are dealing with. When you get to these dogs on chains, are they aggressive? Some are, yeah. I bet. I mean, we can't, I don't ever approach a dog on a chain

without an owner there. You just, you know, and even then it's not necessarily going to be safe. But they tend to do better if the owner's around and know that you're not a threat. Have you been bitten? Knock on wood, not anything serious, no. I've had a few nips, but I've been very blessed to not have any serious injuries. All right. So, you've got dogs on chains, you go to help a dog that a friend calls you about

and gives them some children. Some children say, hey, there's a dog two doors down at my aunt's house that's in pretty bad shape, and you try to help them, and then that awakens something in you that says if this is happening within these three houses this must be going on everywhere you have a heart for animals and you're thinking I want to do more. I couldn't let it go and I've worked really every day to get to another dog

knowing they're in the backyards. And you know, how long ago was this? It's, I guess it's been about 13, 14 years ago. Holy smokes. We'll be right back. Alright, so what's the next one? I mean, what happens next? We just continue to work and build up so that we can reach more animals.

Well, I mean, it's just you. Yeah, well, yeah, we have... So what are you putting out flyers? If you see a dog on a chain, give me a holler. Yeah, see what I'm if they're not home. Yes, I leave a note. Are you serious? You're driving around neighborhoods looking for dogs by yourself. And now you know our information's out so no I'm talking. Oh then yeah no yeah I just leave a note hey you know are you kidding you. Yeah, I just leave a note, hey. Are you kidding? You would drive around neighborhoods

and leave a note on people's door that says, or come back, I just come back till I find a home. I notice you got a dog on a chain. Right. Can I help you? Right, that's what I just. Not, I'm here to take your dog. No, no, no, no.

I just say, hey, I'm in rescue. I'm not with the shelter because that's the- Freaks them out. Right, and yeah, I wanna try to help you. I'm in rescue. I'm not with the shelter because that's that's the right and Yeah, I want to try to help you. Do you need straw for your dog? You need dog house for your dog, you know, what do you need some dog food? Well, see that's a completely different approach That's not going in saying do something or else right, right? You're coming in and saying I know she have have a dog back there, can I help you? How can I help you?

Now where does that come from? Well, I mean, you know going in in a situation like that, people are gonna take offense if you're telling them what they're doing is wrong. So that is to me the fair approach and offers it. I mean I'll say the majority of the people that I knock on that door, they are so happy to have the help, so thankful, and things continue to get better, honestly. It does, I mean, I meet some amazing people and they really care for their animals. It's just been a matter of bringing them resources,

introducing resources, explaining the ordinances. I mean, so many don't even know that it's illegal to have your dog in a wire crate outside getting rained on. They think it's shelter. So it's, it is a matter of getting some education and just not doing it in a judgmental way. The, you know, it's just being real. Hey, I love my dog too. What can I do to help you? You know, at the, at the risk of offense, which I've never really,

I really care if I offend anybody of what I say I think is right, but so much of the way people in underserved communities are addressed and approached is very paternalistic in nature. And I don't care if you're poor, that doesn't mean you're stupid. And you know paternalism and you know threat when you see it

and it just feels to me like you've gone the exact opposite you're not there to Do anything or tell them anything? You're just there to help and that's what's been successful for me to get to that dog in the backyard There's you know that but it seems like you're actually improving the human beings life as well been successful for me to get to that dog in the backyard. There's, you know, But it seems like you're actually improving the human being's life as well. We, I try.

I mean, it's, you know, I've got so many friends now that, I mean, they really are friends. We've go to work on something with city council, you know, I can count on them to show up. I mean, it's, I have some wonderful friends that I've met in these communities. And they care about the strays, what's happening in their neighborhoods. And they've made the calls and not get response from the city.

And it's a really sad situation, what you see happen in these neighborhoods. All right. So it occurs to me that when I was in fifth grade and told my mom I was sick and stayed home from school, which 90% of the time I wasn't sick, I just didn't want to go to school. Or during the summers, when I was in sixth, seventh and eighth grade and mom was at work and I didn't have anything to do. One of the shows I watched all the time was Price is Right. And I'm good at it. I can guess those prices pretty well. My wife is always, Lisa's like, how do you know what the price of, you know,

Ronu Noodles or something, Ronu noodles or something. Ronco noodles or whatever. How do you know it to the penny? Yeah, well, I've watched so much Price is Price. Anyway, Bob Barker for Your Tire signed off every single show. Have your pets, aid or neutered. It seems to me a very simple solution to all of this is to simply have pets spayed and neutered. And we have an ordinance on the books that should

absolutely be enforced at every stop that an animal control officer makes. And that just, unfortunately, the limited intake that the shelter, you know, enforced that they wouldn't bring the dogs in if they didn't spay or neuter. So they just, they haven't enforced it. So we do have the law in the books, but nobody? Nobody enforces it. And we don't have enough resources as far as spay and neuter in Memphis. We have one low-income facility, low-cost

facility for spay and neuter but we we really don't have enough of those. Now my organization we offer free spay and neuter and we not only offer it free but I take those dogs to the appointment and bring them back the same day. Otherwise they wouldn't get to the appointment. So we supply not only the surgery for free, the vaccines, we microchip the dog to try to help keep that dog out of the shelter as well. So if the dog gets picked up in the neighborhood, the dog goes home instead of the shelter. Okay, we'll get to that in a minute. That's incredible. Yes. So you're cruising along now you're a couple years in, you're

putting notes on people's doors saying at some at some point this passion of yours becomes all fours rescue. Correct. How that all developed? Well, you know, so many people have pushed me for so long. You need to start a 501. You need to, you know, make it official. And so I'm thinking you're crazy. I'm just out here trying to help dogs at first. Yeah. I mean, I was just really doing it on the weekends and I would go out some, you know, during the week, you know, what have you. But it just the more I did, the more I realized how desperate, especially in the underserved areas. I mean, just the backyards, these dogs on chains and how many it's it's

we're just scratching the surface. So when when do you say, OK, I'll go and see three and I'll name it something? Yeah, I guess that was 2015. How many years in? I guess at that point I was probably about five years in, five or six years in. Okay. Yeah.

So you start a 501c3. 501c3 and just really, you know, get use social media to get the word out about the work we're doing and, you know, grow that to fund it really. And, you know, file for grants and that thing. But the grants have been a little difficult just because we're not your typical rescue organization. We're really more of a community outreach. So it's a different dynamic to apply for some of these grants. Now the spay and neuter, once we really dove into that, there's more grant opportunities there.

But yeah, so it's, I really, once I, the more I got involved, I realized we can get these dogs fixed. And I mean the backyard breeders are just a good portion of the time, that's not even intentional. But you've got a chained up female, it's inevitable. Even if they were behind a fence, it's typically not a great fence, that's why the dog's on a chain.

And the males are coming from everywhere. So, okay. and you know the males are coming from everywhere so. So okay, so you start All 4's Rescue League and you're running around with, what do you have, I mean how do you scale that, what do you do? Well we, you know I have to route dog food delivery, you know now the need is so great, especially during this economy, that we have to route dog food deliveries.

I'll go to a certain area one day and hit. So we have people give us addresses. Can you check out, check on this dog? We don't think they have dog houses. And so I'll go to that address and work out the neighborhood from there You know or word-of-mouth neighbors say oh go help this dog go help that dog So we every day is different, but we try to hit a different area We have volunteers. Yes, you have employees. What do you have volunteers that go out?

And I've actually recruited some kids that will go out with me, you know, in- From the neighborhoods. Right. Right. No kidding. Well, the kids are the ones running around the neighborhood. They don't know where their dogs are. Right, they know. Yeah.

So that, I mean, you are so right with that because no matter where we go, we can stop and ask a kid, do you know where this dog lives or what? Hey, you know, so we can find out a stray if it's, if it has a home or, you know, get, get details on the neighborhood, the kiddos are going to tell all. All right. So let's round this up because I've heard a whole bunch of pieces. Yes.

You provide dog houses to dogs and dogs. You're working to get them off-chained, off fences or trees or whatever. You're taking them to get them spayed and neutered. You're microchipping them. You're providing education about proper pet care and maintenance. You're providing dog houses and dog food. Correct. All of this for free. And also cages to try to get them inside the house too. Yeah. Okay. We, we provide cages, the kennels for inside, for inside, especially during the winter months.

When we, we are very careful with those. We have to do a lot of follow-up because you, it can turn into a neglect situation if you don't. And so once you do this, you don't drop it off and call? No. You keep coming back? Right. Keep coming back, checking in, and generally if they continue to need dog food assistance,

we're there every few weeks. So yeah, we stay in touch. Sometimes we do come across a property that is a neglect situation So we have to get authorities involved. I'm very careful to back off and You know let the authorities handle that that's not my wheelhouse Now sometimes I have to scream a little to get somebody to respond. Scream a little. Let's hear it.

And that concludes part one of my conversation with Suzy Hollenbach. And you don't want to miss part two that's now available to listen to. Together guys, we can change this country, but it starts with you. I'll see you in part two.