Pure Mutts Animal Sanctuary provides life and lots of love to all dogs

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - Priyanka Johri has a boundless heart for animals of all types. Johri channels her animal compassion through her Pure Mutts Animal Sanctuary to give hope, comfort and a true home to special needs area dogs that are at the end of the line and have no other place to turn. At Pure Mutts, dogs that would be destroyed at other facilities find a loving, caring place to thrive.

A resident of The Woodlands, Tx., Johri opens her home to between 25 and 30 dogs at any one time—Priyanka, her husband, and the dogs share a 3,000 square foot home on two acres. She showers attention and affection on all kinds of dogs: abandoned moms and their puppies; dogs with special needs such as deafness or blindness; sick and injured dogs; as well as older and terminally ill dogs that are too daunting for shelters and other rescue groups, due to the need for a long commitment and extra resources. At Pure Mutts, dogs find a pack and a family that will provide them with the nurturing and companionship they need.

"Most our dogs come from area shelters, but once they arrive here they have a home forever," Johri says. The Pure Mutts Animal Shelter works with animal shelters in Montgomery County, Brazoria County, and Harris County. Johri finds endless opportunities to provide loving care for vulnerable dogs, and openly invites the public to help not just save lives, but create a beneficial environment for happy dogs. "We are always looking for foster homes, for volunteers to help take dogs to and from their veterinary visits, and financial help."

The Johri's story of transformation into caretakers at a dog sanctuary is filled with compassion and care.

Priyanka explains that she grew up in India where she held to the societal belief that dogs are unsanitary and weren't allowed in people's homes. Fifteen years ago, her husband was visiting a friend outside Dallas, when he heard a dog whining in an adjacent backyard. A neighbor had moved, chaining his pit bull puppy to a tree; the pup had gone three days without food and water. Priyanka's husband hopped the fence, freed the dog and brought it home to Priyanka, who resisted the house guest. The dog was put in the backyard and an animal shelter was called.

When the Johris took the puppy to the animal shelter, they entered into the complicated world of pitbull fighting and caring for pitbulls. The shelter did not adopt pitbulls and told them that puppy would be put down, so the Johris put an ad in the paper. Many calls came in asking for detailed physical descriptions of the pup, which the shelter cautioned were coming from inviduals engaged in dogfighting. After 10 days of consideration, the Johris adopted the dog—the first of many. The Johris moved to Houston and after Hurricane Ike took in nearly 30 injured and old dogs. Pure Mutts and Priyanka's vision of providing a home for the neediest dogs was born.

"I volunteered at a shelter and I always had a problem when someone said, 'this dog is too old, this dog is too sick; this is too much money to save this dog," Johri says. "It really bothered me. I knew I had to do something myself."

For more information or to donate to Pure Mutts Animal Sanctuary, please visit the link provided below.