This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: July 15, 2008 - Randy Grim has long considered himself an underdog. But he and Quentin -- a basenji and pit-bull mix that Grim rescued from a gas chamber -- along with Grim's other rescued pets seem to have pawed their way to the top.
In May, Grim and his animal shelter Stray Rescue beat about 1,000 entries to become the first winners of zootoo.com 's National Shelter Makeover contest, winning $1 million.
On Tuesday, dog lovers and city dignitaries gathered at Stray Rescue's new Pine Street location for a news conference to highlight the demolition of the 16,000-square-foot space that will be home to about 100 dogs rescued from St. Louis streets. A.G. Edwards Inc. donated the building, allowing Stray Rescue to grow.
Grim, volunteers and city officials such as Aldermanic President Lewis Reed donned hardhats and took turns hitting a wall with a sledgehammer to signify the beginning of the space's transformation.
"This is a dream that I didn't think could be possible," Grim said of the transformation. "There was a time in my life when I felt very alone in doing this, and also thought that underdogs never win. Today, we won. The underdog can win."
Beginning at age 5, Grim rescued dogs in Washington, D.C. Since then, he has studied the behavior patterns of abandoned street dogs. In 1998, Grim founded the animal shelter Stray Rescue as a nonprofit organization that boasts of a 100 percent adoption rate "for all adoptable dogs." Stray Rescue now works from two shelters so small that employees work from home (though people come in regularly to walk, feed and work with the animals) and veterinarian services are contracted out.
These problems should end with the makeover of the new facility. "This isn't a win for Randy," Grim says, "It's such a win for the street dogs."
Stray Rescue promotes compassion for all street dogs, with its mission statement saying that "any dog who can endure hunger, pain, illness and the misery of street life deserves rehabilitation, a loving home" and it notes, they "make the most amazing pets."
Grim and Stray Rescue have worked to close the gas chambers that end animals' lives in what they call torture. It has funded humane euthanasia options for other shelters, making a $10,000 annual commitment to pay for lethal injections. Grim wrote a book about Quentin, "Miracle Dog," and worked with St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay to declare Dec. 3 as Guardian Day.
Richard Thompson, Zootoo.com founder, introduced Tuesday's event and invited spectators to whack the wall. "Let's wake everybody up and make something happen today," Thompson said. "What a great day for animals. What a great day for Stray Rescue. What a great day for Randy Grim. What a great day for all the folks of St. Louis that love pets."
Thompson also introduced an initiative to raise 1 million pounds of pet food. For each free zootoo.com registration, the site will donate one pound of food to Stray Rescue.
Grim said that Stray Rescue, along with BSI Contractors, aim to finish the construction project in 90 days. Collaboration between BSI and AG Edwards Inc resulted in a complete plan for the facility. The renovation will help Stray Rescue streamline its operations, hire onsite veterinarians, provide workspace to employees and house more dogs. Architect John Gray of Gray Design Group said the building plans include a space to display dogs to potential foster parents.
Gray said the design will be more functional than aesthetic. The plan features a strong water source, drainage for waste and good air. The facility will be escape-proof -- dogs won't be able to chew the walls or climb over them.
"It's going to be built so that animals are comfortable and dry," Gray said, adding that he is sure Stray Rescue will be a good neighbor.
Thanks to dog lovers wielding sledgehammers, the street was visible through the building by the end of Tuesday's event. Despite Quentin's smile and the hole in the wall, Stray Rescue still needs millions to turn the blueprint into a reality. It has begun a $4 million capital campaign to cover building, staff, and ongoing costs. To find more information, visit strayrescue.org .
Joy Resmovits, a junior at Barnard College in New York, is an intern at the Beacon.