My family has always loved all animals! We lived in Columbia in the winter and with extended family in a cottage on beautiful Lake Murray in the summer months. My mother was always willing to extend a helping hand to any needy animal. We rescued and rehabilitated domestic and wild animals as much as we could. We cared for rescued ducks, chickens, rabbits, cats,  dogs and birds. My respect for all creatures evolved through my childhood experiences  while caring for animals in need. I remember after every May when people we knew were ready to dispose of  grown up chicks and ducklings they got at Easter, Mom allowed us to take them in and care for them in our  backyard to save their lives! She was upset at their being discarded with so little value placed on their lives. 

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 Over the years I have supported and worked with many different animal rescue organizations, Project Pet, Pawmetto Lifeline, The Animal  Protection League, The Humane Association for Cruelty to Animals, SQ Rescue, Save our Strays, Best Friends,  Hilton Head Animal Shelter and others. These experiences have helped me gain knowledge of different types of  animals, their behavior and needs.  

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For 21 years I walked through poor neighborhoods in Columbia offering outreach services and became  known as “The Hay Lady” or “The Dog Food Lady.” I raised my son by taking him with me to  these poor areas. We offered nourishment and comfort for neglected pets by carrying pet food, wheat straw,  water, blankets, and dog houses.  We offered pet owners assistance and advice to help them better care for their pets.  On cold rainy days we fed chained or penned dogs our mixture of rice and chicken we cooked. We often exchanged dog’s short chains for lighter, longer chains, because the owners would not remove their pet from  such confinement. We poured hot water on frozen water bowls, provided water bowls where there were none,  petted and comforted lonely dogs in pens and on chains behind houses, and gave healthy treats to them all.  We took shovels and cleaned poo that was stacked up covering the ground  in pens and carried it away in trash bags so a  dog could have clean ground to lie on for a while. We picked up old dog houses on the side of the road and  purchased them when necessary to give them to pets in areas where they had nothing but a lean-to or a tree  for shelter from weather. We offered to re-home pets, and paid money for others just to remove them from  poor conditions. 

I have always tried to help the helpless … always realizing my job would never be “done” and that there  were always more pets that I just couldn’t get to… My personal goal has been to “better” the immediate situation and then to help prevent the future from being  the same. By educating the public about spaying and neutering pets, feeding proper diets, providing adequate  shelter and water, and providing annual health care for pets, I have tried to better the living conditions for the  future. Personal involvement with pet owners is the strongest tool we have against animal abuse and neglect.  

So, over my life I have been focused on caring for any pet I can. I realized in 1999 that I wanted my life’s work to be with animals.  I feel like there is a certain place in everyone’s heart calling us to a certain place - a warm spot, right under our nose, that is our life’s calling. So, in my late 30’s I listened to my heart  and accepted my calling to full-time pet care. My involvement in rescue and  rehabilitation of abused, abandoned and  neglected animals helped me realize how much I want to work to enhance  the lives of all animals. 

In May 2001, I purchased an eight-acre  farm in the Irmo/St. Andrews area of  Columbia, S.C. I designed and built a  luxury pet resort for dogs, cats, horses  and exotic pets which would incorporate  homeless pets into our facility for quality care and rehabilitation. Our doors for Wescott Acres Luxury Pet Resort and Rescue opened the week before Thanksgiving, 2001.  ​

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For the next 19 years I raised my family and operated this little haven for pets.  Every person involved in pet care at Wescott Acres was a special part of a compassionate team with a passion for  pet care. We realized that each pet has unique needs and we have respected that. Each pet has a history of care that  shapes their personality, and our attention to that individual care helps each pet blossom into their full  potential of happiness. 

In 2019 I retired from Wescott Acres Luxury Pet Resort (Boarding, Grooming and Doggie Daycare) and I continue to operate Wescott Acres Pet Rescue. Our all-volunteer, non-profit rescue operating in Columbia, South  Carolina works to save the lives of abandoned, abused and neglected dogs and cats and place them into permanent homes. We ensure that each pet coming into our care is given  the highest quality care and adopted into a loving home to be treated as a companion. All rescued pets receive veterinary treatment and stay in a foster home where we support them  emotionally. Our foster parents  get to know them and their needs. 

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My hope for the future is that pet owners will realize the importance of being attentive to their pet’s physical  and emotional needs, recognizing that all animals have individual personalities just like we humans do. Wescott Acres Pet Rescue encourages spaying and neutering as being essential to reduce the unwanted pet over-population in our nation today. And, we teach that each pet’s “pack” mentality gives them a strong desire to be an integral part of our  family, their “pack.” 

We should offer all pets involvement in our family unit. And, we must always remember that their unconditional love toward us is a gift to be treasured. ​​

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Please support our mission of helping relieve suffering of helpless, homeless pets. 

Help us be a voice for the  voiceless.  

Laura T. Mitchell
President
Wescott Acres Pet Rescue
LauraMitchell5000@gmail.com