Berlin woman works to rescue animals on the Eastern Shore

BERLIN, Md. – Hundreds of four-legged friends on Delmarva are often left stranded without a home. But, that is where people like Susanne Hoshino from Berlin come in.

Local shelters like the Worcester County Humane Society depend on people like Hoshino to help rescue local animals from homelessness.

“They depend on us, you know, and they can’t help themselves,” said Hoshino.

“These animals down at the animal control they have no exposure, no one knows they’re there,” said Hoshino.

Hoshino recently started an organization called Kindness Matters Rescue. So far, Hoshino said nearly 2,000 dogs and cats have been rescued from animal control services where many meet their end.

“Those animals are on their last step, and their next step is euthanization,” said Hoshino.

“Now because the animal control wants to put them down, but just because there’s so many more incoming,” Hoshino said.

One by one, the Berlin resident will pick up furry friends from animal control and brings them over to her house where she will nurture and take care of them until a shelter has room for them.

“I partner with a lot of different rescues and with the Eastern Shore Animal Control in Melfa, Virginia, and that is a geographically isolated area and there’s a high volume of dogs into the animal control,” she said.

But, these trips to different animal shelters across the shore has made Hoshino’s mission a bit expensive.

“Most of it comes out of my own pocket things like you know the driving,” Hoshino said.

“I probably drove 50,000 miles last year for these transports, gas and that kind of thing, but I don’t worry about that,” she said.

Despite the challenges, Hoshino said she will take in as many animals as she can because she believes all life matters.

For those interested in learning more about Kindness Matters Rescue, they should send an email to shoshino@aol.com.