Stella spent an entire month evading capture by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals before she was finally trapped and brought to the kennels at Paws for Life, Inc., in Chesapeake City, Md.
    After a few days with Ginny Suarez, founder and executive director of Paws for Life, the spaniel mix is now happily awaiting adoption.
    It’s a change of fate hundreds of dogs have experienced thanks to Paws for Life, a non-profit organization that rescues dogs destined for death row at animal shelters. The Paws for Life people then ensure each dog receives proper medical care. They socialize and care for the animals until they are placed in a good and permanent home.
    Paws for Life will host a Benefit Auction and Kennel Grand Opening for their new dog kennel on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 5 to 9 p.m. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the new kennel.
    “At the new kennel, we will be able to help more dogs and it will be much easier for me and the people who help me,” Suarez said. “When I first started Paws for Life, there was a two-run kennel. We built another very small kennel and I started using a couple of my mom’s kennels at her farm.
    “We had dogs at my mom’s house, dogs at the old kennel and dogs in my tack room that needed to be socialized,” she said. “At the new kennel, they’ll all be under one roof.”
    Suarez said a few of the dogs available for adoption will be at the auction.
    She said the kennel has 13 runs, two of which will be quarantine runs with separate air circulation for dogs who have kennel cough or another contagious illness.
    The kennel also has a bathing area, an office and a room where prospective adopters can become familiar with the dogs that are up for adoption.
    Suarez said she started Paws for Life when she was on the board of directors for the Cecil County SPCA in Maryland.
    “I was tired of seeing good dogs being euthanized because of lack of room at the shelter,” she said. “I took a handful of dogs at a time and it just grew and grew.”
    She said the Paws for Life kennel is located at her mother’s farm, Great House Farm in Chesapeake City. The Paws for Life office was originally located in Middletown.
    In operation just more than 10 years, Paws for Life now rescues and places more than 100 dogs each year.
    Paws for Life also works closely with the MidAtlantic Horse Rescue, which is run by Beverly Strauss. MAHR is a division of Paws for Life, Inc.
    Strauss said they’re able to rescue and find homes for about 70 ex-racehorses each year. Those horses are usually destined for slaughter before MidAtlantic Horse Rescue intervenes.
    “Ginny helps me a lot with the horses and I work with the dogs, too,” she said. “With both the dogs and horses, we have a lot of adoptable animals that can get out into new homes.”
    Strauss said Paws for Life focuses on rescuing dogs from high kill shelters, such as the Kent County SPCA. The Delaware SPCA, which has locations in New Castle and Sussex counties, has a no-kill policy.
    “These dogs have no where left to turn. We give them a second chance,” she said. “We pull dogs from high kill shelters and update all their vet work. We really get to know the dogs and we know who they really are. That way when people call we can steer them to the right dog.”
    Suarez said her motivation comes from taking dogs out of terrible situations and matching them with a loving family.
    “They go from basically no hope to a home with a loving family with kids and they go camping with the family and things like that,” she said. “We want our dogs to be part of the people’s families.”
    Suarez said she often receives Christmas cards with pictures of the adopting families, including the adopted dog, and receives pictures of dogs having fun in pools and all other situations.
    Suarez and her mother, Caroline duPont Prickett, spend ample time with each of the dogs after they’re rescued. They start each morning by taking all of the dogs for a walk at 6:15 a.m.
    While at the farm, the dogs receive basic obedience training.
    Suarez said the organization takes all of their rescued animals to Dr. David Beste at the Middletown Veterinary Hospital.
    “I have called him from the SPCA and said, ‘There’s a dog in here that has been hit by a car,’ and he says to bring the dog right in,” she said. “He and his staff are great to work with. They are always there for us.”
    Strauss said they have all of the dogs they rescue spayed or neutered, if they are not already. And if a person has to forfeit care of an animal they adopted from Paws for Life, they require that the dog comes back to the shelter.
    “We did get a dog back after 10 years,” she said. “Her owner passed away and we took her back and ended up placing her again.”
    Strauss said that’s the main requirement for people adopting their animals.
    “A lot of rescue shelters require things like fenced-in yards, but there are a lot of people who have dogs and don’t have fenced in yards,” she said. “If it’s a good home, it’s a good home. We really try to make sure it’s a good match. People can come see the dogs and take them home the same day.”
    Strauss said they realize good pet owners come in all shapes, sizes, ages and  circumstances, just like good pets.
    “We want to make sure the person understands that they are taking on a 10 to 15 year commitment,” she said. “They should have good vet references and be willing to provide the proper care for a dog. As we meet with potential adopters, we try to get a sense of what their family situation is to ensure that the dog will fit in with the lifestyle of the adopter.”
    Strauss said the kennel is run through donations, grants and adoption fees, which are $125 for each dog.
    “We are very thankful for the people who have donated items for the auction and for our board and volunteers who have worked very hard with the kennel and the auction,” she said. “It’s a very small network of people who work very hard.”
    Items available for auction include a week’s stay at a private condo in the Turks and Caicos Islands, a week’s stay at a private condo in Steamboat Springs, Colo., an antique secretary desk, signed art prints, landscaping services and more.
    The silent auction will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. The live auction will go from 7 to 9 p.m.
    Beer, wine and heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served at the auction.
    Suarez said the event is casual.
    “It’s a very exciting time for us to show off our new facility,” Suarez said. “This auction helps a great cause. These animals were going to get euthanized and now they’re getting a second lease on life.”
    Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased at the door or online at www.pawsforlife.org.
    For more information, email paws4life@dmv.com or call 376-7297.