Watch 600 Miles Home
600 Miles Home is an inspiring documentary about the early days of Operation Paws for Homes. Filmed in 2012, just two years after OPH was founded, the 14-minute film captures the reality that inspired our organization to begin rescuing dogs from rural shelters in the south and transporting them to foster and adoptive homes in Virginia.
More than a decade later, some things have changed. But sadly, the need that this film captures has not disappeared.
Across the country, there are still rural and under-resourced shelters struggling with overcrowding, limited funding, too few resources, and far more animals in need than they have the capacity to save. There are still communities where shelters are forced to make heartbreaking decisions simply because there are not enough homes, foster families, or resources available.
This is the sad reality for many OPH partner shelters, and that is why we do this work.
In 600 Miles Home, you’ll meet the compassionate staff of the Greenwood County Animal Shelter in Greenwood, South Carolina, one of OPH’s earliest shelter partners who remains a partner today. You’ll see the challenges they faced and the difficult choices created by overpopulation and limited resources. Most importantly, you’ll follow Capone, Oprah, and Nirvana, three dogs whose lives changed when OPH stepped in to give them a way out.
Their journey took them 600 miles from a rural shelter to foster and adoptive homes in Virginia. But their journey represents something much bigger: what is possible when shelters, rescues, volunteers, fosters, and adopters work together to give an animal a second chance.
600 Miles Home is a piece of OPH history, but it is also a reminder of why our work still matters today. We continue to rescue animals from communities where resources are limited, support shelters and their staff, provide transportation and foster homes, and work toward solutions that give more animals the opportunity to make it safely home.
We invite you to watch the film and see where our journey began.
And then, help us continue the journey:
OPH would like to thank:
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Liza Hamilton and Meagan Lutz for their hard work and talent in creating 600 Miles Home.
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OPH volunteer transporters Mindy and Mike Young for making the 600-mile journey for this film.
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The dedicated staff at Greenwood County Animal Shelter for opening their doors to us and for the lifesaving work they continue to do for animals in their community. OPH is grateful for the partnership that helped make these journeys to safety possible.