BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — Dogs of all breeds, shapes and sizes gathered at Pet Supplies Plus in Beckley on Sunday, October 29, 2023.

The dogs and their humans, along with local vendors, came out to show support for Operation Rescue, a Beckley dog rescue organization.

“We’re having our annual Tricks and Treats event. We love this event. It’s a blast,” said Erica Jones, the Operation Underdog spokesperson. “We get to set up with vendors. Everyone brings their pups out, and they dress up for costume contests. And events like this are important because we are solely based on donations. So, community support is a huge deal for us to be able to provide services.”

The organization rescues and transports several hundred dogs a year, Jones says. The group also provides some vetting and spay and neuter services and works with a network of foster families to give temporary homes to strays.

Operation Underdog rescued River, a mixed pit bull breed from a river, where somebody had abandoned her and her puppies. One of her pups, now grown, was also at Tricks and Treat with a different foster family. Allison Shriver fosters River and other dogs.

“So, I keep dogs in my home. Pretty much full-time, I’ll have one to three foster dogs at my house, at any given time,” said Shriver. “I love having the dogs in my home and getting to play with them. It’s sometimes very heartbreaking when they leave, though, so you have to be prepared for that part.”

Operation Underdog relies solely on donations to cover the cost of operations.