Hound dogs are just a little misunderstood in the South.

That's why so many end up in overcrowded, rural shelters with little hope of adoption, according to Lindsey Kelley, the co-founder of St. Augustine based Swamp Haven Rescue.

"When I first moved here and began volunteering in animal shelters, I just started noticing hound dog after hound dog," Kelley said. "People in this area are so used to the breed, they don't even notice them anymore."

Kelley moved to St. Johns County with her husband three years ago from Washington State, where hound dogs are a rarity.

"Hounds are bred for flushing prey, which is illegal in Washington," Kelley explained. "So they're a designer breed because they're so rare."

But in Northeast Florida, hounds are so common it's a serious problem. Just one female dog can produce up to 508 puppies in seven years, which means hundreds of dogs at risk of getting hit by cars, starved to death, or filling low-capacity shelters.

So, Kelley and the other co-founders of Swamp Haven Rescue formulated Operation Hounds Out West League (HOWL), a mission designed to transport hounds to the Pacific Northwest, where adoption rates are much higher.

In collaboration with the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society, HOWL will pull adoptable hounds from high-kill shelters in Northeast Florida and send them to Washington for a second chance.

Right now, Kelley said Swamp Haven will send two to three dogs a month. She hopes to do more in the future, but it depends on funding and foster care.

"We want to keep doing this monthly, but we need way more people to foster, plus there have to be more shelters up north that can take them," Kelley said.

The cost of each dog's vet bill typically hovers around $250, Kelley said. The transportation is free through Kindred Hearts, but it could cost an additional $140 if they send more dogs with another company.

And while donations keep the vet bills paid, it's the foster care that really makes a difference.

"If we don't have a place to keep them, we can't help them," said Alyssa Kelley, Lindsey's sister and another co-founder of Swamp Haven.

Fosters would house a hound for no more than six weeks in preparation for their HOWL departure. The rescue pays for vet care and food.

"It doesn't cost you any money, it just costs you time," said foster Mera Aitken. "And if you have another animal, you won't even notice."

Aitken said she fosters because it gives her a chance to show compassion and make a difference.

The first three hounds depart for Washington in days.

In the meantime, Kelley said fosters are desperately needed as Swamp Haven continues to prepare death-row dogs for a new life out west. One hundred percent of the donations go toward the care of each animal.

"You're always looking for the good in the world," Aitken said. "But you need to try to be the good in the world. Be that difference."