Here are updates from three shelters who received our SNAP-X spay/neuter grants.
Dixie, a pit pull mix in Florida
Sarah Humlie, managing director of the Humane Society of Pensacola, tells us about a timid pit mix:
“We operate a no-kill shelter in an area where the county animal shelter euthanizes approximately 3,000 dogs every year. A large portion of those dogs are bully breeds and pit mixes, due to the difficulty of finding suitable adoptable homes for those breeds. With the help of this grant, we were able to transfer two pit-mix mothers, with their litters of puppies (14 total!), from the county shelter to our facility, where they were able to receive the time they needed to wean their puppies and be adopted into loving homes.
“One of the mothers, Dixie, was a very timid pit bull-Lab mix. When she first arrived at the Humane Society, she wouldn’t walk on a leash at all, only lie down, and she had to be carried everywhere in order to go the bathroom, play in the yard, or go to the vet. At the time of transfer, she was very pregnant, and within a week she gave birth to nine healthy puppies!
“Dixie stayed with a wonderful foster family while she nursed and weaned the puppies. They brought her out of her shell, housetrained her, and taught her how to play fetch. Now, you will never find her without a favorite toy in her mouth. She is still learning how to walk on a leash, but with her new, trusted owner, she has made remarkable progress. Thanks to funding through this grant, Dixie, only a year and a half old, was able to be spayed and adopted to a wonderful home!”
Dottie, a Doberman in Nevada
Pat Getter, president of Doberman Rescue of Nevada in Las Vegas, sends us the story of a Doberman who couldn’t stand up:
“Dottie, a young female Doberman stray, was picked up by animal control and taken to a Southern California shelter where she wouldn’t get up in her crate. She was sweet and friendly and apparently had just weaned a litter of pups. But if the shelter couldn’t get her to stand, let alone walk, they would put her down. Nothing showed up on the X-rays, so vets didn’t know what to treat. Could it be Wobbler syndrome? Could it be a cruciate [knee] injury? A shelter volunteer got the word out to local rescue groups, who then spread the word throughout the western Doberman-rescue network.
“With the wheels in motion to try to find a rescue group to pull her, the shelter gave her time, and Tuesday was now Thursday. By Friday, this black-and-tan beauty was a little stronger. And by Saturday, she was standing when DRNV’s volunteer came to see her and make arrangements to pull her on Tuesday to bring her to Las Vegas.
“The shelter vet joked that maybe she heard all the commotion about being euthanized and she realized she needed to stand up for herself – literally. Or perhaps, she simply had a badly bruised leg – maybe she’d been hit by a car – and needed a few days for the soreness to subside. But when she arrived in Las Vegas to be spayed, she was up and around, walking on all fours, and you would have never known this was the same Dober-girl who, one week earlier, was nearly put down just because she couldn’t get up.
“She is now spayed and ready to find her forever home. We posted her photo on our Facebook page while she was in transport and we already had an applicant by the time she arrived in her new city – before we even posted her on our own website or Petfinder! Plus a possible adopter from our list of already approved applicants. So life is finally looking up for Dottie and she should be in her forever home soon. A meet-and-greet is set for this weekend. All paws are crossed!”
Our SNAP-X grant made Dottie’s rescue possible, Getter says: “We appreciate it more than you can ever know. Our Dobie boys and girls give you paws up for your generosity and support!”
Leah, a pit bull in Wyoming
Britney Wallesch, founder of Black Dog Animal Rescue, Inc., in Cheyenne, WY, tells us about an emaciated, but still friendly, pit bull:
“Spay and neuter surgeries are by far the largest recurring expense we currently have. By providing money for this purpose, the grant allowed us to allocate other funds to program services that are lower on the priority list but also badly needed. We believe that all animals should be spayed or neutered prior to adoption and by doing so we are helping them to go onto happier, healthier lives with their new families.
“Leah was a 2-year-old blue pit bull-type dog who came to us from a shelter in one of the largest communities in Wyoming. She was emaciated and had stayed too long in a kennel. But, in true bully style, she was all kisses and wiggles for everyone she met. Like many other communities across the country, Wyoming’s shelters are faced with handling an abundance of pit bull and pit bull-mix dogs. As a result, a greater number of them face euthanasia every year.
“Leah was one of the lucky ones and she got to come to Black Dog Animal Rescue for safety. She was spayed thanks in part to funding from the SNAP-X grant and gained weight well. She overcame some initial shyness and became a great snuggle buddy for her foster siblings. Leah traveled to New York State over the summer with her foster family, where she learned to run of-leash and that she loves to swim! Upon her return from the family vacation, Leah was quickly adopted by a local veterinarian and her family. Don’t be deterred by her serious expression — she never did learn to love the camera. But rest assured, she has found a happy, forever home. She was the 134th adoption in our Summer Adopt-a-thon.”
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