Humane Society of Broward County: COVID-19 Operation Grant Report

How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?

The $750 grant funding was used to fund the emergency surgery, medications, IV fluids, feeding bottles and formula for a mom dog and her seven puppies.

In addition to having the ability to provide the emergency surgery and hospitalization, we were able to purchase feeding bottles and formula for the puppies.

How many pets did this grant help?

The mom dog plus her seven puppies.

Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.

Minnie Pearl was a transfer from an overcrowded shelter in Alabama and arrived, very pregnant, at the Humane Society of Broward County on May 30, 2020. Soon after her arrival, she gave birth to seven puppies and we placed the mom and puppies into one of our volunteer foster homes shortly thereafter.

About one week after giving birth, Minnie was diagnosed with metritis, which is an inflammation of the wall of the uterus, and is a life-threatening complication of giving birth. We were able to quickly perform an emergency ovariohysterectomy to save her life. She was hospitalized with us for a few days, receiving IV fluids and medications. The staff and foster family all pitched in to help bottle-feed the puppies over the course of those days until Minnie was able to recover and safely produce milk again.

Minnie and her puppies are still in foster care and she is happily nursing her puppies.

UPDATE: Leia, named for Princess Leia (and formerly known as Minnie Pearl) was adopted on Aug. 5, 2020 (bottom four photos). She was also heartworm-positive and completed her heartworm treatment in December of 2020. Her family absolutely adores her. Her puppies were also all adopted.