Needy Paws Rescue: Purina Consider A Shelter Pet Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
All money received helped Needy Paws Rescue defray the costs of heartworm treatments. In 2017, we rescued 780 dogs, and of those, 37 were heartworm-positive. Our estimated cost for these 90-day treatments averages $500 per dog. We do not turn away a dog because they are heartworm-positive, and we know that after treatment they will then be able to find their forever family.
As we save stray and abandoned dogs from [open-admission] shelters, we sometimes ask the shelters to test them for heartworm first. When we they tell us the dog is heartworm-positive, we usually take them anyway. We know that these dogs are adoptable and need to live in our foster homes instead of a shelter. With this in mind, we know that all donations and grants received can help us continue to save these dogs, regardless of the cost of heartworm treatment.
How many pets did this grant help?
We used the grant to help us with heartworm-treatment costs and were able to use the funds for dogs going through treatment. I have attached photos of two of our dogs who went through treatment and were then able to find furever families.
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
We got a call that a momma dog had had puppies inside a burned-down house in Cahokia, IL. We rescued her and her puppies, taking them to a foster home so they could be comfortable. After they were weaned, the puppies were adopted and Tahla began her painful 90-day heartworm treatment. After completion of treatment, Tahla was adopted to her forever family! Evie was found with another dog in Salem, MO. The family moved and left them behind to fend for themselves. The neighbors had been trying to care for them but could no longer handle it. The dogs were transported up to Needy Paws Rescue. Evie was heartworm-positive and the sweetest dog ever! After her treatments, she was adopted but then returned. She had to find a home without cats. While waiting for her new family, she tested heartworm-positive again, but will get retested in four months. In the meantime, she has found her forever family and is a very happy dog!
