Near Death Puppies (Donna and Trump)

Hi everyone! As many of you know, I am heavily involved in animal rescue and welfare...having reached a personal quota of two rescued thoroughbreds, a kelpie mix, two cats, and a few small buddies, I now donate my time and resources to bringing less fortunate animals from rural high-kill areas to the relatively humane shelters near San Francisco proper. This type of work serves to help the animals themselves and the often overwhelmed and frequently hopeless shelter workers as well...it also serves to get some of the animals out of the cycle of reproduction as (in spite of CA laws) many rural shelters are not able to spay/neuter before releasing animals back to the public. In the last year, I fostered, spayed/neutered, and placed 40+ dogs and was also able to build bridges between PHS and MHS (two reputable and relatively well funded metropolitan shelters) and several rural animal control facilities. Though my ultimate goal is to develop and find funding for a mobile spay/neuter van and an attached public school educator(anyone want to fund that? :) ), in the interim I continue to do what I can on a local level. This week presented me with an ethical dilemma and no real recourse. Please read a brief account of the story below. This was a quick post for Craigslist but it will have to do for the moment as I am unusually overbooked with commitments this week. If you are able to help financially or know any dog lovers who might be interested, it is greatly appreciated. If we are fortunate enough to reach and exceed our goal, please know that any excess will be spent in the pursuit of a better life for others like these two.

From Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) by Antoine Exupry:

"... You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. ..."


PS The pups have been nicknamed Donna and Trump (The Billion Dollar Dogs!)

Today I volunteered to transport 5 dogs (two pregnant) from a rural shelter to the Bay Area. Two of the dogs were very dehydrated and lethargic and both had discharge caked on their faces...they were very underweight and their coats were in poor condition. These dogs were supposed to be healthy and that is a matter I need to deal with elsewhere but I was able to get a vet appointment at Lawrence Pet Hospital in Santa Clara. They determined that the dogs needed to be hospitalized and hydrated with antibiotic fluids. The pups are 6 month old kelpie mixes (35-40) pounds full grown. The pups also need diagnostic testing to protect them and the community from any infectious disease. The vet, feeling that the pups have a good chance and finding them to be very endearing dogs, suggested a 48 hour course of treatment and testing. For two dogs, this was in excess of 1,800. Everything she suggested is appropriate and not unreasonably priced...but it is a lot. My only other option was to humanely euthanize the dogs...perhaps something that should have been done at the shelter where other healthy adoptable dogs are sill languishing...but with the animals in my immediate care I chose to take responsibility and go through with the testing. This financial cost makes it difficult for me to continue helping as I have (Last year I fostered, spay/neutered, and placed almost 40 animals) I am asking for help -- $10 maybe, more if you can. Thank you for reading!

Update -- dogs negative for Parvo -- one more round of tests and we may be clear.
Update 2 -- pups appear negative for distemper. pneumonia looks to be causing the illness. they will be coming home tomorrow for lots of medication, fluids, rest, and monitoring. thanks very much for all the support so far.
Update 3 -- The pups are warm and safe in a plush x-pen in my garage, listening to soothing radio and getting IV fluids, hand fed (spoiled!), temperature readings, and antibiotics twice daily. They wag their tails, even when too tired to life their heads. They are going to be very sweet dogs.

Please Email for more Photos

1 in 4 shelter dogs is a purebred
500,000 adoptable pets are euthanized yearly in CA alone
For every human child born, 7 puppies and kittens are also born -- this is not a sustainable number of pets ... please spay/neuter

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. Mahatma Gandhi

"The brute animals have all the same sensations of pain as human beings, and consequently endure as much pain when their body is hurt; but in their case the cruelty of torment is greater, because they have no mind to bear them up against their sufferings, and no hope to look forward to when enduring the last extreme pain." - Thomas Chalmers, Scottish Religious Leader

"We cannot glimpse the essential life of a caged animal, only the shadow of its former beauty." - Julia Allen Field (1937- )

"The awful wrongs and sufferings forced upon the innocent, helpless, faithful animal race, form the blackest chapter in the whole world's history." - Edward Freeman, English Freelance Historian and Journalist

"Don't Breed or Buy While Homeless Animals Die" anon

(many purebreds are quickly taken to breed specific rescues for foster care -- google and/or ask your local shelters if interested)