Paws and Prayers Rescue Blog

Everyone, sooner or later, learns their calling in life. For some people it is being a great mom or dad, for others it's contributing to a beautiful skyline... In rescue I have found that many people have a calling to save animals. Whether it be by rescuing them, fostering them, advocating for them or simply by setting a stellar example for the community, many people have contributed to saving animals.

Being in rescue, we have had the benefit of meeting many, many wonderful, animal loving people that give and give until they have nothing left to give and then find some other way to help out our furry little friends. It is really a beautiful thing to see so many selfless people everyday. It is a really refreshing contrast from our nosey neighbors, random road ragers and people that no longer hold the door for you when entering or exiting a restaurant (yes, my nose still hurts from the door!).

Being around so many kindhearted, loving people definitely leads to heartbreak. Not that bad kind like when your significant other dumped you and you ate your weight in Haagen Daz, but a deeper, sweeter heartbreak. Let me try to explain...

Two days ago we received notice from someone working in rescue about a very tragic situation. A high-kill shelter in West Virginia had three mother dogs and their three corresponding litters on the "to be euthanized" list. We took action right away, contacting all of our fosters to see who could take in a mother and their litter of pups until they were ready for adoption. Immediately three of our fosters sprung into action, ready to take on the task! From there we contacted another rescue (All Breed Puppy Rescue) and worked on getting a transport to the Akron area so we could do intake and get these babies and their mommas home.

A few hours after the transport had arrived, we noticed there was something a little "off" with one of the litters. They were a little lethargic and didn't seem as hungry as the other puppies. Being in rescue, you learn not to take risks. We picked up the smallest, weakest pup of the litter and cradled him while running a test for Parvo. The result took our breath away! We grabbed another puppy from the same litter and ran the test again... This litter tested positive for Parvo.

Our Beagle Mixed Puppies

Parvo is just an awful, awful virus. It attacks the lining of the intestines and lines them with a mucusy membrane that prohibits nutrients and water from being absorbed. One in two dogs die after contracting Parvo as they can starve or dehydrate to death no matter how much they eat or drink. Some can die as quickly as overnight.

Lucky for these pups, we have some really amazing fosters and volunteers! They promptly got working like a well oiled machine, quarantining the other two litters, bleaching everything at our office used for intake, we even had some fosters offer to drop off midnight snacks or make an early breakfast for those that stayed overnight with the pups! We have already begun treatment for the pups that have tested positive and the other two litters will be under strict observation for 14 days to make sure that they are ok after being exposed from transport.

Let me also tell you that, because we are a foster based rescue, none of our other dogs have been put at risk, thankfully! But I also must tell you that treating Parvo is really expensive and can cost up to $1,500 per puppy to treat. We know that they are well worth the treatment and hope that everyone else thinks so too! We are not generally a rescue that desperately asks for donations, but we really need the help. Whether it be through a small monetary donation or just by donating a gallon of bleach or some newpapers or puppy pads we would be so grateful! Please go to our website (PawsandPrayers.org) to find out how.

We are remaining extremely hopeful for these little guys! They are fighters for sure! But we do know the reality which is this: we may lose a pup, or two, or three. Our hearts will surely break for those that we lose (which we are hoping aren't any) but to my point... If our fosters and volunteers weren't such sweet, loving, pure-hearted people, those puppies would have been left at the shelter to die sad, alone, cold and in pain. Now at least they will have a warm, loving environment to fight in. If they do succumb, at least they will know that someone (everyone here and reading this) loved them and that our hearts have broken for them. And if they live, by helping them through this battle, they have forever taken a piece of our heart that we can never take back. It is, for sure, without a doubt, a bittersweet and warm heartbreak that we would not trade for the world!