At 5 PM on Friday, April 14 we got a call that could not be refused. A family had too many dogs, with some in crisis. They said the situation had ‘got away’ from them.
It was a situation that had spiraled out of control. All the dogs needed immediate care.
The staff at the shelter rallied, and we headed over to the house with two vehicles.
When we arrived, we met with the owner of the dogs. We asked for the sickest dogs to be surrendered to HSKL and then asked them to bring out as many dogs as we had cages.
All the dogs were affectionate and had names, so the owner loved them, but the situation was too much for one family.
A short time later, we had triaged 20 dogs. Three of the dogs needed urgent vet care. We loaded all 20 into our vehicles and raced to a vet hospital.
After leaving the three dogs needing care, our team arrived at the Shelter at 10 PM on Friday and sprang into action. All the dogs had intake exams, baths, vaccines (if they were well enough), and parasite control. They were all fed and had water. By 2 AM Saturday, all the dogs had been safely bedded down for the night.
We don't know how long these dogs will be in our care. Three of the young pups are pregnant. One young pup has an irregular heartbeat. All of them will need to be spayed and neutered. As of Saturday, we have two moms in active labour, and one more being monitored.
Right now, all the rescued dogs need your love and care to see them through the next few weeks. Please give now to support these pups.
We want people to know that they can call HSKL before a crisis. HSKL does not judge, but supports our community members with kindness. We will help any family with too many dogs or pets needing support.
If you know anyone struggling with their pets, please encourage them to call HSKL. With donors like you by our side, we can act to fix the situation.
