Many of our supporters know Pope Memorial Humane Society (PMHS) as a local shelter that does a lot of good with very little money. Formerly Cocheco Valley Humane Society, we’ve worked hard for many years to make a difference in the lives of the 1,000+ animals who come through our doors each year. Thanks to the generosity of our community and faithful supporters, we were able to move into our beautiful new facility earlier this year which has made such a big difference in the quality of life for these animals while they’re with us. But the facility itself does not care for the animals, and we are still depending on your generosity to help us provide the very best for all of our furry and feathered friends, particularly those who need a little extra help to get them ready to enjoy a happy life beyond the shelter. Here are just a few of their stories.
Back in April we received via transport from Florida, a homeless, coughing, underweight, mangy dog named Captain. He was so sad when he arrived, he reminded staff and volunteers of Eeyore. Because he had tested negative for heartworm prior to his arrival, his persistent cough was attributed to kennel cough. After further tests we found that Captain was indeed heartworm positive, and his condition was causing much of his misery. Treatment began right away and Captain began to gain weight, walk with a little more pep in his step, and enjoy lounging in the sun with staff and volunteers. His sad eyes and loving nature won over many of his caretakers here and we were all thrilled when he entered into a foster to adopt situation last month.
In May, a tenacious 10-year-old Lhasa Apso named Wally was surrendered to us by his owner. He had a mass on his left thigh and suffered from severe eye problems caused by chronic dry eye. A normally sweet, loveable, happy little dog, Wally transformed into something from a Stephen King novel whenever a member of our vet staff would approach him with topical eye medications, which he needed several times a day. This was a miserable situation for both Wally and the vets who needed to treat him. For his safety as well as that of the staff and his potential future owner, Wally received Cyclosporine implants which provide his eyes with much-needed moisture without the need for topical treatments. Everyone is much happier now, especially Wally who is currently living it up in a foster to adopt situation.
Many of you will remember Jaws, who was so friendly and happy he became the face of PMHS at many events over the summer and through the fall. By his goofy grin and constantly wagging tail, you would never guess that when Jaws came to us in June, it was from a convicted animal abuser. When he first arrived he was filthy and was suffering from obvious allergies. After a short time, he developed a rasping cough. Because we had several dogs undergoing treatment for kennel cough at that time, we treated Jaws for that, too. Despite that treatment, his cough persisted. Radiographs were taken which showed a chronic form of bronchitis that is frequently caused by drug inhalation, as well as 4 BB pellets lodged under the skin on his side. Despite all of the abuse he suffered before his time with us, Jaws remained one of the happiest boys who has ever come through our doors. We were all overjoyed when Jaws finally found his forever home on October 24th.
The cost of extra care for each one of these dogs was over $1,000. That amount is on top of the cost of the food, bedding, and preventative care that all of our shelter animals receive. And these are just three of many examples. We’ve also had cats who have needed full mouth extractions of teeth, cats who have been treated for hyperthyroid, exotic birds who’ve needed treatment for arthritis, litters of orphaned kittens who’ve needed to be bottle-fed round the clock until they could eat for themselves, and numerous other situations where animals have required additional attention and treatment. We know that each and every one of these animals are worthy and deserving of this care but we need your help to provide it.
On this #GivingTuesday, please consider making a donation to Pope Memorial Humane Society so that we can continue the life-saving work that we are so proud to be able to do.