Some of the saddest owner surrenders we receive are when a dog has been their Person’s life long companion and now their Person is reaching the end of their time on earth......and that is what happened to Pepperoni.
President Palm received a request from outside our area for 7 lb, 10 year old little man who was losing his Person, would soon be homeless, AND was in need of medical care.
We saw his sweet eyes and couldn’t say no. Equally importantly, rescue is as much about helping people as dogs, and not only did we want to help Pepperoni, but we wanted to be able to give his Person a gift in knowing that their sweet boy would be safe and cared for.
Pepperoni made his way to South Florida to Dr. Bruce’s Animal Hospital, and we are certain that Pepperoni was greatly loved, but after Dr. Bruce checked him out, Pepperoni promptly made his way to LeadER as he had quite a few medical issues to work through. Pepperoni is now under the care of Dr. Johns and here’s what we are working with: Most urgent is a perineal hernia from not being neutered that will require surgery. Pepeproni has a heart murmer, and x-rays showed a healed rib fractures on the right side that presented for being recent trauma, along with some bruising in his lungs that "could be" bruising or pneumonia but Dr. Johns was feeling most likely contusion from trauma. Bloodwork showed a few things off, but nothing that wouldn’t not make him a candidate for surgery. Pepperoni will have a surgical consult and get a plan together to get his hernia treated.
We take a LOT heat, grief, and hate from families about the fact that we decline applications who have not spayed/neutered. Dogs like Pepperoni are why (and we are also sure Pepperoni's Person did the best they could). Had Pepperoni been neutered, he would not have this hernia and would not have to go through surgery. If left untreated, at best, this hernia can cause chronic constipation and straining and/or lead to a prolapse, and at worst, can become life threatening if the bladder slips through the hernia and becomes trapped.
It is not just girls who reap health benefits from being spayed, it is boys too and we are back, on bended knee, to hope that you agree that Pepperoni deserves a 2nd chance to find a new family to love him and feel better.
