The staff and volunteers at NYC Second Chance Rescue are the unsung heroes for a sweet puppy from Georgia who was about to lose his life. The pup, now named Slim Jim, was about to the euthanized on Friday in the parking lot of a Georgia animal shelter without ever setting a paw inside.
Slim Jim had been abandoned overnight and left in a crate. According to the shelter, the puppy had tested positive for Parvo, a deadly and highly contagious virus. Under the new shelter protocol, Slim Jim was not allowed to even enter the shelter so as not to infect the other dogs in the shelter.
Slim Jim trembled in his kennel and looked into the eyes of the humans around him as if understanding his life was at risk. Fortunately NYC Second Chance Rescue had been notified, and committed to pulling Slim Jim from the crate and rushing him to a critical care animal hospital where he will receive life saving treatment.
Parvovirus is spread via sniffs or licks of infected feces. Indirect transmission occurs when a person who has recently been exposed to an infected dog touches a puppy, or when a puppy encounters a contaminated object, like a food or water bowl, collars and leashes, and by the hands and clothing of people who handle infected dogs. The virus mainly infects the small intestine where it destroys cells, impairs absorption, and disrupts the gut barrier. Parvo in puppies also affects the bone marrow and lymphopoietic tissues, and in some cases can also affect the heart.
There is no cure for parvo, however supportive care during the course of the virus by treating symptoms can mean the difference between life and death. Vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration are treated while the puppy is kept in isolation. The survival rate of dogs treated by a veterinarian is 68 to 92 percent, and most puppies that survive the first three-to-four days make a complete recovery. Recovery times vary depending on the severity of the case.
A rescue volunteer writes:
He’s just a baby; we can’t imagine how terrified he must be. Dogs, like humans, know impending danger. As he trembles in his kennel, he knows his life is at risk, but we believe he deserves a chance to fight, live, and learn what it means to be a loved dog.
The cost of Slim Jim’s care will be expensive, but every life deserves their own success story.
Watch Slim Jim’s beginning story. His original rescuer placed him in her car with the air conditioning to keep him comfortable until a rescue could be secured. Fortunately, NYC SCR stepped up.
Slim Jim faces the fight of his young life.
Please, help to give him the fighting chance he was never going to get.
To donate:
PayPal: [email protected]
Zelle: [email protected]
Venmo: @NYC-SCR (Under Charities not People)
***Beware of imposter accounts on Venmo that vary slightly in name.
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