Author: Lea

Just looking into this boy’s eyes you can see his sadness and feel his emotional pain. After being part of the same family for his entire 13 years of life, he was surrendered to a high kill shelter. All he wants is to be loved, held close and cuddled and instead he almost lost his life. 

Meet Victor, our newest special needs senior Sanctuary resident, and there was simply no way we were going to allow his life to end in a cold noisy shelter. 

Victor is truly one of the sweetest boys ever! He simply looks at you and your heart just melts. We find it very difficult to comprehend owner surrenders, but we do understand how it affects the dogs and Victor is no different. He’s sad, confused, lost, and doesn’t understand what has happened to his family. 

We have often discussed our feelings about owner surrenders. Owner surrenders can be some of the most heartbroken dogs we see in the shelters. People don’t seem to understand or accept the reality for the surrendered pet, and what it does to them.

Paws Give Me Purpose is picking up the broken pieces of Victor’s heart and we will make him whole again – that is a promise! 

Victor has been seen by our Veterinary team. We have discussed quality of life and a hospice plan if deemed necessary. Victor has severe muscle wasting in his hind legs and bilateral hind limb paresis (weakness); a CT scan was taken, and the reason for this issue seems to be intervertebral disk extrusion. Since this injury is suspected to have happened long ago, and it was not addressed medically, surgical intervention is no longer possible. 

Victor actually gets himself around pretty well using just his front legs and is not in any pain. He does love to be picked up and carried. Due to this same old injury Victor has difficulty going potty so he does suffer from incontinence; nothing a pair of fashionable doggie pants can’t handle. Many of our senior males here have similar issues and it is no big deal to us. We will be looking into getting Victor a set of wheels so he can get around more comfortably himself when the dogs spend time outside in the yard. 

Victor’s blood work looked pretty good for a dog his age; nothing overly concerning. He does however have a mass on his outer front right paw which we will need to keep a close eye on. Additionally, Victor has a 3/6 heart murmur, some mild-moderate dental disease, and some allergic dermatitis. He will be seeing our Cardiologist as soon as possible so we can get him started on any heart medication he may require. 

Victor has an amazing appetite, is loving the homemade cooked foods and treats we make here and takes his supplements and medications like a champ. He eats sitting down, and does need someone to hold the bowl up for him, so he doesn’t lose balance; again we have no issue with that. 

Although Victor presents with many medical issues, none of them really inhibits his ability to enjoy life and live out his golden years to the fullest. Above all else, we at Paws Give Me Purpose put quality of life first, and Victor most certainly has shown us his desire for life, for love and this second chance. 

Victor came to us because no one else stepped up to help him during his time of need. Our promise to Victor is to provide a safe and loving environment for the rest of his life.

If anyone ever doubts us, know that this is what we do at Paws Give Me Purpose.

We ask that you please consider making a donation to help us with Victor’s care. If anyone is interested in sponsoring Victor’s lifetime care in Sanctuary, please reach out to us directly.

PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/pawsgivemepurposeinc

Venmo: @PAWSGIVEMEPURPOSE-INC

We are sadly seeing an increase in abandonment of senior and special needs dogs that is simply beyond our comprehension. Tossed out like trash, this tiny 4.5 pound, 13 year old, Yorkie girl is now off the streets, out of the shelter and safe with Paws Give Me Purpose Inc.

Meet Bella, one of our newest senior Sanctuary residents. Although we will never truly know what Bella has been through in her life, we do know she has this second chance to live her golden years to the fullest. 

People seem to think that small dog breeds can’t possibly cause any harm, so they believe they don’t require training. This is not quite so because even a tiny Chihuahua or Yorkshire Terrier can become a trouble maker with excessive barking, possessiveness, combativeness, being snappish, and so on.

In addition to her major medical issues, Bella’s behavior is off the charts inappropriate. This tiny little girl has some serious guarding issues which affects her behavior toward people and other dogs. Her nickname here in Sanctuary is ninja; and it’s not meant to be funny at all. 

Although we as humans regard any bite as aggression, for dogs, biting is a natural and normal means of canine communication and defense. It’s actually surprising that our dogs don’t bite us more often than they do! Aggression is generally caused by stress, which can come from a variety of sources. Pain, fear, anxiety, arousal, any kind of threat to the dog’s well-being can be considered a stressor. 

It is very clear Bella has suffered through major trauma in her life. It is evident she has been seriously neglected for a long time, then tossed out like garbage. No one knows how long she was on the streets until she was found, and then she spent time in a noisy shelter which ultimately was going to be the place she would lose her life; we could not allow that to happen. 

Bella has received the immediate urgent medical care she needed and will continue to receive the expert care she deserves. She suffers from some serious stomach and esophagus issues which causes her to suddenly vomit her food hours after it has been eaten. Her stomach also gets extremely distended at times. The major concern is that she is not receiving the necessary nutrition she needs even though she has an amazing appetite. 

Bella also suffers from severe dental disease and a skin condition known as Seborrhea, also known as Seborrheic Dermatitis. With seborrhea, the sebaceous glands of the skin produce an excessive amount of sebum causing her skin to feel wet even though it is flakey and her coat is like someone dipped her in oil. 

For those not familiar, Seborrhea is often a secondary condition. Primary conditions or diseases include allergies, endocrine disorders, dietary deficiencies, malabsorption disorders, parasites, and autoimmune disorders. Seborrhea can also be an inherited disorder. Our Veterinary team is running more tests to help narrow down the exact cause of Bella’s condition so we can give her the best medical treatment possible.

It goes without saying that we will do whatever is necessary to help Bella heal physically, emotionally and behaviorally. Our promise to Bella is to provide her with a safe and loving environment for the rest of her life and we are committed to keeping this promise. 

Paws Give Me Purpose will do everything possible to help Bella have the best life going forward but we cannot do this alone. 

We ask that you please make your most generous gift to help us with Bella’s care. If anyone is interested in sponsoring Bella’s lifetime care in Sanctuary, please reach out to us directly.

PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/pawsgivemepurposeinc

Venmo: @PAWSGIVEMEPURPOSE-INC

Paw Prints In Heaven, Forever In Our Hearts.

We kept our promise to Wendy; we loved her, spoiled her, and kept her comfortable during her time here at Paws Give Me Purpose Sanctuary, then last night she joined the angels peacefully in her sleep.

Although her time with us was very short, Wendy’s life was very important to us. We could not stand by and allow her to die alone in a shelter without the kindness, compassion, love and dignity she deserved. 

We did everything we possibly could to help her and really thought she would have more time with us, but clearly her body could not keep up with her beautiful soul’s will to live. She was one of the sweetest most gentle girls ever and we will never be able to understand why anyone would allow their furry family member to get into this condition and then toss them away.

Wendy left paw prints on the hearts of everyone here. 

You will always live on in our hearts Wendy– you were taken way too soon. We were blessed to have known you!

Thank you to each and every one of you for kindness, prayers and donations toward Wendy’s supportive care. We truly could not do this without you.