HSoP Success Stories
"Sissy and her Seven Dwarfs"
Sissy arrived at HSoP in spring of 2017. Sissy was wandering around the Kendrick area, lost and scared.
A good Samaritan found Sissy and brought her into HSoP. Sissy did not have any form of identification, and no missing reports had been filed with HSoP.
Soon after arriving, Sissy’s condition was obvious to HSoP staff and the veterinarians at Animal Clinic. Sissy was homeless, and pregnant with seven puppies!
The care for an expecting mother began! Staff worked quickly to find a way to help Sissy stay more comfortable during her pregnancy. High stress levels can send dogs in Sissy’s condition into premature labor, and this something the shelter staff worked diligently to avoid.
Sissy received her own kiddie pool to nest in, any appropriate preventative care pregnant dogs can receive, and then we waited. Weeks later, her seven all male puppies arrived! Her puppies received preventative care, then mama and her puppies all found their forever homes in responsible and loving homes.
What would have happened for Sissy and her litter had HSoP not been able to provide Sissy and her babies with their needed care or shelter? Instead of one stray dog, Kendrick would have had eight homeless, unfixed dogs that had no preventative care provided, adding to the over pet population issue facing Latah County. Who knows what would have happened to Sissy and her babies had she not been able to receive temporary housing at HSoP.
"Bruce Wayne"
When Bruce Wayne arrived from Potlatch in the summer of 2017, HSoP staff knew he had been patiently waiting for his super hero. Bruce was brought in by the Latah County Sheriffs Department. Bruce had been abused, and was needing help.
Bruce was needing a safe, warm and loving place to rest as well as an eye surgery. He was suffering from microsabatosis that was causing entropia.
Thanks to the support of our local pet community, HSoP was able to provide the much-needed surgery. Once Bruce was healed, he quickly found a wonderful loving forever home.
Dogs like Bruce Wayne need our help. Without a shelter to go to, Bruce would have had no other option but to stay in an abusive home and would not have received the needed vet care. Now, Bruce is living life to the fullest with his super hero!
"Stud and Muffin"
In June of 2014, two dogs named Stud and Muffin were brought to HSoP, along with their mother, Misha, and seven puppies. The ten dogs were removed from a less than OK home, and were now in search of loving adoptive homes. The seven puppies, being as cute as puppies can be, were adopted in hardly any time at all.
Stud and Muffin seemed to be a very close bonded pair. When they first arrived, Stud had some injuries from the other dogs. Muffin seemed determined to protect him at all costs, refusing to leave his side. The pair waited and waited and waited for an adopter to come in who was willing to adopt them together. Unfortunately, this day never came. The pair spent three years together at HSoP, and developed quite the following in that time. Visitors, volunteers, and staff alike all loved Stud and Muffin! They were popular on social media, too.
Being in such close quarters with each other eventually led to bickering and anxiety between the pair. After consulting with their veterinarian, it was recommended to separate the duo and have them adopted into different homes. Stud and Muffin were separated for just a few short months before Muffin met her forever home! After taking a few days to settle in, Muffin was ecstatic to be living in her own home. Thankfully, Stud wasn't too far behind! Just about a month after Muffin left for her new life, Stud was adopted into his own loving forever home.
The owners of each pup exchanged contact information, so they have the ability for Stud and Muffin to see each other in the future. After several long years of waiting, we are so incredibly happy for Stud, Muffin, and their new families!
"Forest"
Forest was found in November of 2019 after being hit by a car. Upon arrival to HSoP it was clear Forest suffered quite a few injuries. Forest was taken to the veterinarian, and we did X-rays on both of her back legs. We found two broken bones in each back leg, which meant Forest was going to have to wear casts on both back legs for roughly 8 weeks. Forest purred the entire time she was evaluated, and even after the casts were placed on her legs. She was just happy to get any attention from people. Forest required veterinary visits every four weeks for bandage changes and updated X-rays. She progressed extremely well, and after 8 long weeks of being in casts, Forest was finally free to learn to use her back legs again! Her rehabilitation took roughly four weeks of gaining back muscle and learning how to balance. The staff at HSoP worked hard to help Forest regain full function of her back legs, and were extremely proud of her determination to start walking! Forest was ready for adoption just in time for Valentines Day, and she found her forever home on February 14th!
Without the generous donations we receive to our Merlin Fund, the care Forest received wouldn't have been possible! Our Merlin Fund is our life-saving medical fund, and it is designed specifically to give animals like Forest a second chance at life.
"KC the CH Kitty"
This special wobbly boy was surrendered to HSoP in July of 2021. His family loved him dearly but felt that he would benefit from a different home set up and that he needed a family who could spend more time with him. You see, KC was born with a congenital condition called Cerebellar Hypoplasia (called CH for short). Often called "Wobbly Cat Syndrome", CH affects the part of the brain that controls fine motor functions, balance, and coordination. This meant that KC would often slip, fall, and lose his balance when trying to walk. CH does not cause pain or discomfort for cats, and KC seemed to have no idea that he faced challenges that other kitties may not have to face. Despite his accidental falls, KC was always back on his feet in no time to try again.
It was clear that this special boy deserved an equally special home. There were a few elements of the home that would make his life more comfortable and easier to navigate. He needed carpeted floors, a larger litter box, and no access to heights over four feet (so no tall cat trees or window perches). KC met his new family in August of 2021, and they quickly fell in love with this determined little guy! He is so happy in his new space, and we are thrilled to see that KC has found his match.
"Mango"
Mango was brought to HSoP as a stray in April of 2021, along with three of his siblings. The group of four were found running down the road and were extremely nervous when they first arrived. When we took a closer look at Mango, it appeared he was suffering from entropion in both of his eyes. There was a thick white goop coming from his eyes, and he seemed to keep them closed more often than open. Entropion is a condition where the eyelid rolls inward instead of outward like it usually would. This can cause pain, scratched corneas, and impaired vision. It appeared Mango had been living with entropion his whole life and had to deal with the pain it caused him all on his own.
Mango's wonderful veterinarians at Animal Clinic & Hospital suggested he receive a surgery to fix the entropion in each of his eyes. We deployed our Merlin Fund for lifesaving medical care to cover the cost of his corrective surgery. After a short healing period, Mr. Mango was feeling and looking good as new! We imagine it must have been a huge relief to finally see clearly. In addition to his improved eyesight, we saw a bigger and brighter smile come from this lovable guy. Mango met his new family in May of 2021 and was so excited to go home with them! This sweet boy got the sweet outcome he truly deserved, and we couldn't be happier for him and his new family.