Stephen’s Second Chance
Oct 19, 2023
This 6-month-old pup was minutes away from euthanasia. Now, he has a full, happy life ahead!
At the start of September, Stephen ended up at animal control with a positive parvovirus test, which in an overcrowded facility, was a death sentence.
Concerned this highly contagious virus would spread throughout its pet population, Chicago Animal Care and Control called us to see if we could take Stephen. If we couldn’t, they would have to euthanize him right away to prevent the spread of the disease. With only minutes to decide, Stephen’s life depended on a yes or no. We said yes.
It’s thanks to donation support that we can operate a state-of-the-art Medical Center staffed daily and stocked with the equipment and medications to support a parvo patient on short notice. It’s thanks to you that we were able to leap into action for Stephen and get him to PAWS for a second chance at life.
Even with endless time and resources, parvo can still be a death sentence. This highly contagious virus attacks the body’s intestinal tract, destroying healthy bacteria and making the dog unable to retain fluids or food. In the most painful way, it causes death by starvation.
Our staff worked tirelessly to save Stephen and give him the life he deserved. He was in our dedicated ICU for 8 days, receiving IV fluids and medication, multiple blood transfusions, a feeding tube, and round the clock monitoring to keep his vitals stable and his body temperature up.
Finally, Stephen turned the corner. One of the most critical parvo patients we’ve ever had, his playful puppy energy started to come through and the well-earned title of parvo survivor was his. A short stint in foster care later, Stephen attended our Angels with Tails Winnetka event and found his family, who are completely obsessed with him, and excited to spoil him with love!
Please consider joining our Lifeline Monthly Giving program, for the next parvo patient that needs us.