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Over 30% of our dogs come to us testing positive for heartworm disease. Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease in dogs that is spread by mosquitoes and is caused by worms that live in the heart, lungs and associated blood vessels. This causes severe lung disease, heart failure and damage to other organs in the body. A simple monthly pill can prevent this disease, but many of our dogs were not taken care of properly in their previous lives. CDR has programs with both the Humane Society of Charles County and District Veterinary Hospital which allow us to treat these dogs at a reasonable cost. We have made the commitment to get all our dogs, whether current fosters or alumni, the care and treatment they need and deserve, so they can get their “happy ever after”. In honor of heartworm awareness month we’re sharing the stories of some of the dogs who were heartworm positive and have successfully undergone treatment. All of these families went above and beyond, caring for these dogs when they needed it most! We love our heartworm positive adopters and fosters.  When asked why they adopted a heartworm positive dog, Puddin's dad said “We are lab lovers and when we saw Puddin’ we were immediately interested. After it was shared with us that she had heartworms I did a little research along with the information you provided me and I learned that this disease is completely treatable. I spoke with several vets and others who have adopted heartworm positive animals. We decided that if we were going to 'rescue' a dog then we had to be fully committed to nursing her back to health for it to be a true rescue.” The best thing about Puddin' is that she "is an extremely affectionate lab, just as I remembered them to be. She loves attention and is amazing with my small children (pictured above). I waited a long time to get another dog so my kids would have the same memories I had with previous labs. Puddin’ does have an appetite for dress shoes but otherwise she is doing great.” Puddin' was rescued from Bladen County, NC and was adopted in January 2015.  Heidi was rescued from Cleveland County, NC and was adopted by Beth in December 2014. Beth fell for Heidi the minute she saw her shelter photo and didn't see her condition as a barrier to adoption, as it was very treatable. Treatment began this past January, and after initially being concerned about keeping Heidi's heart rate down, which is very important during treatment, Beth realized it wasn't a problem at all, especially since the cold weather made shorter walks easier. They found many indoor activities to keep Heidi occupied, such as making treasure boxes, where Beth would place individually-wrapped treats using newspaper and empty toilet paper rolls in a box. Heidi would dig in and take each little parcel one-by-one, bring it to her bed, and unwrap it to find the treat.  Heidi and her treasure box Beth says her favorite thing about Heidi is that "in addition to being completely adorable, Heidi is very easy-going and is a great fit for me. She is friendly with everyone we meet, and she has been a great foster sister to other CDR pups." Beth also has quite the sense of humor. She says "Because Heidi was surrendered by her owner for chasing chickens, I have quite a collection of chicken themed dog toys that I have purchased so that she can have all of the chickens she wants."  Butler is too young to drink but he enjoys visiting the winery Butler was rescued from Bladen County, NC and was adopted in November 2014. Butler's family says the process of finding a dog was more about personality and being able to get along with the resident young child and a cat. They say "When we found out Butler was heartworm positive it was a little bit nerve-wracking and followed by a LOT of questions. But, after many questions and talking with our CDR volunteers we made the decision to adopt Butler anyway because we didn't want to give up on a dog that was a good match for us just because he had heartworms. Something that was totally not his fault." His family emphasizes that you don't want to miss out on a great dog just because they are heartworm positive. "I would tell anyone interested in adopting a dog that happens to be heartworm positive--that you should go with your gut. If that is the dog you love and want to adopt, the treatment is just a step in the process, a part of your story together." Butler has fit right in with his family. He snores and is a kid-cuddler. He is a running buddy. Sometimes he's shy, and he loves peanut butter. He loves to go for car rides as long as it isn't to the vet. He loves to watch soccer games. " We are happy he chose us."  Lucy with her human sister Laura and her fur cousin Kirby Lucy was rescued from Bladen County, NC and was adopted last year. Lucy's mom Mary had already seen a picture of Lucy and then got to meet her when her foster dad dropped by Mary's son's place of work. After learning more about the heartworm treatment process, Mary decided to go ahead with the adoption due to Lucy's sweet disposition. Her biggest concern was, after having been through so much already, that Lucy would think she was abandoned when spending the night at the vet to receive treatment. The treatment consists of two overnight trips to the vet spaced out over a few weeks. When asked what her favorite thing about Lucy is, Mary had a hard time picking just one. "She is perfect and has been from the moment I received her, she adores all people, she loves to snuggle, walk, and loves other dogs" Mary's father has some health issues and Lucy goes to visit her grandfather at the Jersey shore often and she acts as his personal therapy dog, taking long walks on the beach together and giving him unconditional love. Mary sadly lost her husband of 36 years just a few months before adopting Lucy and Lucy has provided great companionship to Mary as well. Mary says "I wanted a dog that was sweet and low maintenance but endearing and loving and that is precisely what I have."  Jenny was rescued from Cleveland County, NC and was adopted in December 2014. Jenny's mom Lee says there were a number of reasons she was willing to adopt a heartworm positive dog, as she is a critical care nurse and facing a treatable illness of a loved one was just just not that big of a deal to her. "Dealing with very treatable health issue like this is a drop in the bucket when we look at the whole lifetimes of love and companionship that our doggies have ahead of them to share with us." Lee says "It's a great feeling to know that I was able to welcome Jenny into my life and get her through her health issue. The biggest reward is her happy positive energy and love and kisses." When asked what she would tell someone considering adopting a heartworm positive dog, Lee would tell them not to let it deter them off the bat and to consider the uniqueness of the dog and how he or she would fit into your family and home rather than focusing on the disease. "It's three months out of potentially 10-15 years of your and your dog's lives together. "  Jenny and her tiny human Two-year-old Nicholas is Jenny's biggest fan. He states ""Jenny *MY* dog" and does everything he can for her, including scooping her food into her bowl and opening the door to let her out. He snuggles with his arm around her and makes statements of love such as, "Jenny beautiful dog. Jenny so cute. Jenny soft." Jenny's other human brother, the four-year-old, was fascinated by the science behind heartworm disease and its effect on the heart and lungs. Since her treatment ended, he proudly says, "Jenny is all better now. No more heartworms."  Baker and his family Baker was is another dog rescued from Bladen County, NC. He was adopted in December 2014. When considering adopting a heartworm positive dog, Baker's mom Gabrielle said everyone they spoke to , the vet, CDR, family members, all said it was treatable. Since they had already fallen in love with him "it seemed like a no brainer to continue with the adoption process if this was a temporary condition" and "CDR's offer to pay for the treatment was another huge selling point." Baker was kept occupied during treatment with lots of Kongs and puzzles. When asked her favorite thing about Baker, Gabrielle said "When he lays next to me and his eyes show his love and happiness." We are grateful that these adopters and their fosters were able to look past the disease to see the dog and were willing to get through this process together. Although this is a treatable disease, it is preventable by giving your dog (or cat) a monthly dose of heartworm preventative, so please don't forget, even in the winter months when you think there are no mosquitoes.
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 Shelter Staff Appreciation Week is April 12-18. By: Meredith Raimondi (Volunteer Roane Shelter to Rescue Coordinator and Member of CDR Board of Directors) There is a widespread misconception that animal shelter staff do not care about the animals. In Roane County, West Virginia, this couldn't be further from the truth. The staff go above and beyond every day in a rural area with limited resources and overcrowded kennels. Oftentimes they find they have twice as many animals as kennels, which can leave for difficult decisions. The work of three extraordinary women, Stephanie Justice, Susan Lyons and Tanya Hicks, who are both staff members and dog fosters, has made a remarkable positive difference in lives of hundreds of animals and helped limit the number of animals put down due to overcrowding. As fosters, they volunteer their time and homes for dogs rescued by City Dogs Rescue. For a month or more, they feed, nurture, and care for these dogs. They travel far distances to go to the vet to ensure the dogs have all vaccinations and vetting prior to arrival in Washington, DC. Their charitable actions have inspired the local community to step up and join the Shelter Staff Fosters in finding ways to help animals leave the shelter alive through rescue or adoption. Whether it's through community fundraisers, adoption events, or fostering, everyone is pitching in to help the Roane County animals.   Tanya with her newest foster for CDR: River Since City Dogs Rescue partnered with Roane Shelter, over 80 dogs from Roane County, WV have been rescued. Of those, 25 have been fostered by shelter employees Stephanie and Susan, and Animal Humane Officer Tanya. These women have seen it all. Yet, every day they go to work to make a difference in these animals lives. Their tremendous efforts have not gone unnoticed and their reduced euthanasia rates are undoubtedly related to their active Facebook page that is regularly updated. Many shelters are overwhelmed by a lack of resources especially when it comes to advertising adoptable animals. The shelter staff at Roane know that the animals lives depend on the exposure they get from the staff's photos. Each day they set aside what little time they have to make sure every dog or cat that comes through gets photos. With this system, every animal gets a chance to live. While this is not an easy task, it is just one way that the Roane Shelter staff gives their all every day.  Susan and her CDR foster Gucci Along with the staff, several local community members have opened their homes to foster animals for rescues like City Dogs Rescue. The Shelter Staff Fosters have demonstrated to the community that rescues like CDR are committed to the dogs they save and that CDR will be there for them when they need it. With generous donations, CDR is able to pay for the vet care and transport from West Virginia to Washington, DC of approximately 10 dogs a month from Roane County. Local fosters help shelter dogs adjust to being inside a home, begin basic house training and crate training (often with dogs who have never lived inside a home before), and drive them to the necessary vet appointments needed to prepare them for their journey to Washington. With the exposure through Roane's Facebook page of the rewards of fostering, several new fosters have joined the volunteer force in Roane County and the surrounding area. (CDR is always seeking more fosters in West Virginia as every home means another life saved. For more info, email roaneshelter@yahoo.com).
This week, we would like to give it up for Stephanie (foster for 9 dogs and counting), Susan and Tanya (fosters of 16 dogs and counting)! Please join us in thanking the Roane Shelter Staff Fosters. If you would like to make a donation in honor of the Roane Shelter Staff Fosters for their next foster dog, please do so here: http://citydogsrescuedc.org/donate.html. I know that this would be very meaningful for them as the stream of animals never ends nor does the love in their hearts. When one foster leaves, they are already looking ahead to the next. They are truly remarkable. Please specify donations for the "Roane Shelter Staff Fosters." |
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About Us
City Dogs & City Kitties Rescue saves adoptable dogs and cats in overcrowded and high-kill shelters, where resources are severely limited. We offer a lifeline to as many of these wonderful pups and kitties as possible. City Dogs & City Kitties Rescue 1812 1/2 11th St NW Washington, DC 20001 Administrative Office Hours: We are not a shelter and do not accept animal surrenders at our location, nor do we have adoptable animals onsite. All of our adoptable animals are in private foster homes. Due to COVID-19 we have closed traditional office hours. Visit our contact page for information about foster supply pick up. City Dogs Rescue has federal tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, effective September 21, 2011.
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