Here’s what No Kill means for one sweet dog. Vienna came to APA! heavily pregnant from another shelter, where she probably would have been spayed anyway and lose her in-utero puppies – if she hadn’t simply been euthanized herself. At APA! she was given time until her puppies were ready to see the world.
When she started labor but couldn’t push her babies out and her life was in danger, Vienna got a C-section to save both her and her pups. You might have seen the story of Vienna’s dramatic surgery on our blog in December, when all available staff still working late in the day converged on the clinic from their offices to “catch puppies” – work on getting each one breathing after the effects of mama Vienna’s anesthesia. That same night, a particularly skilled APA! foster family came to take Vienna and her pups home, losing a lot of sleep over the next few weeks to care for them.
The drama didn’t end there. Vienna started having deadly seizures from nursing, so her foster and medical staff swung into action to save her. The pups were quickly weaned and Vienna was medicated and monitored around the clock until her calcium levels stabilized.
Today, most of Vienna’s puppies are adopted. The last one goes to her forever home today. The original foster family fell in
love and “foster failed,” adopting their favorite pup. Vienna, now spayed and healthy, has a loving home of her own.
From the kill list to a near deadly labor, to seizures caused by nursing, to being a beloved family pet adored by a couple of kids and a doggy sibling, Vienna has had a big couple of months ! It took a commitment to lifesaving for Vienna and her puppies to survive, and now they are part of families that couldn’t imagine life without them. In one form or another, this is the sort of story that happens over and over at APA!, and it’s what our wonderful community pulls together to support. Thank you all!
Please join us in celebrating six years of saving lives like those of Vienna and her puppies at our Sixth Annual No Kill Anniversary Party, Sunday, Feb 19. Details here.
