New Oxford dog rescue needs help paying medical bills of 6 pups with parvovirus
Mariana Veloso
New Oxford nonprofit For the Love of Dogs Rescue needs help with medical bills for six puppies that contracted parvovirus.
The Border Collie mix litter and mom came to the rescue from an overcrowded shelter in southwestern Virginia on Feb. 15. By Monday, the male puppies were already showing symptoms said Charlene Malinauskas, the rescue's president.
Symptoms for this "extremely common" virus include:
- vomiting
- diarrhea, sometimes with blood
- lethargy
- dehydration from lack of eating or drinking
"Vaccinate your dogs, that's the one thing that can really make a difference to prevent parvo," Malinauskas said. The vaccine is 99 percent effective.
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So far, the medical costs for the puppies is $12,500, but that may go up depending on how much longer they stay in the hospital. That price covers medication, overnight care and IV fluids.
Donations can be made on the organizations Facebook page or on their website through PayPal. Any funds exceeding what's needed will go to the general fund.
As of Feb. 24, two puppies have been hospitalized, gotten better and sent to the foster home; three are at the Animal Emergency and Referral Center of York and one is at the Gettysburg Animal Hospital.
Of the four that are hospitalized, Malinauskas said that so far only one is showing signs of recovery. "With parvo it's almost impossible to tell," because they can come in and out of sickness.
The rescue does not know how the puppies got parvo. They are only six weeks old so they are too young to receive the vaccine.
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All other dogs that may have been exposed to the puppies are being quarantined. The rescue will know if those dogs are clear of parvo on Saturday when the 14-day symptom period ends. So far, they have no symptoms.
The nonprofit is made up of 22 active foster homes with 40 dogs. It opened in January 2018.
"I would also like to thank our foster families who dedicate so much time to care for these dogs," Malinauskas said.
The organization can help dog owners find low-cost options for vaccines. It also offers medical assistance, but funds are low at this point. To get help, email fortheloveofdogsrescuepa@gmail.com.
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Mariana Veloso is the Quality of Life reporter for the Evening Sun. Mariana focuses primarily on the opioid epidemic in south central PA, along with coverage of everyday issues in the Hanover area. If you have a story idea, you can email her at msveloso@eveningsun.com. Follow her on Twitter @MariVeloso9 to stay up to date with her latest articles.