Penn Vet to Provide Specialized Medical Care to Save Shelter Dogs’ Lives |
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March 31, 2015, Volume 61, No. 28 |
A generous gift from the Richard Lichter Charity for Dogs is helping to save the lives of shelter dogs in need of specialized medical care. Through the Shelter Dog Specialty Medical Treatment Project, experts at Penn Vet will provide life-saving, specialty care to dogs in partnering shelters that are at risk for euthanasia. The dogs will be selected through the Penn Vet Shelter Animal Medicine Program and treated at Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital.
Once a dog is approved for the program, Penn Vet will provide all medical and diagnostic services necessary to treat the condition. After treatment, the dog will be placed in foster care and become available for adoption.
“We were incredibly moved when Richard Lichter came to us with a vision for this program and a generous offer to support it,” said Brittany Watson, director of Shelter Animal Medicine and Community Engagement. “This is an opportunity for Penn Vet’s Shelter Medicine Program, Ryan Hospital and area shelters to partner in saving the community’s most vulnerable dogs.”
The first dogs saved through the Shelter Dog Specialty Medical Treatment Project were brought to Penn Vet this month. Animal Care & Control Team of Philadelphia (ACCT Philly) identified four pit bull-mix puppies that had severe vaccination reactions. The puppies were having seizures and vomiting, so they were rushed to Ryan Hospital’s Emergency Service. The pups were not actively seizing upon arrival, but they were lethargic and showed signs of abnormal mentation. They were placed on IV fluids, received anti-nausea medications and Benadryl, and were hospitalized with supportive care for two nights. One puppy has already been adopted by a Penn Vet technician who cared for him at Ryan Hospital. The other three puppies are currently in foster homes while they await adoption. To view the adoption profiles of animals, visit http://www.ACCTPhilly.org/adopt
“I am delighted with the start of the Shelter Dog Specialty Medical Treatment Project,” said Mr. Lichter. “This partnership with Penn Vet, which has incredible veterinary specialists and emergency care, has enabled four puppies without families and without hope to have another chance at life.”
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