The short version:
Mary Jane is my foster dog. She's heartworm positive, and heartworm treatment is STEEP - it's probably why she was dropped at the shelter by her former owners. I'm trying to help her get treatment so she find a forever home and live the happy life all dogs deserve. Yes, it was my choice to bring home a heartworm positive dog. No one owes me anything. . . this is just an appeal for a little extra love and kindness in the world.
She's an absolute gem of a dog--sweet, easy to walk, gentle, non-reactive, full of love and affection-- and I'm trying to give her another chance at life. She hasn't been very lucky so far, but I'm hoping the kindness of friends, neighbors, and pure strangers can turn that around for her. She began the treatment today. It will take two months at a total cost of $885. As a foster mom, that's a lot more than I can take on but I scheduled the appointments and am committed to helping her find a loving, happy, and healthy home forever. I greatly appreciate any small contribution to help cover her treatment, which is being done by Low-Cost Pet Vet.
The longer version:
Fostering is one small way I've chosen to return little kindness to the universe. For me, dogs are one of the few sources of unconditional love and kindness in the world. We all need more of that in our lives.
If you've never been to the ACS shelter off Hwy 151, it's a heartbreaking place where gut-wrenching choices face anyone who can handle it. The reality is that San Antonio has a major problem with a lack of spay and neuter campaigns, accessibility, and cultural barriers that result in thousands of perfectly wonderful animals being put to death each year. Fostering one at a time barely makes a dent in the numbers, but it makes a world of difference to the lucky few who find homes.
When arrived at the shelter to identify my next foster, I had three dogs to meet but could only pick one - and I had less than an hour to do it before all three would be sent for euthanasia. I want you to know that ACS doesn't wait even 15 minutes to see what happens. They do not care. It is a canine concentration camp. During my drive there, they put down one on my short list before opening -- never even had the chance to meet her. I went straight to Mary Jane's kennel - she was gone, and my heart sank. I frantically looked for an employee while trying to find the other two on my list. I was informed that the other two had been picked up by San Antonio Pets Alive (the no-kill partner that tries to save as many as possible - consider donating to SAPA).
I finally found an employee and asked about Mary Jane - he walked out of the back of the kennel area and a few minutes later came back with a frantic dog with a look that could only be described as grateful desperation. She cried with fear, hope, and excitement--probably all of the above, and dragged me outside, where she made it clear that I would be going absolutely nowhere without her. Mary Jane had already been removed from the regular kennels and was awaiting her fate.
She looked at me with those sweet eyes, leaned into me, and sat calmly with me as though we'd known each other all our lives. She picked me. I picked her. There was no debate. The staff took her back to do the basic (very basic) vet check before sending her home with me. They told me she was HW positive, but at that point, there was absolutely no way I could take her back to her kennel knowing she'd be gone within the hour. So she came home with me and I have committed to helping her get well and find a home.
So now the task is to brighten her future. Thanks for your support.
-Jessica
