COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio-based dog rescue that focuses on taking in dogs with special needs is asking for the public's help after they recently took in nine adorable puppies.
- Parvo is a very contagious virus with a high mortality rate
- One puppy could cost a rescue $5,000-$10,000 to save the dog
- TAHO says it’s crucial to make sure your dog is vaccinated
Soon after the puppies arrived to their Speak for the Unspoken foster families, things drastically changed, with the puppies fighting for their lives and the rescue facing massive medical bills.
The puppies and their mom came from a rural shelter in Kentucky and they all arrived seemingly healthy. Each pup was named after a character from the show "The Big Bang Theory."
Within 24 hours of getting them, everything changed.
"They were young, seven-week-old puppies," explained Paula Biancone, a Speak for the Unspoken volunteer and board member. "It started with the vomiting, diarrhea, lethargic, not eating. One by one."
The fosters rushed the puppies to emergency care, each eventually being diagnosed with parvo, a very contagious virus with a high mortality rate.
"It's unpredictable," Biancone said. "You could have a puppy that's fine and in 24 hours it's crashing. And you just don't know. You have no idea what the outcome is going to be."
Dr. Carina Vitullo, is the medical director at The Animal Health Organization (TAHO) in Delaware, Ohio. She was part of the team caring for many of the puppies that were brought to TAHO.
"Especially puppies, because their immune system is not strong enough to fight the virus on their own, so we do recommend hospitalizing all positives," she said. "So, we do really aggressive IV fluids, antibiotics, anti-medics to try to stop them from vomiting."
While Spectrum News 1 was at TAHO to get video of the puppies, Amy Farrah Fowler showed that she was finally feeling better. Stu and Beverly remained snuggled up close together.
Another puppy, Penny, was the last to show symptoms, but parvo hit her the hardest. Within the following day, Penny lost her fight and passed away, devastating the rescue and the staff that cared for her at TAHO.
TAHO's director Myke Davis said he had never seen a puppy or any patient fight so hard.
"You know puppies are adorable and they look at you and you just feel responsible for making sure we get them through it," Dr. Vitullo said.
In addition to the heartbreaking loss of Penny, the rescue also lost seven foster homes that were contaminated by the virus.
And the financial hit was huge. While TAHO provides low-cost care for Speak for the Unspoken, between all the hospitalizations at the various vet hospitals, the medical bills reached nearly $21,000.
"For a foster-based rescue or a small rescue, it could wipe out the medical budget for the year," Biancone explained.
While Speak continues to fundraise, they are happy to say the other eight puppies are surviving and back home with their fosters more loved than ever.
TAHO says they see parvo cases all the time, reminding dog owners the crucial importance of making sure your dog is vaccinated.
You can donate to Speak for the Unspoken and follow the progress of the Big Bang Theory pups on their Facebook page.
You can also donate and learn more about fostering on their website.
They need fosters all across the state and they provide everything you need.
It just costs your time and love.