It’s been a season of sickness, survival, and second chances.
Over the past few months, many dogs have arrived at Heartland with no vaccines, no medical history, and weakened immunity from the stress of their previous crowded shelter life, bringing with them new strains of antibiotic-resistant pneumonia. Kittens and cats are battling panleukopenia—a ruthless virus that strikes their tiny immune systems and too often proves fatal.
For dogs and cats we cannot treat at the shelter, our only option is to send them to a hospital, where they can receive a continuous flow of IV antibiotics via catheter. More often than not, pneumonic dogs also need oxygen, and cats require nutritional support and, in severe cases, blood transfusions.
In the last four weeks, three dogs and three cats needed this type of emergency care. The bill: $. Add that to the $40,000 we already spent earlier this summer on emergency care for dogs with pneumonia, including Priscilla, Terintino, Q-Tip, and Emily —and our resources are stretched thin.
We were able to treat a number of other animals at the shelter and in foster homes, without needing to hospitalize them. The dogs include Marysol and Edward, who bounced back once they landed in their foster home and were able to rest and receive dedicated TLC from their foster
But for the more serious, life-threatening cases, we refused to let cost decide who gets to live. That’s why we created the Dr. Do More Medical Fund. It’s what allows us to say “yes” when the next sick or injured animal needs us.
Your donation to Dr. Do More is more than a gift—it’s oxygen for a dog fighting pneumonia, medicine for a kitten battling panleuk, and hope for the next life hanging in the balance.
Please, help us keep saying yes.
With gratitude,
The Heartland Team
EARL
JIMMY
Jimmy came to Heartland from Chicago Animal Care and Control, where he had been surrendered by his previous owner. He started to show signs of an upper respiratory infection and soon after, more concerning panleuk symptoms. A test showed he was positive for the virus. We treated him at Heartland until he needed 24-hour care. Jimmy spent 36 hours in the hospital before being transferred back to Heartland. He was still extremely sick and would only eat if our staff syringed-fed him. But every day, he did better, and we are overjoyed to say he will soon be available for adoption.
Audrey is our latest pneumonia case. The moment we noticed her coughing, she started medications, but within a couple of hours, she could barely lift her head, had vomited bile, and was trembling on her bed. Our staff made a valiant effort to treat her at the shelter, but we are not a 24-hour clinic, and IV antibiotics must be given multiple times a day. Since Audrey’s release from the hospital, she has continued to improve, and we have not heard a cough in a couple of days.
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