Labs Funded
Success Stories
Granite, January 2003
Submitted by Granite's adoptive family:
The family who adopted two eleven-week-old Lab/Golden Retriever-mix pups wanted to make sure each puppy would have a constant companion throughout most of their lives. That noble endeavor led them to search the Petfinder webpage for Labs and Lab mixes in shelters in Virginia.
The search led to the adoption of two siblings, Granite and Gus, both of whom had coccidia that was being treated with Alban (medication). The puppies had also had two rounds of puppy vaccines that included the Parvo virus vaccine. Both pups had loose, mucous-covered stools, which was expected with coccidia, and the new owners cared for them as advised by their vet.
Within the first twelve hours in their new home, however, the runt of the litter, Granite, became very ill and began vomiting. The new owners suspected Parvo and took the pair to the nearest animal emergency clinic, about an hour from their home. Because Granite's Parvo test came out negative, they didn't test Gus, who was dehydrated to the degree that he weighed a mere 8 pounds in comparison to his brother, Granite, who weighed 14 pounds. Granite came home, and so did Gus, who was receiving IV treatments for Coronavirus.
Gus started to vomit again, however, and was taken right back to the clinic. This time, both puppies were tested for Parvo, and both had positive results, and both puppies needed life-support care. Within a few days, Granite, the stronger of the two, could go home. Sadly, Gus died a couple of days later.
For the rescuers, a nightmare that had occurred eight years earlier, when they had adopted two young black Lab-mixes and just one survived Parvo, was repeating itself. Their kind gesture of rescuing sibling puppies in need of homes led to heartbreak as well as an unexpected veterinary bill of $2700. When the rescue shelter had no funds left in its emergency fund to help these people, they approached LABMED for help. LABMED was happy to cover the veterinary fees that had accrued in saving Granite's life.
Granite, now happy and healthy and recently neutered, loves his new home and family. Yes, he and his rescuers miss Gus, but Granite can count on his forever home and forever family for the rest of his life, and the "sister" or "brother" they will provide Granite in the future. Meanwhile, his rescuers have expressed their gratitude to LABMED and their joy over every minute they get to spend with Granite!
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