Success Stories

Willie, June 1999

Little Willie was just a puppy at two and a half months, and a mere sixteen pounds, when he and his seven litter mates found their way into the Sacramento County Animal Shelter. Unfortunately for Willie, his problems didn't stop here. He soon began to exhibit the symptoms most often associated with parvo-virus: lethargy, vomiting, dehydration and loose stools. A dedicated volunteer who worked at the shelter made a vow to save this pup, but she'd have to work fast, as the shelter was horribly over-crowded and Willie had less than 24 hours due to his apparent illness and generally poor condition.

The volunteer contacted LABMED with an urgent request for assistance, as the only way to save little Willie was to adopt him out of the shelter and take him directly to a veterinary hospital for further tests and treatment. But this would take money which the volunteer didn't have, and the costs could be quite expensive depending on what willie's illness turned out to be. The LABMED board rushed a vote through to fund Willie's stay and treatment in the hospital.

Tests were run and Willie's condition steadily improved under the care of the vet. It was beginning to look like Willie didn't have parvo after all! After careful monitoring of his progress over the next 14 days, Willie was pronounced clear of any parvo-virus and we're happy to report he's receiving wonderful, loving care in a foster home waiting for that 'right' family to come along. We should also report that all but one of Willie's litter mates were able to find homes as well, thanks to the dedication of the shelter volunteers.

Even though Willie may be the least expensive funding case LABMED has processed to date, it just goes to show that sometimes just a few dollars makes all the difference in giving a Lab a second chance.