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Houston animal rescue Special Pals emergency intakes the most severely emaciated dog in their history from a rural area.
HOUSTON, TX JUNE 4, 2024 – Special Pals, one of Houston’s largest nokill animal rescues has received in its care the most severe animal neglect case in its history. “Valor” arrived yesterday, brought in by a long-time volunteer of Special Pals who responded to a Facebook plea for help. Valor had been living in a forest area near a rural farm and considered a nuisance. The residents of the farm asked the dog not to be fed or cared for as that would keep him near and if he remained would be shot.
“In the history of Special Pals, we have never seen such a severe case of malnutrition and neglect. This gentle creature was once someone’s pet, a beloved family member as we see he loves people and has basic manners. His case is so severe we aren’t even sure what breed he may be but for his size he should be double his current weight. He was most likely dumped and left to die but I think Valor had other ideas. His recovery will be long and will take extensive time and money but when we met this trusting little soul, we knew we had to help him fight for his life and hope the community will help. The rescue is currently over capacity and overwhelmed with kitten season, but we knew we had to urgently step up and save this dog.” said Becky French, Executive Director of Special Pals.
“When Valor arrived, Special Pals medical staff were shocked he was alive and responsive. Valor has been in our care for 24 hours so clinical staff are optimistic about his recovery, but he remains under constant care and observation. His condition is so severe we are being cautiously optimistic about his recovery and careful to not overwhelm him with treatments. With a case like Valor’s, it will be a costly recovery with extensive medical and staff expenses, so we are hoping for some caring individuals to donate and help support his recovery.” states French.
Special Pals is one of Houston’s largest no-kill rescues and is currently operating over capacity and has taken in over 130 animals in the last 30 days. Special Pals relies solely on community support as it receives no government funding.
Visit specialpals.org to learn more about their life saving work with animals.
About Special Pals: Special Pals is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization founded in 1979 and is the oldest continuously running “no-kill” animal shelter in the Houston metro area. Our mission is to save as many animal lives in Houston as possible in cooperation with local rescue organizations. We empower our community to support animal health and safety, and we envision the day when Houston is the Gold Standard for animal welfare.
For more information, please contact Becky French, Executive Director 509.386.0370 or email [email protected]
