It’s hard to believe anyone wouldn’t love this precious little guy. Look at his face!
Unfortunately, his owners decided they didn’t want him anymore and took him to a local shelter – but it didn’t have room for him. What happened next is hard to even imagine.
The owners drove from the shelter to nearby woods and dumped him there, speeding away. Neighbors saw the pooch – whom we’ve named Lenny – frantically darting in and out of traffic.
But that’s where the bad news ends for this boy. Lenny, no doubt scared, exhausted and wondering why his people abandoned him, finally settled on a porch. Two neighbors went to work to save him, finally finding success after using food to lure Lenny.
Then they reached out to Poodle and Pooch Rescue, and our army of volunteers wheeled into action to get Lenny care on his road to adoption.
His first stop: An initial visit to the vet to check him over. Lenny shows signs of neglect, but his overall health is good, he’s neutered and his pearly whites are, well, pearly. That means Lenny, estimated to be 2 years old, doesn’t need a dental. He gets his vaccinations, and heart and flea preventatives.
Now, Lenny starts living his best life, starting with a wonderful foster family taking him in.
“He came prancing out of the back of the vet’s office and didn’t look back,” his foster mom Alex says. “He let me pick him up and sit him in the back seat of the car, where he rode patiently on the way home.”
He is settling in well and already running around with his foster’s other dogs and even playing with toys. “His tail is always wagging,” says Alex, who is one of our most dedicated volunteers.
Alex will help Lenny get used to his new temporary home, all the while assessing his behavior. Is he comfortable riding in a car and walking on a leash? Is he house trained? A finicky eater? Does he have separation anxiety?
The goal for all our foster families is to get as much information about their dog so they can offer a complete picture to potential adopters. We don’t want any surprises.
Since Lenny is healthy, he will probably spend a couple of weeks with his foster mom. But for our dogs who have medical or other issues, they may spend more time with their foster family before they are ready for adoption.
Once Alex shares everything she knows about Lenny, another team will write Lenny’s biography and post it, along with photos, on our web site and other pet adoption sites.
Then – hopefully! – applications will start rolling in. We do extensive vet and home checks for all our dogs to make sure they are going to the best home for them. Lenny’s foster mom will go through approved applications and talk to prospective adopters. A meet and greet will be set up, and we like for our pups to meet the whole family.
If it’s a good fit, Lenny will go home with his new family – another happy ending for one of our rescues.
At Poodle and Pooch Rescue, we wish we could save every dog in need. There are so many we have to turn away. If you’d like to help us care for dogs who are neglected and thrown away, please consider donating via Venmo @poodleand-poochrescue or PayPal at give2ppr.com. We are a nonprofit organization run by 100 percent volunteers, and we are always looking for fosters. Interested? Fill out an application here.
