Doree was on the brink of death.
She couldn’t stand. She couldn’t walk. She could barely lift her head.
For her entire 4 years of life, she churned out puppies for Daniel Gingerich, a commercial breeder with a long history of animal cruelty. And now that she could no longer even stand, she had been discarded, left to suffer alone. She was one of 500+ dogs the ARL recently assisted in rescuing.
We immediately rushed her to the veterinary specialists at Iowa State University, and what they found took our breath away. Not only was Doree severely emaciated with almost zero muscle mass, X-rays showed she had multiple fractures to her ribs and spinal vertebrae – and the most heartbreaking of all, these breaks did not happen all at once, they were from separate injuries over a long period of time.
Even more horrifying, records show that even with her excruciating injuries, she was forced to have more and more puppies – having her most recent litter just a few weeks ago. And she was an excellent mama, providing all she had for her puppies as they grew … even as she wasted away.
But no one helped her.
Doree is now on pain medications and receiving round-the-clock care from a team of veterinarians, but she is very weak and has a long road ahead of her. There are glimmers of hope: She has gained a couple of pounds, and she can shuffle outside with the help of a sling. She likes to sit in the sunshine.
We don’t know yet if we’ll be able to save her, but we will never give up on her. Doree deserves a chance.
We need your help to give her that chance. When you give a one-time gift today, you’ll help with her immediate medical needs, and when you give monthly you’ll help us continue to care for her and the other dogs from the Gingerich rescue.
Plus, when you donate now, your gift will be matched dollar-for dollar, thanks to a generous matching gift challenge from Rhonda Chalus, in honor of all the animals she has rescued, adopted, spayed/neutered and loved.
Help us change Doree’s life with a gift today.
P.S.: When you donate today or join our Loyal Friends Club monthly giving program, you’ll be automatically enrolled to receive exclusive updates on the dogs from this rescue.
