Happy Tails!

These babies were found at about 6 months of age in 2015. They were put on a heavy, short chain, and left outside for the last 5 years. They were never inside a house or car, never had toys or bones. Ginger had many litters of puppies due to stray dogs coming into her space. Recently their owner asked for help with the most recent litter of puppies. The plan was to spay the mom for the owners, then vet and adopt out the puppies.

Once we met Ginger and Toby, plus the 2 week old pups, we started conversations about also accepting Ginger and Toby into our program. The owners agreed. But now we needed fosters! Quick arrangements were made, and we went back 2 days later to get them. On April 30, 2021, JCAPL accepted Toby, Ginger, plus 10 puppies into our program. 

They are the sweetest, most grateful dogs, and they show it! Toby loves to give hugs to anyone he meets, and Ginger wants everyone’s attention. They love kids and other dogs, they love playing, and have both realized that toys are really cool. They now live inside and are getting spoiled and loved on every day, as they should.

Unfortunately, their journey is not over. They both are heartworm positive, a direct result of being left outside and not given monthly prevention. They will be treated and ready for the perfect home soon. Thank you to everyone who helped support our mission!

We adopted a cat you named Henley on 05/07/16, and I wanted to tell you that he is an amazing member of our family. Especially during the COVID pandemic he has been a source of happiness and calm for us. He is the best therapist, and we love him very much. We renamed him Ivan because my youngest could not say Henley, LOL. He is healthy, happy and beautiful. Thank you for doing such a great job of fostering him. We are eternally grateful!

From Penelope’s New Family:
We took Penelope home just a few months ago, she is still a bit shy but she is the sweetest little girl. We don’t see her as having a disability because she is just like any other cat, she just needs eye drops is all. She is just so sweet I can’t take it! She’s a little sassy and bossy, and knows what she wants. She bumps into things here and there but she’s not bothered. She loves her crunchy toys, snuggling, and loves to climb her cat tree, literally. I love when she gets excited she opens her eyes as much as she can and even though they may look funny to others, I always tell her she’s beautiful. We couldn’t have made a better choice to have Penelope with us.

From Penelope’s Foster Mom:
In 2019, JCAPL took in 3 kittens found under a house. All 3 had eyelid agenesis and eye infections.  Since they could not see well and were in cramped conditions, they also walked in a hunched over manner and were not very social. Archie, Penelope, and Marco have each undergone two cryotherapy surgeries. They will all need lubricating ointment in their eyes daily, but they are pretty normal cats otherwise. Archie is still in foster care. Marco is currently available for adoption; he is still skittish and will need a quiet home with a patient and loving family. Penelope has been adopted, and her adopter has shared pictures of her and tells us how Penelope is adjusting to her new home. We love it when adopters consider animals that are different, and may need a little extra care.  And we are so happy Penelope is home!

Background:
Eyelid agenesis is a congenital defect of the eyelid where typically the upper lateral eyelid is not formed. Eyelid agenesis is most common in cats, but rare in dogs. Multiple kittens from a single litter are commonly affected. Eyelid agenesis commonly results in irritation from contact of hairs with the cornea, and over time vision can be affected. The most common treatment for the condition is removal of the hairs above the eye by liquid nitrogen cryotherapy. More than one surgery cycle is commonly required.

Mylo came to us right after Christmas – a scared little puppy that clearly had a disability. He walked using his front forearms, not his paws. He was diagnosed with luxating elbows, and surgery was not indicated.

Mylo immediately came out of his shell and bonded with his foster family, never letting his disability bother him. He played hard, loved hard, was always happy, and there was never a tail that wagged more.

LaJuan saw him at an adoption event and was immediately touched, not knowing what to expect with his disability. She just knew she had the love to give him. Her husband, Walter, was fully on board, and when they met him in his foster home, they saw an excited, happy puppy. They were not deterred by all of the unknowns ahead of them, they just knew they would love Mylo and provide him whatever he needed. In the nine months since they adopted him, he has flourished.

He has adapted to using his front paws, and gets around quite well – there’s really isn’t much he can’t do. He is still the same happy puppy whose tail never stops, and is living his best life with LaJuan, Walter and two fur siblings, as well as lots of neighborhood friends. We had the pleasure of spending time with Mylo again recently, and he is the same happy boy whose tail never stops wagging. He is clearly very loved.

We will always be grateful to adopters like LaJuan and Walter who are willing to open their hearts and homes, especially for a special needs baby, not knowing what the future holds. I can say with certainty that LaJuan and Walter feel like the lucky ones to have Mylo in their lives, but the truth is, we are all very grateful for special adopters.