Neediest 2024

Zoey’s owners brought her to a North Carolina vet office who then reached out to us for help. She had a fractured skull and a pneumothorax injury. They could not afford her care and she was going to be euthanized until the vet reached out to NGPR. She was transferred to an emergency care vet, stabilized, x-rayed and able to hang in on her own. Poor girl, only three, was emaciated, heartworm positive and loaded with parasites. She has been moved to an NGPR foster in South Carolina where she is recuperating from her trauma.

Oh, Henry. You are the most charming fella who didn’t deserve what happened to you. Your adopter gave you away after a divorce; you escaped an inadequate fence and were hit by a car. Your adopter took you back, but he was in total denial, and refused to bring you to a vet for treatment. Four months later, you were returned to NGPR, after months of being in pain. When we brought you in for assessment, you needed TPLO surgery, at a cost of $5,000, for the untreated tear in your anterior cruciate ligament. Now you are on the mend. Happily someone else has seen what a great dog you are and your adoption is in the works!

Possum, a five-month old male, was brought to an Alabama shelter, hardly walking. He was hit by a car a few months before and the bone wasn’t healing properly. He had a high fever, as he was fighting off infection. He was given antibiotics and brought to a trusted surgeon we have worked with before. Possum had a distal femoral ostectomy (DFO) at a cost of $5,000, performed to relieve the pressure and pain. He is doing so well, Phoenix has been accepted into a children’s therapy program where he can help others heal.

This middle-aged girl was found lying on the side of the highway in Tennessee during a storm, unable to stand. Vet believes she was hit by a car or thrown from a vehicle. She was producing milk when found and although our volunteers searched for puppies in the area, none were found. Hippie’s left hip was dislocated; she was sedated and it was manipulated back into place. The procedure didn’t work so Hippie had FHO (Femoral Hip Ostectomy) surgery on 10/17. Paws crossed she will continue to recover and can go on to a new life where she is wanted.

We weren’t expecting her back but her microchip identified her as an NGPR dog adopted in 2021. In September, Honey was hit by a car and brought to a Louisiana shelter. Her leg was mangled so badly it couldn’t be saved, so Honey, now age three, will be spending her life as a tripod. A caring NGPR foster in Louisiana agreed to take her in. She is a sweet, sweet girl who didn’t deserve being passed around by a uncaring adopter and running on the street. Honey is looking for her permanent forever home and you can read more about her here.

This is how neglect looks. These are two senior Pyr girls, aged 12, recently surrendered to a Virginia shelter in a cruelty case. The owner put up a fight—she wanted to keep them and keep breeding them. Four of the other dogs went to another Pyr rescue. One of those girls had a prolapsed uterus needing surgery. We are so grateful to the prior NGPR adopter who stepped up to answer the call to foster Autumn and Peace. They look awful now but with time, love and proper care, their condition will improve and they will grow back their beautiful Pyrenees coats.

This handsome boy showed up with a badly injured leg at the home of a kind couple in Tennessee. He’s another HBC (Hit By Car) requiring FHO (hip) surgery, which are so common there, the local vet has become expert in performing them. He said “I do this more often than I should because people let their dogs roam.” Casper is a lucky guy as the couple he found is able to hold him and see him through his surgery. Casper is new to indoor living, terrified at being in a house, but adjusting quickly to his new life as a pet.

This boy lived on a farm but was surrendered to a North Carolina shelter after killing a chicken. He likes to spend most of his time indoors now where our feathered friends aren’t an issue. Unfortunately, he started limping a couple of months after coming into rescue in February. In June he was diagnosed with a CCL (Cranial Cruciate Ligament) tear in his left knee, then again in the right! Both knees will need repair at roughly $4k each. Surgery on the left knee has been scheduled for early September. NGPR is committed to seeing him through his surgeries. He’s a good boy who likes to hang out in his crate so hopefully both recoveries should go smoothly.

Snow Bear was found as a stray in January and languished in a North Carolina shelter until March. He was in such bad condition, they thought he was much older than three. He only weighed 64 lbs. with a BCS of 3/9. Our rescue partner in VA, Gentle Pets, agreed to take him. Snow Bear was matted and had stiffness in his rear legs and limped on the left. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee was torn and he needed it repaired. He had his surgery in late June, the cost was just over $5,000. Gentle Pets raised $1500 and NGPR funded the rest. Snow Bear has showed himself to be a sweet, patient boy. He will be available for adoption from NGPR later this summer. Or contact us if you’d like to know more.

Olaf was diagnosed with luxating patellas on both rear knees last Fall. He came North and went to a foster home in Pennsylvania who kindly helped him through his double surgeries. Helping Olaf was not cheap—he was one expensive dog—his surgeries totaled $9,000. Now that his knees are fixed, we are searching for Olaf’s furever home. To learn more about him please visit his listing at https://nationalpyr.org/adoptable-dogs/olaf-in-pa-stoic-with-streaks-of-silliness

Bronco came into rescue as a young pup last Fall. At first there wasn’t anything to set him apart from his littermates. Unfortunately as he matured he started limping on his front paw and a vet visit in April diagnosed him with OCD, Osteochondritis Dissecans in his right shoulder. This is a developmental disease that can occur in rapidly growing large breed dogs mainly between 6 and 9 months of age. Bronco was moved in May to a new foster in NC where his activity was limited to short leash walks and lots of crate rest. He had OCD surgery in June which cost rescue $3700. His foster Mom is adopting him.

Alaska (now Bear), Bastien, Fairbanks, and Kenai are four siblings that we pulled from a Kentucky shelter.  They were five months old at the time, and part of a litter of seven.  Unfortunately, their three other siblings exhibited high Parvo symptoms, tested positive, and the shelter had them euthanized. 

These four didn’t show any signs, so we sent them to be treated with a new Parvo treatment, the Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal antibody.  None showed any symptoms and were able to be released into loving foster homes where they blossomed into sweet and social butterflies!  All four pups have now found their furever families.

https://nationalpyr.org/adoptable-dogs/juniper-in-ct-friendly-playful/We got the call on a Friday night about Juniper, a pup 10-12 weeks old. She was found lying in the middle of the road in a small Kentucky town. She had broken ribs and needed intubation. Juniper was brought to Central Kentucky Vet and diagnosed with pneumothorax, a collapsed lung. This was surgically repaired and she was put on oxygen to help her breathe. She was weaned from oxygen three days later and went home with foster Mom, Katie.

Update 5/6: Juniper is fully recovered and listed for adoption here.

This cute little gal is Babe. She came to us from an overcrowded Indiana shelter. Babe saw the orthopedic surgeon who diagnosed Babe with grade 4 (severe) luxating patellas in both knees, requiring two surgeries and months of rehab. She is just a puppy who deserves to run and play like her littermates do. We will get her what she needs.

Update 6/25: Babe was undersocialized and scared to death. Her recovery also had to include overcoming fear and learning how to be a dog. Susan Brennan in Ohio at Lucky Mutts has been helping Babe heal in both in body and soul. Bab has completed both surgeries and will be continuing her rehab. The cost for Babe’s surgery and rehab will be close to $9,000.
Update 11/25: Babe is doing great and looking for her furever home here.

Angel was roaming in a Georgia town for six years. Nobody claimed to be her owner—they thought she belonged to nature, she shouldn’t be contained and she didn’t need medical attention. Apple, a NC volunteer came across her picture and knew Angel needed help. She was “captured” and transported to North Carolina, where she had successful surgery, funded by a generous donor, to remove a large non-cancerous skin tag on her belly.
Update: Angel was adopted to a wonderful but sad to say, she passed peacefully in November.