A Plea for Penny

Penny's rescue journey started late one wintery night in January of 2017, where she was found with her deformed puppy, frozen to the porch of a stranger's house. The Good Samaritan who found these two, starving, and looking for shelter, immediately contacted local authorities, who ended up taking Penny and her puppy, Skippy, to a local animal control facility.

Skippy (left) Penny (right)

Upon arrival at animal control, Penny and Skippy were separated, and Skippy was quickly adopted by a couple who was committed to providing complete care and rehabilitation to him. But our Penny, was once again, all alone and left behind. She was distraught, locked up for most of the day, and all night. A pound is a very scary place, especially for a mom who just lost her baby.

When things seemed like the couldn't get any worse for our Penny, they did. Penny was placed in a kennel, next to a very dominant, unaltered, very dog-reactive male. Penny was clearly used as a breeding dog for her entire life. Forced to reproduce for her owner's benefit. So being placed next to a male dog, was not the most appropriate placement. Not only did this cause distress to Penny, but it made the pound environment even more volatile that it already was.

By no fault of her own, Penny ended up on death row, to be killed, after already living an unimaginable life.

And that is where Penny's journey FINALLY took a turn for the better. Our rescue stepped in and pulled Penny on February 6th, 2017.

Penny's Freedom Ride

When we went to pick Penny up from the pound, the vet wanted to speak to us, about some things that were discovered during Penny's spay surgery. We were horrified to find out that our sweet Penny had evidence of MANY previous C-Sections, only confirming what we suspected, that she was merely a vessel for puppies, used only for reproduction.

Penny was a little groggy, but you could see the relief on her face, she knew she was saved.

Penny rested up for the next several days, learned what it was like to have a cozy bed, lots of blankets, plenty of food and water, and TOYS! She was especially enamored with balls. She absolutely loves any and every ball ever made!

It was during this recovery that Penny started to display discomfort in her one of her hind legs. She favored it mostly after a period of activity. At first, we didn't think much of it, and then it was discovered that this poor girl was suffering from a Luxating Patella, or a "floating kneecap".

Surgery for this type of aliment is quite expensive, and rarely, if ever, works. So we started Penny on a regimen of strong joint supplements and all natural pain meds, which seem to help tremendously.

Her knee issues haven't slowed this girl down at all. She enjoyed romping in the yard, playing in leaves, and carrying around her favorite spiky ball.

Penny spent the first couple months residing in our emergency kennel, and it was around April 2017 that she entered her first foster home. Penny showed very quickly that she was eager to learn the routine of daily life, and was almost immediately potty trained. She really enjoyed the comfort of her crate, and still loved playing with her ball. Her foster mom spent as much time working with her, but she not only had Penny, but another special needs foster, and two dogs of her own.

Over the summer, Penny worked on her leash manners, and did great! She is a smart, fun loving girl.

But it has become clear that not all dogs thrive in multiple dog households, especially dogs who prefer to be the only dog. Penny is part of a crate and rotate household, and if you are not familiar with this, it is where each dog gets one on one time, but cannot interact with a pack, for whatever reason. Therefore they are living segregated most of the time, by baby gates and dog crates.

Sometimes in rescue, a foster home is just not enough, sometimes the most important thing for a dog, especially a dog like Penny, is a FAMILY OF HER OWN.

Penny needs a HERO. She needs a family where she can be the only fur child, where she can be the center of attention, where she can finally become the dog she is meant to be. She needs a home where she doesn't have to compete for attention, where she can be socialized and provided all of the love and attention that she deserves. She needs a home that can help take her to the NEXT STEP of her rescue journey.

If you are interested in hearing more about our sweet Penny, if you would like to meet her, or if you ready to become a HERO to one of the most deserving dogs, please email us right away at pittiesnkittiesoh@gmail.com!

Become a HERO today. You won't regret it. And Penny will be forever grateful. Her love and devotion will repay you tenfold.