Charlie is a young puppy struggling to regain her health and a grim reminder of the need for owners to fully understand what a commitment it is to have a companion animal in their life. Charlie was admitted into emergency vet care by her owner, sick and unvaccinated at a mere 4 months old. Charlie was not provided with the most basic needs of a puppy; a rabies vaccination, distemper/parvo vaccines and heartworm preventative. She was deathly ill and in need of medical care. The owner, unable to pay for Charlie’s care wisely chose to surrender her with the hopes of her surviving and having a chance at a better life. Charlie was found to have not only a liver shunt but parvo, a highly contagious viral illness which left untreated has a very low survival rate in puppies. Charlie is undergoing treatment for parvo, finishing out her 30 days of near isolation. Once she has been cleared from this treatment she will receive surgery for the liver shunt. Life after surgery for Charlie will consist of an incredibly restricted diet, with expensive limited ingredient food and the hopes of finding a new home that will remain committed to her safety and care.
Charlie’s current medical expenses PRE-Surgery = $4,300. Surgery is an additional $1,000-$2,000 pending any complications that may arise.

Heaven is a sweet southern belle that made her way to Iowa into Last Hope’s care after her owners in Texas abandoned her on their property when they moved away. This sweet female pittie was left tied out on a chain to fend for herself as they drove away, the chain embedded in her neck leaving a deep and painful scar. There’s no telling how long of a life this wonderful and sweet dog lived tied to a chain, despite this horrific background she is a people lover, ever trusting and friendly to all she meets. Heaven is also heartworm positive, a condition that affects the heart, lungs and surrounding blood vessels in a dog. She is undergoing treatment through Last Hope, the treatment is expensive and painful as the medicine works to kill the microfilaria that has invaded her body. Heaven had her first treatment this week, she remains at our adoption center under the watchful eye of our caring volunteers. They are working to keep her calm and comfortable, as she has a long road ahead of her to becoming the healthy dog we know she can be.

Heaven’s medical expenses so far top $1,000.

Gertrude was a meager 37 pounds when she came into Last Hope’s care, her rail thin body weak and her once shiny coat now dull, she was a skeleton of a Labrador/Vizsla mix. She was a stray found wandering on the roadside in need of a warm bed and more than a few good meals. Gertie, as she’s now known by her foster family, was seen at Frey Pet Hospital for an initial evaluation and found to have a large blood filled mass on the underside of her neck and many other small masses on her body that would require surgery. Gertie’s surgery revealed that the mass on her neck was a cancerous thyroid tumor, and the small masses on her body were sebaceous cysts and 4 mammary tumors. Our skilled vet partners were able to fully remove Gertie’s tumors and are hopeful that this brave little girl will make a full recovery and start gaining some much needed weight. We are optimistic that Gertie will receive a lifetime of love in a few great years!
Gertrude’s current medical expenses: $2,400

Sport came to Last Hope as an owner surrender. He was found as a stray in Benton County and lived with a woman as she worked to try to find his original owner. Unable to care for him any longer, Sport was surrendered to Last Hope in February 2017. Upon intake, we learned that Sport had a limp, his back leg devoid of any muscle and unable to support his full weight. An x-ray determined that Sport had been living for many years with a dislocated hip, his muscles atrophied creating painful bone-on-bone contact with every step. Surgery would stand to lessen his pain, although the damage to the joint from years of neglect would limit the options for repair. Surgery was scheduled March 6th, a femoral head osteotomy, or simply put, removing the ball at the top of the femur bone and creating a floating joint for Sport eliminated the pain he had felt for many years. Sport is recovering nicely in a foster home, his appetite is coming back and he’s slowly learning to put weight back on his leg.
Sport’s medical expenses = $2,400