The Tale of a True Survivor

Survivor’s Paws Animal Rescue was started from our dedicated team of volunteers to save dogs and cats from kill shelters from down South. We are a 501c3 non-profit and NH charity.

Survivor was an incredible 3 year old emaciated dog that was dropped off by his original owners at a New York City kill shelter. He was only 32lbs of skin and bones with sores on his poor body. Survivor was pulled from the kill shelter. After extensive tests were done at the veterinary’s office, it was found that Survivor was emaciated due to his original owners not feeding him.

Rescues support each other. There was a post for a dog needing transport from New York City to Burlington, VT. As the call of duty, the post was answered. Survivor had the rides he needed to get to his forever home.

Survivor was fostered in New York City for little bit. He was given a ride to Hartford, CT and transported to White River Junction, VT to meet his supposed family from Burlington, VT. That Burlington, VT family failed to show up to pick up this beautiful soul. It was their loss.

Survivor was quarantined and ended up in his furever home in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire.

Survivor didn’t know what grass was....he kept picking up his feet for the first couple of days. It was kind of funny to see him do that. Survivor was fed multiple small meals throughout the days and he thrived in his new environment He learned how to be a dog, and loved playing with his tennis balls. He would play fetch for hours.

Survivor was an ambassador for his breed and for the rescue world. He loved all creatures, dogs, cats, horses, chickens, goats, - even bees and humans of all sizes. AND he loved to smell flowers.

Survivor was taken on rescue missions, he did numerous home visit checks with his furever Mom.

Freedom

Survivor was temperament test dog, With his great laid back temperament, it was the perfect job for him. He loved puppies....even at 12 years when there was a couple of foster puppies in his home...he played with them.

Survivor even went on dog rescue missions to find lost dogs. He was 12 years when he went on his last lost dog mission. Survivor and Mom hiked for hours thru the woods of White River Junction, VT for this 6 month old puppy that got lost during doggie transport. We spent 3 days looking for this poor puppy from Louisiana. Survivor’s Mom was on rescue mission in Boston, MA when this puppy, Avery, got loose during transport in White River Jct, VT. By the time Survivor’s Mom got home from Boston, MA it was almost midnight on that Saturday night.

Survivor’s Mom was catching up on rescue pages and saw that Avery was loose and all by herself in the cold in December right before Christmas. It was too later and Survivor’s Mom was too exhausted to go looking that night. The next morning, Survivor and Mom went out looking for Avery, and the next day. Survivor looked for 3 days with his Mom. Finally on Christmas Winter 2023

Bubble Emily Gunner Leena Ollie

night....we got the miracle we were hoping for. Avery was caught in the dog trap that Survivor’s Mom was able to borrow from the Upper Valley Humane Society. The family that let Survivor’s Mom put up the trap, they were terrific and they caught the first sighting of Avery which lead to her capture. Thank you, Chris and Megan. Survivor was a trooper hiking thru the snow and cold. Survivor’s Mom fed Survivor a special Christmas dinner for all his hard work.

Survivor was with his furever family for almost 10 years, it wasn’t enough time. Sadly, Survivor passed away on April 6, 2020 at 13 years old due to cancer.

The best way to honor Survivor and his legacy was to start Survivor’s Paws Animal Rescue, to prevent cruelty to animals and to continue to save dogs and cats from kill shelters down South.

Fast forward to April 2022, Survivor’s Paws Animal Rescue has seen a drastic change in the rescue world.....COVID puppies aka dogs that were adopted or purchased during the COVID pandemic are being owner surrendered in high volumes in the Upper Valley. We have shifted our focus on being a responsible rescue that we have NOT being taking Southern puppies or dogs as a rule from down South. We have been focused on taking owner surrenders from the Upper Valley. We can not take aggressive dogs.

The term COVID puppies means puppies or dogs that were adopted or purchased during the COVID 19 pandemic. People have gone back to work and back to their normal lives and use tons of excuses.....I don’t have time for a dog in my life now, we are moving and can’t have a time, I am pregnant, I didn’t train my dog and now he is teenage dog, etc., etc.,.

Survivor’s Paws Animal Rescue believes that puppies and dogs are meant to be with their owners for Winter 2023 life....for the dogs complete lifetime.... 12 to 15 years plus.

Most of the COVID puppies/dogs are NOT spayed or neutered or up to date on their shots. People just wanted to get a puppy during COVID. This is causing a HUGE increase in our vetting costs here in the Upper Valley. We are paying between $900.00 to $1,200.00 to vet these COVID dogs. The vetting costs are 3 to 4 times as much to save a COVID dog here in the Upper Valley instead of getting a puppy vetted down South and bringing them up here to the Upper Valley. We need your help, we need donations to help us to continue to save these COVID dogs including purebred and designer dogs that owners are surrendering in droves.

Please consider making a donation to honor Survivor and to help save other dogs and cats.

Our mailing address is:

Survivor’s Paws Animal Rescue, Inc 10 Benning St Suite 160 #278 West Lebanon, NH 03784

Our Paypal is: survivorspawsanimalrescue@gmail.com Thank you to our hard working board members, volunteers and supporters.