The Story of Lionel

Posted: October 14, 2022 by Kelli Hanson

meet lionel.
What were you doing on May 18th?
This would be Lionel’s last day alive if he didn’t receive rescue commitment at one of the largest shelters in the country. It wasn’t the shelter’s fault; too many animals and not enough space and resources. Plus, Lionel had heartworms and would require treatment. Life had already been rough for this 2-year-old. He came to the shelter from a cruelty situation after being found abandoned in an apartment for 10 days. Humans had failed this sweet boy.

Luckily, a foster in Texas stepped up. Lionel made his way to Minnesota, and a foster-to-adopt family committed to him. Unfortunately, more bad news was to follow. A massive load of heartworms caused damage to his lungs. The good news is that as the worms die off, he should continue to improve. He may have secondary lung issues for life due to the damage the heartworms caused to his heart, but it should be managed with medications. He will need to continue on cage rest for the next couple of months as the worms continue to die.

Lionel spent the day at one of our vet partners. When we transported him, we committed to giving him his happily ever after, and now we need your help to follow through with our promise.
Can you please help us help Lionel?
Do you want to help animals in need? Sign up to foster for Ruff Start today! https://ruffstartrescue.org/get-involved/foster/
Or, you can donate to our Animal Care Fund. Our Animal Care Fund supports the medical and veterinary needs of all Ruff Start Rescue animals.

Category: Dogs, Rescue Tails, Resources Tags: , , ,