Halo is a 3 year old “bully” surrendered to us last month as his owner fell on hard times and had no place to house him. Halo resided with a friend of the owner but he was not happy in the environment as he was kept outside and loves being around people and other canine friends. His owner wanted to keep him safe and provide him with the opportunity to find a home with a person/family who would regard him as the ever present sidekick he yearns to be.
Like many animals relinquished to our facility, Halo was not neutered. We scheduled his appointment after he gained some much needed weight and his routine procedure was anything but normal. Halo’s neuter was an extended and very complicated surgery that took 3 hours! The tissue was hard and abnormal and very difficult to remove, so as a result of his not being altered, he is now facing a suspicious cancer diagnosis originating in one of his testicles. As we await histology results, our eagerness to showcase our sweet big headed lug and find him his second chance has evolved into future treatment plans and measures to cure him at yes, only 3 years old.
We advocate tirelessly for spay and neuter to reduce the number of unwanted litters that already full shelters are scrambling to make room for. The health benefits of spaying and neutering are equally as important as animals suffer from reproductive cancers at astonishingly young ages. Halo is the new poster dog for this unfortunate disease and we will do all that we can to ensure that he has the best quality of life while receiving curative veterinary care.
When dogs like Halo become Pet Placement Center animals, we invest in their entire journey, both psychologically and medically. Our board of directors, staff, and volunteer base all devote what our organization’s mission is in every single animal from intake to placement into an adoptive home. We are a small, nonprofit, truly no kill facility that relies on donations from the generosity of the public to help animals like Halo, who faces a long battle ahead of him with a very insidious disease.
Please spay and neuter your animals, their longevity depends on it. Being a recipient of this challenge allows us to continue helping these special and costly medical cases. Halo is one of many deserving cases who will benefit from this award as we do not turn our backs on those that need us most.