Humane Society of Harlingen finds abandoned pregnant dog outside shelter, looking for foster families
HARLINGEN, Texas (Central Valley) – The Humane Society of Harlingen (HSH) is hopeful that a heartbreaking abandonment case will help the community understand the importance of welcoming as well as neutering and neutering their own pets.
Throughout the year, MSM faced an alarming number of animals abandoned outside their shelters. Despite several efforts to educate the public on why this is not the right way to hand over animals, it continues to happen.
Abandoning the animals outside the shelter leaves them to fights with other animals, heat and dehydration, and get lost. The MSM website has several resources to help the public and offers alternatives to abandoning animals outside the shelter.
The refuge frequently experiences influxes of animals which leave them at full capacity, unable to accommodate more. They rely on foster families and adoptions to make more room in the shelter for animals that need extra care. For this reason, the shelter provides people with the necessary supplies to care for the animal rather than leaving them at the shelter.
On Monday, MSM staff found another abandoned animal outside the shelter. This animal was a particularly heartbreaking case because she was pregnant and about to give birth.
The vulnerable terrier-pitbull mix, now called Beth, is estimated to be 5 years old and had an orange collar.
“You can tell she’s used to people,” said Elizabeth Patino, director of community engagement, explaining that Beth had a sweet and friendly personality.
Beth gave birth on Tuesday night and has so far given birth to eight puppies.
Because newborn puppies are susceptible to disease and cannot be vaccinated, Beth and her puppies are isolated in a staff office, however, staff are asking the public to help them find a foster home where they are. will be more secure.
To become a foster family, you will need to complete the foster application on the MSM website and are encouraged to keep the family for six weeks or until the puppies can be separated from the mother.
If a long-term commitment is not possible at this time, the shelter also encourages the community to host a dog for a day to give the animal a day to decompress stressors related to the shelter.
“When you take them out of the shelter for a few hours, it helps them socialize and their environment,” Patino said.
The shelter also has a promotion where the community can earn a voucher for free sterilization if you host an animal for three weeks or more. If the foster parent finds someone to adopt the animal, the foster parent and adopter will earn one year of free vaccines for their own pets.
Plus, each person who adopts by September 19 will receive one year of free vaccines for their newly adopted pets and be entered into a raffle to win one year of flea and tick prevention.
As the shelter continues its efforts to maintain its no-kill status, they thank the community for their support during this time.
“We’re always at full capacity so when you find a vulnerable animal on the road it’s best to let us know and we’ll provide you with all the resources to find it a home,” Patino said.
