Thanks to your support, we had our 3rd best year ever. We adopted 970 dogs and cats in 2014!

They Never Gave Up, So How Can We?

The stories of injured or abandoned animals seemed greater this past year than ever before, but so are the memories of cats and dogs that made it through their darkest hour. Thanks to supporters like you, these are some of the gifts of hope HSP gave this past year.

• An 8-week old kitten came to HSP with a broken leg and one of the worst flea infestations the vets had seen. After treating the fleas, HSP amputated his leg and sent him to a loving foster home where he learned to walk and recovered his playful spirit. That little kitten held out hope waiting for just the right angels to adopt him and give him a “happy ever after” ending.
•  A timid German Shepherd mix arrived at HSP after wandering rural Kentucky. He was hungry, scared and covered in ticks. Volunteers worked more than an hour to remove the ticks from his ears with their bare hands. Through it all, he stood wagging his tail and giving kisses, so thankful that his hopes came true and he was once again safe.
• A gorgeous young cat arrived at HSP and delivered a litter of kittens. Not only was she a perfect mother to her kittens, she paid it forward by nursing three more surrogate litters that would have died without her.

Sometimes the animals become a source of hope and encouragement to other animals which reminds us that if they don’t give up, neither can we.

Scooby & Shaggy

Two tiny Miki-Maltese brothers arrived at HSP this summer after their owner left them at a shelter in Indiana. They were together since birth and dumped at the shelter at 8 years of age. Both brothers suffered from advanced dental decay and Shaggy’s was so advanced his lower jaw had decayed and broken. Scooby was diagnosed with early stages of heart failure and grade four luxating patellas that made it difficult to walk. HSP removed most of their teeth and worked to stabilize Scooby’s heart condition with medication. In a foster home the brothers recovered, holding out hope they would find a home where they could stay together. After three months of waiting, these old brothers found a forever home to love them both just the way they are.

Jonah

This summer, animal control officers brought a pair of day-old kittens to HSP, their umbilical cords still attached. With no mother, their chance of survival was mini-mal. Luckily, a nursing mother cat at HSP accepted them as her own. We named the tiniest kitten Jonah because we knew his fight would be difficult. After one month, Jonah was still just .4 pounds and as small as a mouse. He could not seem to overcome chronic bowel upset. One of HSP’s dedicated fosters never lost hope and began giving him fluids and a small dose of penicillin every day to wage war against whatever organism was making him sick. Finally Jonah turned the corner and gained enough weight to leave the shelter and find his forever home.

Missy

Not everyone is experienced enough to own a pit bull terrier, so when Missy arrived at HSP we thought she may have a long wait for a forever home. Imagine our concern when we realized she was also deaf. A special needs pit bull is even harder to place. We found a loving foster home for Missy and she was such a sweet girl they decided to keep her for their very own. Missy renewed everyone’s faith by reminding us to take one day at a time and to never give up on the dream of a forever home.

Jada

Jada was adopted as a puppy from a shelter in Indiana. After a year, she was rescued from an abusive home and brought back to the shelter. No one ever asked to adopt her, but the shelter workers fell in love and kept her for over a year. Finally Jada was sent to HSP where she lived for almost another year as a shelter dog. Despite knowing nothing but abuse or living in captivity as a shelter dog, Jada stayed happy and social. She never gave up and finally one day her forever family found came to adopt her. Jada gave us all a lesson in the true meaning of keeping hope alive.

Please Help Us Have Another Spectacular Year! Your donation to HSP brings much needed hope to abandoned and sick animals.

A Little Bit Goes A Long Way

HSP provides significant medical care to make sure dogs and cats are healthy and ready for adoption. Each animal receives an average of $400 in standard care including:

• Rabies Vaccine
• Distemper Combo Vaccine
• Bordatella Vaccine (Dogs)
• Canine Influenza Vaccine(dogs)
• Fecal Test * Deworming * Flea Removal
• Heartworm test (dogs)
• FeLV/FIV test (cats)
• Avid Microchip Identification Implant
• Spay / Neuter

Any amount you contribute helps to offset these costs so that money is left for animals with urgent medical or surgical needs to help them find new homes.