There was an emergency situation at Alicia Pet Care Center on Saturday morning. They had just taken in a puppy, whose blood was so thin, it looked like water. The 6 week old puppy named Keeva, rescued by Coastal German Shepherd Rescue, had a virus that was life-threatening and was in desperate need of a blood transfusion.
That’s where The Pet Rescue Center’s Kara came in. The Pet Rescue Center, the non-profit arm of Alicia Pet Care Center, is housed inside the veterinary hospital. One of their rescues, Kara, is a 3 year old pit bull who was relinquished to The PRC in March after her owners faced eviction due to a ‘no pit bulls’ rule. Kara is a healthy, 65 lb. female and was a good match for the blood transfusion.
Kara was not the first pit bull saved by The Pet Rescue Center to help another dog in need. In March 2012, Sammy, a former bait dog rescued and brought to The PRC, gave a blood transfusion to Piper, a 6 month old puppy rescued by DAWG in Mission Viejo, saving Piper’s life and ultimately allowing him to find a new family. Sammy was adopted by a San Clemente family just 2 months later.
Dr. Matthew Wheaton, owner of Alicia Pet Care Center, and his wife Blythe, co-founded The Pet Rescue Center in 2007, with the goal of saving at risk cats and dogs from unnecessary euthanasia. Little did they know that their rescues would be saving the lives of other animals in need.
“Alicia Pet Care Center works with more than 40 animal rescue groups, offering discounted veterinary care for their rescues,” said Dr. Wheaton. “Our partnership with Coastal German Shepherd Rescue and others has allowed them to save dogs and cats needing medical treatment.”
During the procedure, Kara was given a kiss by Casey Oliver, Director of Operations at The Pet Rescue Center. Kara lay quietly and wagged her tail. As soon as the transfusion was done, little Keeva started making noises and became active, which was a big change from how lethargic he had been prior to the procedure.
“This is a great example of the cooperative efforts of The Pet Rescue Center, Alicia Pet Care Center, and Coastal German Shepherd Rescue,” explained Jan Henry, Director of Development for The PRC. “Our mission is to work with shelters, veterinarians, and animal rescue groups to save the lives of dogs and cats. We need the public’s support more than ever to continue this good work.”
Two volunteers from The Pet Rescue Center, Scott and Edie Pool, stayed with Kara throughout the procedure. They had arrived minutes earlier, intending to take her for a walk, but plans changed. “We wanted to be there to comfort her and reassure her,” stated Edie Pool. “Scott carried her to her kennel afterward and helped to get her settled while she slept off the medication.” The Pools went back the following day to take Kara out for some fresh air.
Kara is available for adoption through The Pet Rescue Center and will be a wonderful pet for a loving family. For more information about Kara, or any of their other adoptable dogs and cats, please visit www.thepetrescuecenter.org/adopt.
The Pet Rescue Center, located inside Alicia Pet Care Center in Mission Viejo, is a 501c3 non-profit organization that rescues, rehabilitates, and re-homes pets saved from euthanasia at high-kill shelters and other at-risk situations. These pets are provided with a veterinarian-supervised, temporary sanctuary, while they work to find an adopting family for them. They have successfully saved and adopted out more than 600 dogs and cats in the past five years. To view their adoptable cats and dogs, to volunteer, or to make a donation, please visit them online at www.thepetrescuecenter.org or call 877.277.7938.
