Paws Across Pittsburgh

It's my birthday this week and for my 45th (!) birthday, I'm raising funds for Paws Across Pittsburgh!

I recently learned of this organization when I found - and ended up adopting - a puppy! Paws rescues dogs from kill shelters in other parts of the country, gets them up to Pittsburgh and finds them homes. Not just any homes - I've been so impressed with the level of background checks and making sure the home is right for the dog to succeed. They get the dog started with spay/neuter and shots, and the dogs are kept in foster homes until a forever home is found.

I will match donations up to a total of $500!

As a 501c(3) organization, your donation to Paws is tax deductible.

Paws Across Pittsburgh needs your help.

Paws Across Pittsburgh is a 501c3 non-profit animal rescue located in Pittsburgh, PA. We started in early 2016 and have grown into one of the largest rescues in Western Pennsylvania! What enables a rescue to grow and continue saving so many animals? A successful rescue takes a solid leadership team, an army of volunteers and a large community of supporters, and we have all of those. A rescue also needs a way to transport the animals from high-kill shelters back to Pittsburgh to start their new lives, and that’s what we need help with.

We were lucky to have a minivan donated to us a few years ago that we used for transport days and vet clinic runs. Last year we purchased an older model box truck because the van just wasn’t big enough for some of our larger transports. Both of our vehicles have seen better days, and as of last week, both are now out of commission. We had to cancel our transport this past weekend because we literally don’t have a way to pick them up and get them to the foster homes in Pittsburgh. The dogs and cats that were on the list to come to Pittsburgh are still waiting for rescue. That is heartbreaking for all of us.

We have approached quite a few dealerships hoping for either a donation or an affordable deal but have been unsuccessful so far.

So here we are, turning to our huge community of supporters, asking for help. We saved over 1,000 animals last year. Our goal each year is to save more than the year before. We can’t do it without a vehicle to get them to Pittsburgh. We can’t do it without your support.

Our transport vehicle is a literal lifeline for so many animals. It's used weekly to transport animals to Pittsburgh from high kill shelters, to take animals to veterinary clinics several times a week and to take dogs and supplies to fundraisers. We can't save animals without one.

Our goal is to raise $25k. We need your help and your donations. We are 100% volunteer-run, so every dollar donated goes into saving the lives of homeless dogs and cats.

Please consider a donation and help us reach more people by sharing our GoFundMe.

From all the volunteers and rescues in Paws Across Pittsburgh, thank you for your support and love.

Rosita

Just about a month ago, Paws rescued a sweet momma dog and her 10 puppies. That’s right…10 pups!! They were in a bad situation and we were lucky enough to have a foster willing to take this big family in! The vet that saw them in West Virginia said the one little girl had a heart murmur, but often pups outgrow those, so there were no concerns at that time. The pups all thrived in their foster home and the time came for Rosita to see a vet regarding her little heart having a murmur. She saw our rescue vet, Dr. Alley, for some testing which came back very concerning. Her cardiac status was not good, she either had a hole in her heart or Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). She was referred to PVSEC for a cardiology consult.

Rosita saw the cardiologist at PVSEC today and had an echocardiogram that showed evidence of a congenital heart defect, and was diagnosed with PDA, left to right with Congestive Heart Failure. This diagnosis is characterized by abnormal blood flow between the heart and lungs due to the non-closure of an artery, resulting in the left side of the heart being overloaded leading to arrhythmias and CHF. Because Rosita’s PDA is large, she is already in congestive heart failure. She was placed on Vetmedin and Lasix to help treat her for now. Without surgery, she will die within a month or two.

The surgery for PDA, heart surgery, comes with a very high financial toll. The estimate is $6,000 to $8,000, and we have already spent just over $1,000 on regular vet visits and cardiology consultations. Rosita’s cardiologist, Erin Anderson, reports that the prognosis is good, about 90% success rate. The sooner the treatment is obtained, the better the outcome. Once the surgery is completed and she recovers, Rosita would come off the medications and could live a normal, healthy, happy life.

So, the question is…...what is little Rosita’s life worth? Do we spend almost 10K to fix her heart and save her life? A life that she never asked for, brought into the world because of irresponsible pet owners. An overbred momma dog and this poor little pup who is now fighting for her life. Rescue is hard and tough decisions often need to be made.

So, we come to our supporters with the hope that you will help us help Rosita. We are asking you to open your heart to help mend hers. Every dollar will get us closer to reaching our goal of $8,000. Every dollar will help Rosita on her road to recovery. We can’t imagine not giving this sweet, young pup a chance at a healthy, happy life. She deserves the chance to live and thrive. Please share and consider donating. You can share through this Gofundme or our Paypal & Venmo options are on our webpage and Facebook Page. Thank you in advance for always supporting the rescue. We appreciate you more than you could ever know.