Help Panda Get the Care He Needs to Find His Forever Home

Hi, I’m Jennie, and I’ve become an emergency foster placement for Panda. I seem to be a magnet for animals that need help, but as rewarding as it is, it can also be very costly.

Panda is an 18-month-old male, and his story began when my rescue dog, Xena, escaped several times after we moved into a new home, before we had the chance to have her sterilised. She wandered 10km one day, and as fate would have it, she became pregnant. Xena gave birth to 8 beautiful puppies, 4 black and white, and 4 nearly all black. I rehomed 7 of them and kept the last little one, Pequeninha (meaning "little one" in Portuguese).

Around the time Xena became pregnant, another stray, Botas, came into my life. He showed up at our new house full of fleas, knots, fear and trust. That brought my rescue dog count up to 4.

Nine weeks ago, I got a message from Panda’s owner explaining she could no longer keep him due to personal circumstances. I didn’t want him surrendered to a kennel, especially as they were already at capacity, so I took him in as a foster, hoping to rehome him myself.

Panda arrived terrified, clearly having been through some trauma. Over time, he relaxed, but tensions grew between him and my male dog. I also noticed he had an undescended testicle and wasn’t sterilised. After almost 8 weeks and a lot of work, he seemed ready for a new home, but unfortunately, his new placement didn’t work out. His persistence towards their elderly dog made it clear he needs more one-on-one attention than they or I can provide at this time.

So, Panda is back with me, and while I love him dearly, I cannot give him the care or financial support he requires long-term. He urgently needs to be sterilised, not only to help his behaviour but also because his undescended testicle could become malignant if left untreated. The surgery, which is more complex than a standard procedure (as the missing testicle is by his bladder), will cost around 450 euros.

Yesterday, I borrowed a crate from our local shelter, which is run entirely by volunteers. They’ve been amazing in helping me in trying to find him a permanent home. Despite being over capacity, they continue to rescue and rehome many abandoned dogs in Portugal. Any extra funds raised will go to support their incredible work.

If you could spare anything to help cover Panda’s surgery and care, it would mean the world. Even the smallest donation will help Panda move closer to his forever home, and support the shelter in their mission to rescue more animals in need.

Thank you so much for your kindess and support, much love Jennie