Conroe’s Second Chance

From a shy Distemper survivor to a toothless-smiled social butterfly, Conroe’s journey at Animal Defense League is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of love.

I am incredibly proud to be a part of a team that exemplifies compassion, patience, adaptability, and trust by working hard every day to ensure lives are saved. I am also particularly grateful for generous supporters like YOU, without whom we could not have saved the lives of nearly 5,000 dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens so far this year.

Despite our accomplishments, stray and roaming pets, often unvaccinated, continue to be a systemic problem in our community which increases the spread of disease. This directly impacts pets in our care – resulting in longer stays, fewer adoptions, and growing expenses.

We are facing significant challenges, and we need your help. By giving today, you can make this season a bit brighter for our shelter pets. Please open your hearts, donate, and give them the second chance they deserve.

Conroe, an adorable young Labrador Retriever mix, and his 5 happy-go-lucky siblings were rescued by the Animal Defense League (ADL) earlier this year. As the “the runt of the litter,” not only was he smaller in size, he was noticeably quiet and very shy. While his littermates would jump in excitement and run to the front of the kennel as staff and volunteers walked by, Conroe didn’t have the strength to move from the corner. He was clearly not feeling well and was also experiencing nasal discharge, hair loss, dry, squinty eyes, and rough paw pads.

Concerned that he wasn’t responding well to treatment, our staff tested the litter and it was confirmed that they were positive for Distemper; a highly contagious, and often times deadly, virus. We quickly began treating the pups, but Conroe wasn’t thriving like the others. He stopped eating and had no desire to socialize. Our Director of Shelter Medicine and Veterinary Services, Dr. Savannah Beauregard, recalls “Even though Conroe was sad and not feeling his best, he wanted to be around people, his tail never stopped wagging, and he had the will to live; we had to help him beat this.” Conroe was placed in a foster home where he received personal care and attention and experienced the power of love and kindness from humans and his foster siblings. The change in Conroe was almost immediate- it was like the bonds he formed gave him the strength he needed to survive.

Nowadays, Conroe is still a small gentleman weighing in under 20 pounds, in relation to his 40+ pound siblings. He has quite the toothless smile (Distemper affected his enamel) and has even blossomed into a social butterfly. This little survivor has attracted love and affection, and the promise of a furever home. He will soon be adopted by his new furever family.