Henry’s Story
Categories: Animal Defense League Blogs, Ways to help ADL
Meet Henry—a 7-year-old Akita mix, who came into ADL’s care on March 17, 2016. When Henry was brought to ADL by a good Samaritan he was noticeably ill, coughing and . . .
Meet Henry—a 7-year-old Akita mix, who came into ADL’s care on March 17, 2016. When Henry was brought to ADL by a good Samaritan he was noticeably ill, coughing and . . .
We held our first-ever Valentine’s Day “Smooches for Pooches” donation campaign! The ADL team, along with a few of our loveable, adoptable dogs visited local businesses with doggies kissing booths . . .
We have two pet stars that are still looking for their forever homes! Their names are Nicolette and Cormac. We’d love for these two lovable pooches to find their forever . . .
Nelson, Nicolette, and Shiner need your help to find their forever homes! We’re giving our past pet stars from this year another chance at being North Park Subaru pet stars . . .
Bubbles is a 1 year old, female, Terrier mix who is currently being treated in the Animal Defense League Veterinary Hospital. ADL has confirmed with Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine . . .
Señor was found as a stray by a good Samaritan who brought him to ADL. When Señor came to our shelter, he could hardly open his eyes, was missing lots . . .
Happy World UFO Day, July 2nd! Can you believe that one of our long-term residents, Mrs. Butters, is actually a UFO eyewitness herself?! Check out this dramatic video re-enactment of . . .
Molly is a loving young pup who came to ADL on June 9, 2018. She had horrible wounds across her back with fur missing and raw skin exposed. Our staff . . .
Thank You for Helping ADL to Fund Hercules’ Surgery! Through our partnership with Animal Care Services (ACS) we immediately transferred Hercules into our shelter. Hercules is a gentle and calm . . .
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our 2018 Fur Ball! It was amazing seeing so many of our supporters coming together to raise funds for the homeless pets . . .
Carlton was brought to the Animal Defense League through our partnership with Animal Care Services (ACS) on Jan 25th. Carlton is only one years old and he had one of . . .
Our fiesta 2018 medal is here! For only $10 you can snag one at our main campus, the Paul Jolly Center, or the ADL Hospital. Help represent ADL by adding . . .
Meet Tom Tom! Through our partnership with the City of San Antonio Animal Care Services (ACS), we transferred Tom Tom into our shelter to find out what exactly was wrong . . .
When Rose first arrived at ADL she was so emaciated that she could barely walk. Thanks to the help and support of our veterinarian team, Rose gained her weight and . . .
Noodle is just a small little puppy and has been diagnosed with carpal laxity syndrome, a deformity of the legs that primarily affects puppies. Puppies have fast growing bodies and . . .
Matt Elmore and Dr. Rodriguez discuss a variety of topics from questions sent through our info email as well as questions being asked during the facebook live video on Giving . . .
So many amazing pets found their forever home this year at our Paul Jolly location! It’s a great feeling to see their happy furry faces as they go to their . . .
Can you believe this was Goose when he first came to our shelter? We took Goose into our care in September of 2017 when he was 6 months old. Poor . . .
Thank you to all who made a memorial donation during Remember Me August. The plaques have been placed in honor of your loved ones in our memorial gazebo. You can . . .
Thank you everyone who came out to Artsy Barksy. It was great to have so many talented artists attend the event! Everyone was inspired by all the incredible art. Special . . .
Walk, run, or jog this 5k anytime at the location of your choice between May 22nd – May 31st and your participation will help raise funds for the abandoned, abused or neglected dogs and cats the ADL rescues in our community every day.
Head over to runsignup.com/adlrescuerun to sign up for the Rescue Run 5K. The registration fee of $35 will provide additional support and immediately impact the lives of the pets in our care! Please consider leaving a donation at time of registration to make an even bigger impact.
Simply track your run using your GPS watch or run tracking app, snap a selfie of you and Fido, and upload to record your results before 9:00 am, June 2nd. Every runner will receive a personalized completion certificate and the top 3 winners will receive a special ADL prize!
In July 2018, Dave arrived at the Animal Defense League from the city shelter, his eyes full of hope despite his uncertain past. But life had other plans for him; in December that same year, he had his first seizure at ADL and was diagnosed with epilepsy. Dave’s resilience shone through as he embraced daily medication and continued to win the hearts of the ADL team.
The caring and passionate staff at ADL became his pillars of support, comforting him through or after every seizure, describing him as silly, a lazy couch potato, and a snuggly companion who just wanted to chill around the house with his family.
Days turned into months, and months into years, but Dave’s wagging tail never stopped, and neither did the staff’s commitment to finding him the perfect home. Many people were a crucial part of Dave’s story, including our volunteers that spent meaningful time with him, his two foster families who gave him the much-needed break from the shelter, and even our partners at North Park Subaru for crowning him Pet Star and covering his adoption fee, and 7 to 7 Dental and Orthodontics who donate towards our Diamond in the Ruff Program, celebrating our longer-stay residents. And then, the miracle happened! Last week, a KENS5 viewer came across Dave’s touching Forgotten Friends story, and something magical sparked within their heart.
The very next day, they showed up at ADL, determined to bring Dave home with his very own fur-sibling. It was a moment of pure joy as Dave stepped into his forever home, leaving his past behind and embracing a future filled with love and care. Not to mention, he gets to celebrate his 7th birthday this July 28th, with his new family!
Dave’s journey reminds us all that sometimes, it takes time, patience, and the kindness of strangers to change a life forever. Here’s to Dave, the epitome of strength, love, and the unbreakable bond between a dog and their human.
When Buttermilk arrived at ADL, she was emaciated, heartworm positive, and had a severely broken leg. There was a large mass on her chest and another on her hind leg. She also had pyometra, a potentially fatal infection of the uterus that occurs in unspayed females.
Surgery was immediately performed to spay and remove the infected uterus along with the mass on her chest. Another surgery was completed to amputate her front left leg as it was too broken to be saved.
Lab results showed that the mass on her chest was cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, likely caused by chronic exposure to the sun. Animals with little pigment are prone to developing skin cancer in areas heavily exposed to the sun. The mass from her hind leg was diagnosed as a cancerous tumor and completely removed.
Poor Buttermilk also has a collapsed trachea! The rings of cartilage along the airway from her throat to lungs are weakened and can collapse causing her to cough in a way that sounds similar to a honking goose. Luckily the collapse is minimal and can be easily managed.
Buttermilk regained her weight, recovered from her surgeries, and is now heartworm free! She’s finally, for the first time in a long time, healthy.
Despite all she has been through Buttermilk might just be the happiest tripod you’ll ever meet! The pain and suffering she endured makes us want to cry, but her always wagging tail and big grin never fail to make us smile. Buttermilk has already won the heart of her new mom, and she now has a home of her own.
Who is Roosevelt? Roosevelt was a fearful terrier mix who came into our care in June of 2012. Despite arthritis, mange, ear and eye infections, and internal parasites, Roosevelt began to warm-up to our staff. His strong-will and energy was an inspiration to all.
Years of living on the streets of San Antonio had taken a toll on his body, and he eventually passed peacefully in our hospital. We could not entirely fix Roosevelt, but we gave him a loving, safe space for his last days. In his honor, we created the Roosevelt Fund to give life and hope to the severe medical cases that come through our doors.