The puppy pictured here, Itsy, is seven weeks old and weighs one-half pound. The mother of Itsy isn’t pictured here because she is back home getting impregnated once again. She's given birth to many babies over her long life.  Sadly, she will continue to do so even though continuous pregnancies are very hard on her little body. 

Itsy and her four siblings were irresponsibly listed on social media as “free to a good home,” and were destined to be handed off to anyone who commented with any interest regardless of intent.  Without a thorough and responsible adoption process by their “guardian,” there would be no home check, no verification that the families had a veterinarian, and no guarantee that the puppies would not be bred over and over as their mother has been or used as bait for dog fighting.  There is also a strong possibility that most, if not all, of the five puppies, would never receive any veterinary care and would not be spayed or neutered. 

Luckily, our Hope Animal Sanctuary Operations Manager, Sharon Stone, was alerted and convinced the negligent guardian to surrender the pups to the sanctuary. Unfortunately, Sharon’s offer to find low-cost spay and neuter for Itsy’s mother was declined. 

We are committed to educating the public about the value of spaying and neutering dogs and cats to address the problem of pet overpopulation; an issue that will never be solved if these animals are bred indiscriminately year after year. 

Your support saved Itsy and her four siblings.  Please donate to help us save more precious lives.