With Christmas less than a week away, we were hoping that this week we could fill your feed with joy, happiness and maybe some doggies dressing in festive costumes.

Unfortunately we are instead asking for help.

Last week we accepted a call for help from a member of our local community. A gentleman had an unexpected litter of puppies, who now at 7 months old were taking over his home. They had never left the house, so we sent our team to take them in in the hope of finding them forever homes.

Upon arrival, as they were unvaccinated, they entered our strict quarantine facility with dedicated staff members safely away from the other dogs on site. Aside from being filthy dirty, frightened and a little on the slim side, the pups seemed to be in good spirits and health. This would not last long. Within 24hrs we discovered these poor sweet puppies had been exposed to the deadly parvovirus.

Our first question was; how? These pups had never left the home. Further investigation found that a visitor to the home had been exposed to the virus and must have carried it in on their clothing and shoes. This is how contagious this is.

We are doing all we can to save these puppies, with the amazing support of Subiaco Vet who dispensed medication immediately, and SAI Vets who are providing these pups with 24/7 emergency care at a discounted rate. Unfortunately, the current status is that 5 puppies are in emergency care and one poor, sweet puppy did not make it. The only silver lining keeping us going is that one beautiful girl, Frosty, seems to have make it through after a hard fight and 4 days at the vet. She is back in the safety of the Refuge quarantine facility with a wagging tail. While she still has a long way to go, our quarantine staff are showering her with love (all be it through a hazmat suit) and hope that she will make a full recovery.

So how can you help? Before anything else- please, please if you have an unvaccinated dog at home VACCINATE THEM NOW! This virus does not pose a significant health risk to vaccinated dogs, but can be fatal in up to 91% of untreated cases with unvaccinated dogs.

The second way you can help is via our Give Now fundraiser. While we always expect the unexpected here at the Refuge, an unexpected expense of this size can really derail our operations. We are already seeing unprecedented medical bills this year, so even with the help of SAI Vets, a $20,000+ bill could not come at a worse time. If you are in a position to donate, it would be so appreciated.

If you are not, that is absolutely fine- please spread the word to all of your friends and family that parvovirus is here, it’s deadly, and the only way to stop it is to vaccinate your dogs and seek treatment early.