‘True survivors!’ Sick puppies abandoned near Bradenton Walmart recovering from parvo
Two sick puppies abandoned in Bradenton have tested negative for canine parvovirus and are one step closer to finding a forever home, Manatee County Government announced.
Rocky and Lilo were discovered in a sealed box near a Bradenton Walmart on 30th Avenue East and 50th Street with dangerously high temperatures of 106 degrees. After two weeks of intensive care at the emergency room and the parvo ward at Bishop Animal Shelter, they are now parvo-free and have been “moved to a loving foster home for further recovery and some much-needed tender loving care for the next month,” wrote animal outreach specialist Hans Wohlgefahrt in an email to the Bradenton Herald Thursday.
While there is still no timetable on when they may become available to adopt, Wohlgefahrt said he will be sure to keep everyone updated on their progress during the foster journey and wrote that those interested should “stay tuned to find out when Rocky and Lilo will be ready to find their forever homes!”
Some dogs are not so lucky. Canine parvovirus is extremely contagious and the virus is often fatal for puppies, but with proper treatment, survival rates can approach 90%, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, while at-home-treatment is closer to 50%.
But the situation was a dire one for the puppies at the time of their discovery.
Manatee County Animal Welfare Division Chief Sarah Brown wrote in an email to the Bradenton Herald earlier in June that it was immediately apparent that “their condition was critical,” causing the medical team to jump into action while working to bring their temperatures down.
From there, county officials contacted an emergency veterinarian so the puppies “could receive 24-hour emergency care.” Rocky was the first to become stable and was transferred to Bishop Animal Shelter, while Lilo, who at the time was unnamed, remained in critical condition before they both continued their recovery at Bishop.
“They’ve overcome incredible odds and are true survivors!” wrote Wohlgefahrt.
The agency is still asking the public for help finding whoever is responsible for leaving the puppies. Anyone who has any information about the abandoned puppies or those involved is asked to reach out to contact Manatee County Animal Welfare at 941-742-5933 ext. 1.
