Puppies given second chance by Lisbon rescue ready for adoption

Five puppies rescued in Missouri, who had to live outside with their parents, may not have survived an impending winter storm a few months ago, but thanks to a nearby shelter and with further help of Fur Fun Rescue in Lisbon, the puppies were brought to Iowa and are now ready for adoption.

The “D” litter of five, as they are fondly called, were born Nov. 4 outside Kidder, Mo., but some locals worried the puppies wouldn’t survive the frigid temperatures, so a local rescue persuaded the city of Cameron, Mo., to take them in at its animal shelter and keep them safe.

Two volunteers with Fur Fun then drove down to pick the puppies up and took them to a veterinarian to get checked out. The litter received health certificates and the volunteers brought them to a foster home in Iowa.

Roxanne Hoover, president of the Lisbon rescue, said that as a responsible rescue, they usually don’t take the puppies without the mom also getting spayed or the owner agreeing to spay the adult dog. This Missouri owner had two females and one male and the females previously had several litters. Fur Fun paid for the spay and neuter of adult dogs with the owner’s permission.

Fur Fun received a $5,000 grant last year from the BISSELL Pet Foundation, which supports programs and initiatives that are focused on addressing the pet overpopulation problem by helping them spay/neuter more animals, such as the dogs in Missouri.

Susi Nehls, volunteer and grants manager for Fur Fun, said the rescue also recently saved some other puppies in Tulsa, Okla., after they were born in a barn and wandered out on their own at 4 weeks old. Fur Fun took two of the litter of six, while rescues in Minnesota and Missouri took the others. Nehls said they went the extra step to make sure the mom was spayed.

The now-local “D” litter — Dusty, Dotty, Dee Dee, Dixie and Darcy — haven’t had much human contact because they were outdoor dogs and are scared of people.

“They’re just learning humans are good,” Hoover added.

Their mom is a German shorthair Pointer mix, weighing about 47 pounds, and their dad is a “bit of a mutt,” weighing 95 pounds.

Hoover said people keeping dogs or puppies outside happens a lot, usually more down south.

“We think of puppy season as about Thanksgiving through Valentine’s Day,” Hoover said. “Some people view their dogs as livestock, more than pets or part of their family.”

Puppies don’t have the ability to maintain their body temperature, and for the first two weeks their eyes aren’t even open, so they keep themselves warm by staying close to their mom. Puppies shouldn’t be left outside in cold weather, Hoover noted.

Anyone interested in the “D” litter should contact Fur Fun Rescue or (319) 929-6657 to fill out an adoption application.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com