July 20, 2020
Left to Starve, Coco Now Has A Happy Future Ahead!
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| Coco headed to her forever home! |
Coco is a remarkable dog. This beautiful soul was transferred to the SPCA of Texas after Dallas Animal Services and Dallas Police Department (DPD) Patrol Officers responded to a call about animals confined to an SUV at an apartment complex in Southern Dallas. Officers interviewed the animal owner, who admitted that they had not fed the animals in more than two weeks. DPD’s Animal Cruelty Unit served the animal owner with a seizure warrant for the animals inside of the vehicle and they were then transferred to the SPCA of Texas for emergency medical care.
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| This is how this precious angel looked when she first came to the SPCA of Texas |
When an SPCA of Texas staff member first carried Coco into her kennel – our hearts broke for her. In the beginning Coco was placed on starvation feeding protocol. She had a body condition score less than 1/9. For reference, a body condition score of 4-5/9 is considered ideal using the Purina Body Scoring System. She was also given a daily regimen of vitamins and prescribed antibiotics. All of this was necessary to give Coco a chance at survival because upon intake, her veterinary examination showed that she had:
o Hair loss on her tail
o Sores around her ears
o All of her teeth worn down
o A heart murmur
o Flea infestation
o Pale gums
o Dehydration
o Pressure sores on her legs
o Stiffness in hind legs
o Inability to walk properly
o Anemia
o Weak liver/kidney functioning
o Heartworm disease
o Sores around her ears
o All of her teeth worn down
o A heart murmur
o Flea infestation
o Pale gums
o Dehydration
o Pressure sores on her legs
o Stiffness in hind legs
o Inability to walk properly
o Anemia
o Weak liver/kidney functioning
o Heartworm disease
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| Little by little, Coco gained her strength back and began playing with toys! |
Coco could’ve given up, but she didn’t. Instead she let staff put sweaters on her fragile body when she was cold, she was a perfect patient during weekly examinations, and she even started to ask for snuggles. Months later, she was finally was strong enough to go to a foster home, where she learned lots of new tricks and enjoyed long naps while she recovered from heartworm treatment.
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| Our staff was so happy every time Coco’s foster mom posted an update! |
Coco came through our doors back in February in very rough shape, and it took months of healing to get her to a place where she could be both happy and healthy. Coco is now settled comfortably in her forever home, with her new mom and dad, two human siblings and four doggie siblings to keep this playful girl delighted for years to come.
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| Coco and her new paw-rents! |
We are so incredibly grateful to our staff for giving her the care she needed, and especially to her foster mom for giving her the love Coco needed to blossom into the carefree dog we knew she was inside.
Congratulations to Coco and her forever family!
This happy ending would not have been possible without your support. When you make a donation to the SPCA of Texas, you support our efforts to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome animals like Coco in North Texas. To make a gift, please visit spca.org/give.
