Princess was in sad shape when Paws Across Pittsburgh volunteers met her last weekend.
“The dog was in shutdown,” said Paws volunteer Vicki Marietta of Harrison City. “She wasn’t eating. She didn’t want to be touched. She was depressed and broken.”
Princess, Bear, Charley, Dinky and five other dogs and two cats were taken into temporary care by the volunteers with agreement of their owner, according to Paws President Jackie Switalski Armour of Springdale.
Four of the dogs — all about 35 to 40 pounds — were being fed, but they were living in a car even during the cold weather, she said.
All of the dogs needed basic inoculations. All had fleas and poor dental health.
“Most had ear infections,” Armour said. “Four had skin conditions needing help from a vet. And none of them had been spayed or neutered.
“Our veterinarian in Jeannette said at least one of the dogs is pregnant and possibly more than one.”
The dogs also need to be socialized, she said, so it will be a while before the dogs and puppies can be adopted.
But things are looking up for Princess.
“We took her to a temporary foster care home,” she said. “Right away, the other dogs in that home started to lay next to her on the couch.”
Paws Across Pittsburgh is a foster home-based animal rescue and does not maintain a central location. All rescued animals are placed with foster families throughout the region until they can be permanently adopted.
“By Monday, Princess was eating out of the lady’s hand,” Thomas said.
Volunteer Renee Amos Hardy of Harmar, who was cleaning up cages Sunday, said a dog called Dinky quickly became her favorite. The dog connected with Hardy.
“She wants to be held,” she said. “She pawed at me from the cage and she stole my heart.”
Paws, an all-volunteer group, is seeking help to care for Princess, a corgi-collie mix, and her companions. Other rescue animals are ready for adoption.
People can help Paws Across Pittsburgh by taking part in its many fundraisers, such as the third annual Bowling for Paws at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, at Nesbit’s Lanes in Plum.
Chuck Biedka is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chuck at 724-226-4711, cbiedka@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ChuckBiedka.
