Rue’s recovery: Sick shelter dog gets a happy ending
By Kendra Simpson
It takes a village is a phrase often associated with the care of a child, but in a recent situation in St. Joseph, it applies to one lucky dog.
Rue’s story is not an uncommon one. In early June, the pit bull mix was brought into the shelter with a male dog and litter of puppies. She was thin, sad and in need of medical treatment. All of her pups were quickly adopted while she was left behind, waiting for her moment to be noticed.
Luckily, the shelter’s staff did take notice. Rue was signed up for the Puppies for Parole program. However, her medical issues remained a mystery.
“We found out after multiple vet visits that it was actually due to having intestinal parasites for, for an extended period of time,” said Aubrey Silvey, senior animal care specialist with St. Joseph Animal Control and Rescue. “And then the pressure of, you know, having the puppies and all of that as well exacerbated the issue.”
Finally knowing what the issue was, Rue’s colpopexy surgery was scheduled — but it was costly. The shelter had invested quite a bit already with previous vet visits, so staff turned to the community for help covering the nearly $1,000 surgery.
And that call for help was answered.
Community members raised about $700 for the surgery, covering the majority of the cost.
The Sauter family had recently lost their dog to cancer and was looking to give that love to another pet when they discovered Rue. After her Puppies for Parole graduation, the family started fostering her while she recovered and fell in love.
“I heard about her, and we went and did a meet and greet, and my 8-year-old daughter fell in love with her, and she’s like, ‘Mom, we just have to get her.’ And I was like, ‘OK, let’s think about it,” Rue’s Foster Mom Jennifer Sauter said. “And then the next day, my daughter started crying and she’s like, ‘Mom, we just have to get her. Rue needs a home and we need we need a dog. So we need to go get Rue.’”
Now in recovery with her new family, Rue finally found her happy ending.
“She’s so used to being pampered,” Sauter said. “I have two little girls, so they treat her like a princess. So she gets crowns and she gets her nails painted every once in a while, and she’s definitely in an all-girls-household.”
The St. Joseph Animal Shelter is constantly packed full with many animals that have stories very similar to Rue’s, but have not found their happily ever after yet. To learn how to begin the foster or adoption process, visit the shelter’s website at https://petforu.com/. St. Joseph residents who aren’t ready to bring an animal into their home can help the shelter with donations of money, supplies and volunteer time.
