Gulfport, MS – When staff at the Humane Society of South Mississippi alerted the public about an overlooked dog at their facility, seemingly bypassed because of his looks, the response was amazing. The shelter had explained that two-year-old Chop was born with wideset eyes that people viewed as “ugly,” leaving him languishing at the facility for eight months.
And after word got out, the applications for Chop poured in. But the happily-ever-after that everyone is hoping for will not come to fruition. On Saturday, the animal welfare agency said that hundreds of adoption inquiries were received, but Chop’s health is failing fast, writing:
It is with great sadness that we share with you all that during one of his meet and greets, our Clinic Manager identified that Chop’s tongue and gums were turning blue. He stopped walking and collapsed from exhaustion and he could not bear to walk any further.
Adding:
On Monday, we had him evaluated by two of our veterinarians and it was determined that Chop would not be able to safely go through heartworm treatment and that his days were numbered due to his enlarged heart and fluid buildup in his lungs.
Chop’s ailment cannot be remedied and his days are numbered. The heartbroken shelter staff, who have loved him for nearly a year, said:
This is breaking our hearts. It is not the outcome we had hoped for but it is the right decision, and we hope that those of you who have fallen in love with Chop the way we have will understand.
Explaining how the decision to humanely release Chop from his body will be made:
Chop is currently under the supervision and care of our veterinary staff. When his quality of life is no longer humane, we will be moving forward with giving Chop the very best “last day”- surrounded by the staff that he knows and loves and who have been advocating for him since last May.
It is important to note that Chop contracted heartworms before he arrived at the shelter facility. While in their care, he has been receiving the “slow-kill” heartworm treatment, but it is not enough to save his life. In the absence of a quiet home to go through the treatment in, this was the only option the shelter had for Chop. The shelter tried to find a foster home for Chop to go through treatment in, but nobody stepped up to help. If Chop’s situation makes you angry, remember that someone who owned him (before the shelter) let this happen by not putting him on preventative medicine.
Other dogs are still in need of homes at the shelter. If you are interested, find the facility’s Facebook page here.
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