Hoku is Safe!

Hoku Shelter

Fourth of July Dogs

Every year the fireworks on the Fourth of July bring a surge of stray dogs to the shelters. Most of these dogs will be claimed by their owners, but some are not. Hoku was one of the dogs that was not claimed. We were notified about Hoku on the Fifth of July. From the photo of her lying down, we could see she had at least one litter. She was put on our list of dogs to watch, but initially we weren't too concerned. We thought the owner of a cute young four year old female would certainly pick her up.

Five Days Later

Shelters typically hold dogs five days. When we received an email plea for Hoku five days later, we were a little surprised. More more surprising was the fact she was rescue only for medical reasons. Not noted in the original shelter post was the fact that Hoku had been hit by a car. She had spent the last five days at a private emergency vet contracted by the shelter. The shelter was giving her until noon the following day to be rescued or she would be put to sleep. Not receiving the email until late Friday afternoon, there were only a few hours before the shelter would be closing.

The Clock Is Ticking

With less than twenty four hours before Hoku would be put to sleep, every minute counted. The shelter was immediately contacted. For anyone that has called some of the local shelters, getting to a human that can answer questions can be a challenge. Fortunately, an email was sent to the shelter that California GSP Rescue could help. Their reply was she would need to be transported from the Vet, where she was being held, to the shelter. All this would need to be done the few hours the shelter was open before noon. During the quarantine, shelters have been open but by appointment only. Getting an appointment was a concern. Early Saturday a phone call was made. After navigating through the automated system, someone picked up. We identified the dog we were calling about and were transferred to the shelter's direct line. The phone seemed to ring forever before someone picked up. The conversation was short. Before we could identify the dog we were calling about, we were asked to hold. Forty minutes later, two hours before noon, someone picked up. We identified Hoku by the shelter identification number from the email and original post. They confirmed that she was still at the Vets and would need to be transported back to the shelter. We would still need to be there by noon to make sure she was safe.

Hoku's Time Was Nearly Up

We hung up the phone and immediately calculated the travel time. Leaving immediately would put the volunteer at the shelter a little less than an hour before Hoku's time was up. With no time to waste, the Volunteer loaded up and headed to the shelter. Fortunately, there was little traffic and it was just a few minutes after 11:00 AM. There was a line of a few individuals with appointments that the Volunteer waited in. Several minutes later, an Animal Control Officer took the information and let the Volunteer know the GSP was on her way to the shelter. The paperwork was completed and the Volunteer patiently waited. Just before Noon, she arrived and was loaded in the back of the Volunteer's car. Hoku was safe.

Hoku's Injuries

The email and shelter paperwork both stated that Hoku had a broken front leg and fractured right rear hip. The right front leg was swollen and Hoku didn't use it but held it up. She wasn't moving her right rear leg either but would later put a little weight to catch her balance and steady herself when she stood.  The recommendation from the shelter's vet was to amputate the front leg. Information was sent to California GSP Rescue's Veterinarian, Dr. Kang, for him to assess and give an opinion. He would be seeing Hoku soon. Tomorrow we will share Dr. Kang's diagnosis and prognosis here on our website, and on Facebook.

If you would like to help Hoku, please consider making a donation below. We'll be sharing updates over the next several days.

We are very grateful for everyone’s support that helped us see that Hoku got the medical attention she needed. Watch and see how far she has come.