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I received an e-mail at 6 a.m. on August 31, from a woman asking to foster a timid, shy 6-month-old dog at Mat-Su Shelter. It was Wednesday, the shelter's scheduled euthanasia day. He was to be euthanized at 7 a.m. I didn't know this volunteer foster mom, but I'll use any excuse to save a life. I met one of the shelter staff at the gate as she was arriving for work, and she agreed to hold the dog.
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Later, I discovered why this baby (his foster family named him Howie) had not been claimed by his family or taken by a rescue group. He had an eye condition called entropion eyelids - his eyelashes were growing inward rather than outwards, creating irritation and pain. Corrective surgery is about $240 per eyelid - more than rescue groups can allocate to a pet, and possibly the reason his family gave him up. My spirits sank. Howie needed a $500 surgery, as well as neutering.
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My husband had already made pointed remarks about bills for critters we couldn't keep; this could be the last straw. The vet on duty that morning, Dr. Williams of the Palmer Veterinarian Clinic, had left me a note. He noticed this last minute save, and offered to perform the surgery at a discount. My heart skipped - veterinarians are already underpaid, and I wouldn't have dared ask for such a thing - and I left with a hopeful heart.
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