Kendall Flynn
THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Coachella Valley Animal Campus continues to deal with overcrowding like many of the Riverside County shelters. They said this can be especially difficult for pets who have unique medical circumstances as they require additional care during their stay.
The shelter has nearly 188 dogs sharing 81 kennels, and four of those dogs have medical conditions ranging from mild skin conditions to needing leg surgery.
CVAC officials said they work to get grants from animal welfare organizations across the country for dogs or cats in need of major surgery. While they do have a budget for in-house surgeries, they shelter is not a hospital and they are usually in need of specialists for the care some pets need.
The process for getting grants is never guaranteed and it can be a lengthy process. Locals who are interested in adopting one of these pets is always recommended to take them to a vet for further evaluation.
Officials do acknowledge that there is an added cost of having a pet with medical circumstances and it can vary. If people are not able to adopt, the shelter asks for fosters while they continue medical treatment. Not only does it keep the pet from the stress of an overcrowded shelter but it can also be a better recovery environment.
“It’s not quite as simple as, ‘Oh, just take it to the doctor,'” Clingman said. “There’s a little bit more logistics that goes into it, but we just want to guarantee we are providing as much medical care as we possibly can in-house, and the missing piece is usually a foster.”
News Channel 3 met with two of the pets with unique medical circumstances in need of fostering or adoption.
King is seven years old and has bilateral fluctuating patella. This means both of his patella’s in his knees are out of place. He will need surgery to get them fixed. Because of this he “waddles” when he walks, according to CVAC, but he is not in any pain. He additionally needs his hips checked, as he is an older dog.
Sweet Potato has two minor medical conditions. She came to the shelter with a skin condition, leaving her with nearly no hair on her body. After time and care it has not come back and she is not contagious. She also has a chronic CCL tear, and she does limp. Doctors have told CVAC she does not need surgery, but it is an option.
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