Story of Angel: Dog found 'clinging to life' in North Philly home now on road to recovery
The PSPCA says their officers rushed to the home and found two deceased dogs, two turtles and four living dogs, including Angel.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Pennsylvania SPCA is sharing the remarkable story of one dog who was fighting for her life and then with the help of others was able to make a miraculous recovery.
The dog, who the PSCPA named Angel, was discovered in a home in North Philadelphia last week.
Philadelphia police officers had been called to the home for a welfare check. Officers discovered several animals inside the property, some dead and some alive.
The PSPCA says their officers rushed to the home and found two deceased dogs, two turtles and four living dogs, including Angel.
They say the tiny terrier mix was "lateral and barely clinging to life."
"Angel was covered in live fleas and flea dirt. She was hypothermic, dehydrated, anemic, and had an increased respiratory rate and effort. The clock was ticking, and there was no time to waste," the PSCPA said.
She was taken to the agency's Philadelphia headquarters where the nurses started a fluid bolus and then IV fluids. Angel was placed in an oxygen tank to help ease her breathing efforts.
"But all of this was not enough; she also required a blood transfusion to restore vital blood cells lost to the fleas feeding on her," the PSCPA said.
But Angel had company during her blood transfusion. The PSCPA says one of their veterinary nurses sat with the dog for the entire four-hour procedure.
Then they started to notice something happening. Angel was getting better.
"As the hours passed, Angel became brighter and more responsive, and her respiration normalized," the PSCPA said. "By the next morning, she was a completely different dog. Just twelve hours earlier, she had been on death's door, and now she was well on the way to recovery."
The PSPCA says Angel spent more days in their hospital being monitored, but now she is ready to find a forever home.
"While we will always wish that things would have been different for the two dogs in the home who did not make it, we must continue our work every day for dogs like Angel. She is here today because of our officers' dedication and the lifesaving efforts of our shelter hospital," the PSPCA said.
The PSPCA says the three other dogs, Heaven, Star and Sky and the turtles, Shelly and Belly, are also being taken care of in their facility.
"We will seek justice for them all," the PSPCA said.
The PSPCA is asking for donations of $5 as part of their $5 Friday campaign.
