Grants helps local shelter get dog needed surgery

John the Border Collie came to PAWS of Grays Harbor a few months ago, a shy lad but overall in good condition.

But as weeks passed, animal technician Callie Taylor said she noticed a hitch in his previously smooth gait.

“We didn’t notice limping for a few months. I did some pain meds for about a week and then took him off. He started limping again, so that’s when I took him to the vet,” Taylor said in an interview. “I asked them to do X-rays. And they found this problem. It’s in his shoulder.”

John was suffering from osteochondritis dissecans — a joint issue that threatened his mobility at a time when the shelter hopes to find John a forever home.

“What that means is there’s for, whatever reason — it could be congenital, it could be related to trauma — the ball of his shoulder, the end of this bone is not receiving blood supply. It’s dying off,” Taylor said. “What they do for the surgery is they open up the shoulder and they drill multiple holes into the shoulder to where there is blood supply so the blood can come up to the top.”

Surgery isn’t cheap, especially for a shelter with many guests, said PAWS of Grays Harbor Executive Director Anna Boeche. The shelter is always looking for ways to help defray costs as the prices keep rising and grants are one avenue, Boeche said.

John the Border Collie, currently a guest at PAWS of Grays Harbor, is scheduled for surgery to fix an issue with his shoulder, funded through a grant from the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation. (Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)

“We got some quotes and we were looking at $1,600 to $2,000 on the low end. We were looking for some financial support and we applied (with the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation),” Boeche said in an interview. “They were remarkably quick. It was amazing.”

The Bow Wow Buddies Foundation approved their grant application, providing $1,200 toward John’s surgery to help correct the issue and restore his full mobility.

The surgery is a relatively straightforward one, Taylor said. John will go to Raintree Veterinary Center in Hoquiam on Wednesday for the procedure.

“The surgery is just one piece, and then it’s about getting him into a home,” Boeche said. “We wouldn’t have felt comfortable adopting him out without getting him the procedure.”

PAWS is open to a foster situation while he’s recovering, Boeche said — he just needs a good, safe space to recover in, and the right home beats a shelter.

“He has been here for four months,” Boeche said. “He is only 10 months old so he has been here half his life.”

The shelter is up for the right situation where John wouldn’t be troubled by other dogs while he’s on the mend, giving him a place to get past his skittishness.

“Homes are better than kennels,” Boeche said. “He needs a safe space to recover.”

Making it happen

Without the grant, it’s hard to have seen it happening, Boeche said. The Bow Wow Buddies Foundation’s turnaround was fairly blistering, Boeche said — PAWS applied on July 24 and heard confirmation on Aug. 2.

“The fact that they got us a check that quick was remarkable,” Boeche said. “We’re very thankful.”

PAWS had never worked with the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation before, said Erin Askeland, a professional dog trainer and Camp Bow Wow’s animal health and behavior expert. Camp Bow Wow are dog care service locations, whose work helps fund the foundation’s grant program. The grant comes as part of its “Thanks a Million” effort, as the foundation crosses the threshold of a million dollars granted to various dogs across the continent, according to a news release.

“PAWS of Grays Harbor applied for a Bow Wow Buddies Foundation grant,” Askeland said in an email. “After reviewing hundreds of applications, the rescue was selected as a grant recipient and given funds to help with John’s urgent surgery from his diagnosis of osteochondritis dissecans.”

The program has grown dramatically of late, Askeland said, and the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation is looking to take it farther.

John the Border Collie, an extremely good boy, looks to tell PAWS of Grays Harbor animal technician Callie Taylor a secret on Sept. 19. (Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)

“Grant applications are up 360% since 2020 and steadily increase each year. The grant program is supported through donations from our franchise owners, Camp staff and nearly 10,000 dog lovers each year who donate to the Foundation,” Askeland said. “We are seeking the support of dog lovers across North America to join us in the journey to raise the next $1 million so we can continue to award even more recipients as our program grows.”

The foundation, along with others, also offers grants for private pet owners who are experiencing an emergency and need help funding treatment for a pet, Boeche said.

“There are a few organizations that provide these grants to shelters,” Boeche said. “There are also some out there for people and their companion pets.”

As John recovers from surgery, those interested in perhaps offering him a quiet home to recover in — or live forever in — should reach out to PAWS of Grays Harbor at pawsgh.org or 360-533-1141.

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.