Last year in 2023 alone, our Humane Society Police Officer, Otto Cruz, completed 312 cruelty/neglect investigations. This number has been on the rise with each passing year which means more animals are being rescued from some of the most heartbreaking situations, however, it means more animals seeking refuge and care at our shelter. And, each of these numbers represents a story with at least one animal involved. Lobo who came to us in May as part of a cruelty sign over is one of these stories.
Lobo is a one-year-old male German shepherd, but upon looking at him when he came in, you would not have been able to distinguish his breed due to the severe amount of hair loss and scabbing he had all over his frail body. He was absolutely miserable when he arrived at the shelter. He was so itchy and just could not get comfortable. Our veterinary team knew they had to establish a medical treatment plan quickly to help this precious boy heal. After performing a skin scraping, we diagnosed him with sarcoptic mange (also known as scabies). This is a contagious disease caused by microscopic mites. In addition to this, he had severe skin and ear infections. Dr. Natalie Weekes, Shelter Medical Director, says, “His case is one of the worst cases of scabies we have seen here at the shelter.” We started treatment right away and placed him in quarantine to ensure his condition did not spread to any of our other canine population.
As weeks passed, our staff began to witness Lobo not only going through a physical healing but also a mental one too. You would initially find Lobo curled up in a tiny ball on his Kuranda bed in the corner of his kennel for most of the day. Now, we were getting to see glimmers of his personality shine through as he began to trust we were helping him.
Lobo as his fur started to grow in and his bubbly personality came out while in our care!
Our canine foster and rescue coordinator worked to secure Lobo a foster home so he could be in an environment away from the shelter to decompress and continue healing. He did not remain long in his first foster home simply because he was playing too rough for the resident small dogs. We went back to the drawing board to secure him a second foster. Within only a few days, Kendra reached out: “I had originally put in an application to foster cats, and then something just kept telling me to put in to foster dogs. Not long after that, I saw the post that Lobo was looking for a foster. I went and picked him up right away, and honestly, he foster failed from the second I saw him.”
In only a week, Kendra decided it was time to make it official and welcome Lobo as a permanent member of her family. You would not believe the transformation he has made in only two months from first arriving at the shelter – his hair is growing in beautifully. You can actually tell he is a German shepherd now!
Lobo and his forever mom, Kendra!
Kendra shares, “When I first brought Lobo home, he was more timid and he had a lot of hair to grow. He fit in right away with my other male dog; they play endlessly. Since adopting him, he is living his best life. He insists our kiddie pool is his own personal water bowl. He loves to ride in the car, so I take him just about everywhere I go. He loves to be by my side no matter what I'm doing. He adores my kids like they are his own babies. He is the perfect dog, and he was ours even before he wasn't.”
Lobo sleeping with Kendra's son.
Lobo found the perfect home as a soft place to land after all he endured in only the first year of his life. Our hearts are warmed knowing he has a bright future ahead of him full of love and happiness. Now, he is thriving and even getting to have human siblings he can shed affection on. Thank you, Kendra and family, for taking a chance on Lobo and thank you to our community for never wavering in supporting the most vulnerable animals. We couldn’t do it without you!
