Tri-City pet rescue trying to keep sick puppies alive

Lincoln and his four puppy siblings were just days old when they were abandoned outside an Idaho animal shelter.

Worried that the 8-week-old pups would be euthanized, volunteers with a West Richland pet rescue brought them to the Tri-Cities.

But the mixed-breed puppies weren’t out of danger yet. Somewhere in their travels, the unvaccinated pups contracted parvo, a highly contagious and deadly virus.

Now, Mikey’s Chance Canine Rescue is asking for the community’s help as the puppies fight to stay alive.

The disease affects a dog’s intestinal tract, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. While parvo can affect all dogs, puppies are most at risk.

Symptoms include lethargy, loss of appetite, bloating, vomiting and severe diarrhea.

The virus can linger on kennel surfaces, food and water bowls and leashes. It is resistant to heat, cold, humidity and drying.

“It’s one of the first things they’re vaccinated against,” said Jessey Bement, a Mikey’s Chance board member.

When the puppies arrived at a Tri-City foster home, they started showing signs of the disease.

“The volunteers took them in to have them tested and they all tested positive for parvo,” Bement said Wednesday. “They’ve been fighting. We did lose one on Sunday and another one is at the emergency vet.”

Treatment is costly, she said. Lincoln is receiving around-the-clock care at the veterinarian and the others spend the night with an intravenous drip. They also need other medications.

The group created a GoFundMe.com account to collect donations. So far, the campaign, named for Yogi, has raised about $1,700 of the $5,000 goal.

People also can donate through the website, www.mikeyschance.com.

“We want to do everything that we can do to save them,” she said. “We feel that they deserve every chance. They should get as much of a chance at life as possible.”

This story was originally published March 8, 2017 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Tri-City pet rescue trying to keep sick puppies alive."