ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Husky Haven of Florida, a non-profit in Winter Springs that focuses on rescuing Siberian Huskies, helped rescue a six-week-old puppy after it suffered a seizure.
According to the group’s Facebook page, the puppy, nicknamed ‘Cooper,’ was brought to Mitchell County Animal Rescue in North Carolina by a backyard breeder.
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Husky Haven said Cooper had a seizure that lasted approximately two hours, and the breeder — instead of taking him to the vet — took Cooper to the shelter to be euthanized.
“It’s going to be difficult for (breeders) to sell them if they have a seizure,” said Francia Vogini, president of Husky Haven of Florida. “And instead of putting up the money and getting the puppy medical care, they just take them to the shelters and request them to be put to sleep.”
The shelter chose to take Cooper to a vet, rather than let him be euthanized.
After making sure the dog was taken care of, the doctor in charge of Cooper took the puppy home for a weekend to make sure he didn’t have any further episodes, the rescue told News 6.
While Cooper had recovered, Husky Haven said he’d lost vision due to the seizure.
“The puppy is vision impaired. We don’t believe that he is completely blind,” Vogini said. “But he does stumble into things and walls and that kind of stuff. So we believe that he sees shadows.”
The shelter that had taken Cooper to the vet was full, and so they made arrangements to have Cooper sent to the Husky Haven.
Vogini said Husky Haven is used to taking in Huskies like Cooper, as shelters filling up has become a common trend.
“People are losing their homes, or people are going back to work, and these dogs don’t have anywhere to go,” she said. “So one of the reasons North Carolina contacted us was because we actually do have experience with Huskies that have medical issues.”
According to Vogini, the trip was anything but short; Cooper endured a drive to Georgia and another drive from there to Florida.
Once Cooper reached Jacksonville, Kurt Manthei — a private pilot who has flown dogs for the rescue before — flew Cooper down to Orlando Sunday.
“It’s a lot of steps to save a life,” Vogini said. “But if we wouldn’t have done that, chances that somebody else would be able to (help)... second chances are very slim.”
Vogini said Cooper has been taken in by a foster family in Orlando, where he as been getting “lots of love and attention.”
She added that Cooper hasn’t had any further seizures, though they plan to have him evaluated by an animal hospital to make sure he’s alright.
For more information on Husky Haven of Florida or to reach out about adoption and fostering opportunities, visit the group’s website here.