 A 7 am phone call from NJSPCA Agent Theresa Cooper on April 19th was the start of chaotic, yet rewarding day for the staff of Columbus Central Veterinary Hospital and the Kennels at Columbus. We knew a warrant was to be served that day and expected 10 puppies at the most to be confiscated, but the news of 25 to 30 puppies was a shock indeed!
Upon arrival at the hospital at 8 am, Debbie DeVuono, groomer at the Kennels and I sat in the parking lot and made frantic calls to friends and fellow animal lovers. We needed to line up staff to triage, treat, clean up and foster 28 puppies!
 Shortly after 10:30 am, Ned Shimp, NJSPCA agent and animal control officer arrived with the puppies and the immediate task was to decide who was the sickest and examine them first. Exam Room Technicians Sharon Kell and Shawn Murphy assisted Dr. Kelly Stephan with the exams, while I identified each pup with Sergeant Jane Donaghue and Agent Cooper of the NJSPCA. In the meantime, Deb and her friends took the healthier pups to the kennels to bathe and groom the mats and crust from their eyes. The collective odor of these pups was overwhelming.
 Clients watched as staff went back and forth from the hospital to kennels, and foster “moms” came to pick up their charges. The overwhelming support from clients and callers was truly heartwarming. At the end of a 13 plus hour day, 18 pups were in foster homes, and 10 were hospitalized, 3 with pneumonia. Throughout the following days, many calls were taken from foster moms for medications to be dispensed for those that became sicker, newspapers and
TV crews asking for photos and well-wishers left their numbers in the hopes of adopting one of these wayward babies.
 Most of the pups are now stabilized, after being treated for intestinal parasites and upper respiratory infections and all are spoken for thanks to an overwhelming response from friends, clients and staff members. Many were disappointed by not getting a rescued pup……….. unfortunately we had too many fantastic homes and too few puppies available! We encourage those who want to open their hearts to an unwanted animal to visit their local shelter. If unscrupulous dealers and puppy mills have no demand, their will be no need for the continued supply of poorly and mass bred puppies like those saved from Franklinville.
 Many thanks go to the NJSPCA for their efforts in protecting abused animals. It is a privilege for us to be involved in assisting their efforts. A huge round of applause goes to the staff of Columbus Central Veterinary Hospital and the Kennels at Columbus for their tremendous efforts on that day. To see these pups now, happy and on their way to restored health is most gratifying!
Lynn Pasquarella
Hospital Manager
Columbus Central Veterinary Hospital
www.vetcor.com/columbus |
