Small Pup, Big Opporunity
Libby Lou, with her adorable retro 80’s frizz, was clearly the sort of animated mop destined for great things. Unfortunately for Libby, her heart just wasn’t prepared to keep up.
Libby Lou was born with a congenital heart defect called Patent Ductus Arteriosus, or PDA, and came in to Nevada Humane Society at about three-years-old. Most puppies with untreated PDA generally will not survive their first year. In Libby’s case, this heart defect was severe enough that she was not considered a good candidate for surgery, so our Veterinary Team decided the best course of action was to find a hospice foster parent to
provide her a caring and loving home to make the most of her time.
Hospice Fostering allows animals to receive end-of-life veterinary care at Nevada Humane Society’s Clinic while also receiving the personal love and attention only possible in a home environment. It takes a big heart to be a hospice foster, and it can be so rewarding for not only the pet but the person caring for them.
Libby Lou went out to foster care in September of 2020, not knowing how much time she would have with her new family. Being a hospice foster volunteer means accepting you are the pet’s forever home, no matter how long that might be for.
“An ad for the scruffiest little girl popped up on my FB feed. Her name then was Mona. I had no plans for another dog, but I knew that I could provide the quiet home that her hospice status required. She met me, our saint, and then I was asked if I’d like to take her home with me. The answer was yes. Mona became Liberty, which morphed into Libby, only to evolve once again to Libby Lou. I laugh when I think back to her first few days with us because I truly believed given her condition that she would be this delicate little flower. Um, no…Her zoomies are spectacular; humans and animals alike move aside.” – Libby Lou’s Dog Mom