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Blind, Anxious Dog Loses 20 lbs In Shelter. Then iHeartDogs Customers Help Give Him a “Second Chance”

By: Dina Fantegrossi
Dina Fantegrossi is the Assistant Editor and Head Writer for HomeLife Media. Before her career in writing, Dina was a veterinary technician for more than 15 years.Read more
| July 22, 2019

Part of each sale through the iHeartDogs store is donated to Greater Good, which helps support various charities. Thanks to customers like you, happy endings, like the one below, are made possible.

Howie was a blind street dog living in an open-air shelter in Tecate, Mexico. The frightened, confused pooch lost nearly 20 pounds waiting for someone to rescue him. He was anxious, alone, and losing hope. That’s when California’s Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team (S.T.A.R.T.) swooped in!

Photo c/o Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team (S.T.A.R.T.)

Suddenly, Howie found himself in the care of a loving foster mom. Instead of a dirty concrete slab, he had a warm bed to sleep on. Instead of a noisy shelter, he had the peaceful routine of a stable home.

Photo c/o Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team (S.T.A.R.T.)

The handsome Shepherd mix began to gain weight and feel safe. He was taken to a veterinary ophthalmologist who confirmed his blindness. Surgery was performed to relieve the pressure in his eyes and put an end to Howie’s pain and discomfort.

Photo c/o Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team (S.T.A.R.T.)

After all he has been through, Howie now has a permanent home, a family to call his own, and a brand new name – Ghost!

Photo c/o Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team (S.T.A.R.T.)

Since its inception, S.T.A.R.T. has helped transport almost 12,000 at-risk animals to new homes and rescue facilities. But they couldn’t do it without the support they receive from programs like iHeartDogs and GreaterGood.org’s Second Chance Movement.

Every purchase from the Second Chance Movement collection funds miles of transport from high-risk shelters to no-kill facilities where dogs like Ghost have all the precious time they need to find loving families!

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