We need your help to fix our neediest cases. National Great Pyrenees Rescue is an all-volunteer, 501 (C) 3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible. We are called upon frequently to rescue special needs dogs and we support other Pyr rescues by fundraising for and contributing to their neediest cases. Please click the donate button below if you would like to support our work and past and future neediest cases.
Mr. Butler (2/25/13)
Thank you to all those who have donated to Mr. Butler. We have made our goal.
Mr. Butler lost his legWe saw Mr. Butler's picture and heard about his leg injury when he was in the Bossier City shelter and wanted to help. Pulling from Louisiana is a bit of a stretch for us, so we were very grateful when Saving Pyrs in Need (SPIN) in Dallas was able to pull him. We promised we would help.
His femur was broken a while ago and it healed twisted, causing pain in the knee. It was unfixable so his left rear leg was amputated. Now SPIN has a $1,000 bill for his medical expenses. We are asking members of the Pyr community to contribute to Mr. Butler's ChipIn which gives this deserving boy a second chance.
Lily (2/22/13)
We lost Lily today. Her valiant fight for life ended. Her second knee surgery did not take, and healing on both her knees did not progress due to her Addison's and the prednisone medication she was on for it. RIP sweet girl.
Lily (2/3/13)
Lily Is a Mess! Poor Girl.
Bad news on Lily. She fell on the stairs and has blown out the ACL on her other knee. She is not using the leg at all and the other leg (see below) is non-weight bearing yet. On Friday Lily had Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA) surgery to correct the injury to the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). She will have six weeks of leash walks only and six weeks of rehab (2-3 times weekly). Lily is only two and we made the decision to invest in her future health and happiness. Karen, her foster Mom in Ohio, has been extremely supportive of Lily throughout the months of fostering her with all her problems and we truly appreciate this.
Lily (11/9/12)
Lilly's Thanksgiving vet visit
Lily has been one of those neediest cases where the true extent of her needs "crept up" up on us over the several months since she was surrendered and fostered. Lily came to our attention last May when we received an owner surrender form for the two-year old from Oak Lawn, IL. Her owner was moving and couldn't take Lily with her. Lilly had Addison's disease and required expensive medication. After an extensive search, a kind-hearted foster in Ohio was found who offered to pay for Lily's medication out of her own pocket. Then on November 5, Lily hurt herself and was diagnosed with a torn cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCL) in her stifle joint (knee). She had TPLO surgery costing $3,000 on Nov.9 and the stitches were removed on Wednesday, Nov. 21. Unfortunately, the incision area broke open on Thanksgiving Day and Lily was rushed back to the vet, requiring another $600 to repair it. We are praying that nothing else goes wrong with Lily and that someone will contact us about adopting this sweet, special needs girl. If you would like to contribute to poor Lily's care, please click the donate button above. Thank you.
Holiday Horror Show (12/21/12)
Poor Blue Stuck in Crate Next to Bigger Crate
On Friday, 12/21, NGPR volunteers descended on the home of a Finger Lakes, NY Great Pyrenees AKC breeder. The visit was necessary as the woman is no longer able to care for her dogs. Volunteers went to the house where they found six, totally unsocialized dogs who were kept in appalling conditions. Large adult dogs were imprisoned 24/7, some in crates where their backs touched the top. Their fur came up through the wire tops, and they were unable to fully lift their heads. More pictures of these horrible conditions are here.
Kuma in Her Dark Cupboard
Kuma, a 6-year-old female, who had been bred every heat, lived 24/7 in a dark, windowless cupboard. On the day after her release from these squalid conditions, a Pyr volunteer who is a groomer, started to gently work on her and was heartbroken at the unemotional, blank stare in Kuma's eyes. She said that, hopefully, with great patience, much understanding and loving care, this poor, sweet, timid girl will eventually be O.K. All the dogs were very badly matted, filthy, flea and tick-ridden with toe nails curling under. They were only allowed water once a day to limit peeing in their crates. The volunteers were told that two of the males were too aggressive to be rehabbed and would need to be euthanized. There was great joy and relief when these two dogs, once removed from their confinement, just wanted to sniff the volunteers, trees and grass.
Volunteers Bring Dogs to Lollypop Farm
The dogs were brought to Lollypop Farm in Rochester for vaccinations and were the center of attention in the lobby. All were calm and well-behaved--quite a feat for totally unsocialized dogs who had just been removed from the only life they had known. One woman cried when she met them and saw their horrible, filthy condition. Given the short notice at holiday time, these dogs will be boarded in a kennel this week or until fosters and homes can be found for them. Boarding for the dogs will be $102/day plus their medical costs. One dog has significant rear-end issues that need to be addressed. We need your help to care for these neglected dogs at a time of year where the options are limited. If you can donate to their care, please leave a present under our virtual tree by visiting our Annual Pyr Appeal or click on the donate button above. Thank you for helping these poor, negelcted dogs.
Freddy Bruno (11/25/12)
Sad news today. Adorable Freddy Bruno crossed over the rainbow bridge this morning at 3 am. We hope all his Pyr pals were gathered there to meet and welcome him on the other side. We will never forget the happy, invincible spirit this sweet eight month-old pup showed when he bounced off transport a week ago and greeted his foster Mom with a big hug. R.I.P. big guy. We hardly knew you but will always remember you.
Freddy Bruno (11/21/12)
Bruno has landed at the emergency vet for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. He came up from Tennessee to be fostered in Brooklyn on Saturday, 11/17. You have to watch his video to see what a huggable bundle of love this big guy is. After being at the vets twice since Saturday, this love bug is now at the emergency vet because he has been diagnosed with parvo. Only eight months old, this is one big, sick puppy.
Bruno Greets Denise
Foster Mom Denise, shown left, has already paid out $200 for the first two vet visits. Now Bruno's vet bill for the weekend is estimated at $1,800 to $3,000. We need to kick off the season of giving early this year to help Bruno, now called Freddy. If you can donate to his care, please click the donate button above. We always expect the unexpected in rescue but this is no way to start the holiday weekend. PLEASE help us get Bruno well and home for turkey leftovers. Thank you.
Bess Update (10/15/12)
Bess had her operation and is doing fine. We know she is on the road to recovery since her family reports she is acting just like a Pyr!
Bess (9/30/12)
Bess and Connor
Getting picked up and brought to a shelter was the best break Bess ever had. She was skinny and covered in fleas and ticks. The shelter thought she was much older because it appears her teeth were filed down to keep her from fighting with the other breeding females where she lived. After she was rescued, we found she had an ear infection which was treated. But just before her adopting family claimed her, the vet who examined Bess noticed a small lump in her ear. When we told her new family, they didn't falter in their commitment to her. Two weeks after she was adopted after the infection subsided, it was discovered that Bess's tumor was the size of a walnut and most likely caused by a history of untreated ear infections. Bess had surgery to have an ear canal ablation on her bloody tumor. Bess's treatment cost was estimated at $2,300. NGPR matched Bess's ChipIn and auctioned off two necklaces donated by Marcia Siemsen to raise $1,760 towards Bess's medical costs.
Al Update (11/1/12)
Lucky Al found a home in NJ with a massage therapist who will work with Al's physical therapist to complete his rehabilitation.
Al Update (9/22/12)
Our Pal Al Is Doing Fine!Al had his big operation on Thursday 9/20 at U Penn and came home on Friday. He is shown Saturday 9/22 at 6 pm (left) doing great. His operation stitches are visible (right). Foster Mom Barb C says: "He slept a lot yesterday. Up more today. Eating well. Hops around the back yard to do his business. I help him up and down stairs. He does not appear to be in any discomfort. I am to keep him quiet for 2 weeks till stitches are removed. He returns in eight weeks to UPenn for xrays. He is a perfect patient and happy to be home. They loved him at UPenn!"
Al's surgery was done by a specialist in angular limb deformities at the UPenn teaching hospital. He said this was a great teaching opportunity for his residents to observe Al's surgery since this is not an opportunity they would have had otherwise. NGPR also consulted with specialists at Angel Memorial in Boston and Garden State Veterinary Specialists. We want to voice our appreciation to all those who contributed to Al's ChipIn which raised $1,910, volunteers who paid for his various consultations and xrays and our generous major donor who matched the ChipIn donations to complete payment for Al's surgery. It takes a village of dreamers and believers to make these miracles happen. Thank you!
Al loves kids
Al (8/15/12)
Al's video says so much about him. Al is a 14-month-old surrender from a farm in Alabama. When Al was 5 months old, he fell off the back of a pick-up truck and severely damaged two legs. One leg was repaired but the family could not afford a second surgery to correct his other leg. If he does not get surgery the doctors recommend amputation to avoid further damage to his hip. Al is a playful, loving, gentle boy and will make a wonderful family pet.
Cloud Update (9/23/12)
Cloud has healed from his operation and is doing great. We are happy to report that his foster family did adopt him, so Cloud (now known as Wrigley) has found his furever home.
Cloud (7/4/12)
Cloud just wandered up to a house in Arkansas one day where they have four other dogs. They couldn't keep him and noticed that he was limping on his right front paw. Xrays were taken of the leg, and his left front foot is severely broken (you can see the leg dangling in the pics and how the bone is bent). This is due to some type of acute trauma – it was not a tear or some other injury that worsened so he needed surgery to repair it. Doomed Dogs Club has taken Cloud under their wing with NGPR as the sponsor for donations to him. He had his surgery in July and has made an excellent recovery. We are still raising funds to pay the bill for his $1,000 surgery.
Ice Update (8/15/12)
Ice's story has a happy ending. Following her surgery, she was fostered through her treatment and a few weeks of rehab at the home of Phyllis and Greg, a kind couple who stopped to help her on the road. When Ice was on the way to recovery, she was transferred to Holly, the daughter of one of the women who found her on the road the day she was hit. Holly had a Pyr and was the person who contacted us about Ice's accident shortly after it occurred. Ice now lives with her Pyr sister in Louisville, KY. She survived her traumatic ordeal through the kindness of strangers and will live a normal life.
Ice (5/16/12)
Ice is a brave girlIce is a stray, young female Pyr who was struck by a vehicle on I-65 near Jemison, AL on Mother's Day, May 13. A carload of ladies from KY and a couple from the area, Phyllis and Greg, stopped to help her. The car that struck her never stopped or looked back. There was no assistance for the dog, other than an officer who stopped and offered to put her down. That was not an option. She was loaded onto a blanket and put into a truck. One of the ladies from KY rode in the back with her in the pouring rain to Montgomery. A vet was called and agreed to come see her after hearing about her situation. Ice is a beautiful, brave Great Pyrenees. She never tried to bite and never complained. She has a broken right femur and a dislocated left hip with a large laceration. She has a high white blood count and is receiving antibiotics until the infection is better and they can perform surgery. NGPR is fund raising for Ice's medical costs which are $1300 as of Tuesday, 5/15. Surgery to repair her leg and hip could cost an additional $2-3,000. Please ChipIn to help Ice get back on her feet.
Archie and Veronica Update (11/1/12)
Archie at the groomers.Archie has been adopted by a wonderful family in Massachusetts who dotes on him. He now lives in a home with another dog, a cat and two kids. One of the most amazing things about rescue is how someone's neglected backyard dog can be transformed in a few months to a happy contented pet. Veronica hasn't found her furever home yet but she is having a ball at her upstate NY foster home. Click here to see her online listing.
Archie and Veronica Update (9/23/12)
Archie and Veronica have gained weight and are thriving in their foster homes. Both are learning how to be house dogs and loving pets and Veronica is overcoming her shyness. Archie has been adopted and Veronica is listed on our Rescue Dog page.
Archie from Eastern TennesseeArchie and Veronica (5/5/12) Archie and Veronica lived on a farm in Eastern Tennessee where they were starving them to death. Archie was in better condition than Veronica as he was housed near the back door. He got more food than she did as they wouldn't walk the extra distance to feed her.
When Veronica came into rescue at the end of March she was only 40 lbs. The farm housed fighting roosters and the dogs were the protectors. A dead Pyr was discovered under a shed on the property, so Veronica was in danger of dying there. When she came up the NY State Thruway a few weeks later she still only only weighed 48 lbs. Out of kindness, one of her drivers bought her an Egg McMuffin to eat on the ride up.
Another driver said "among the Pyrs she has transported so far, Veronica was the 
Veronica traveling to New Yorkmost traumatized. She wouldn't drink water. She wouldn't eat. She was skin and bones and her hair was matted. She tried to escape during the transfer, so we had to be very attentive. She was constantly quivering and looking for a place to hide." A third volunteer driver took the picture.
Thanks to all who got her out alive. If you would like to donate to Veronica's extended care and help other neglected Pyrs like her, please click on the donate button above. Thank you and please share Veronica's smile--she knows she was lucky to make it out.
Montana Rescue Emergency Update (4/15/12)
Montana Pyr Rescue writes: "Of the adults on the ranch, 18 were saved and placed on other ranches as LGDs. The owner kept between 5 and 7- not sure exactly, and she was under a mandate to have them spayed and neutered, which she did. Three of the 11 pups I received here have been happily adopted out. Others are still here, currently being treated for Coccidia. We were able to help many of these dogs but others are still roaming the area...I hope I will NEVER encounter a situation like that again."
Montana Rescue Emergency (3/15/12)
Read their story, see their video, please donate to help them.
There 
Two of the many who need rescue. are 30+ unaltered Great Pyrenees/ Akbash mix dogs and 11 unaltered pups on a Montana ranch. They have overrun the ranch's borders and are spilling out on adjacent properties where the neighbors have shot at them. We have found a veterinarian willing to hold a spay/ neuter event on the ranch for the adult dogs. She will charge $1,700 and devote an entire day to spaying/ neutering as many dogs as she can- hoping to get them all. Once that is done, we will place them on ranches as Livestock Guardians, as that is what the dogs were raised to do- these dogs are not pets. We will need to raise the money for this event.
In the meantime, the eleven pups will arrive at Great Pyrenees Rescue of Montana on Tuesday, March 13. We need to raise $500 to enlarge the existing shelter and enclosure, and the money to vet, spay and neuter them. They all need immunizations and worming medication. We will then find good homes for these babies.
There are an additional estimated 30 dogs running in packs throughout a 10-mail radius in the area, where the ranch is located,. These dogs have not yet been located and are reported to be feral. We will attempt to help these animals as well.
Great Pyrenees Rescue of Montana is overwhelmed with this situation. We have no choice, we have to become involved, to avoid further breeding, but are in desperate help for additional funding. Thank you for your assistance."
Parvo Puppy Update (4/12/12)
All the pups are adopted and have homes.
Parvo Puppies (2/2/12)
Help the Parvo Puppies This pup and his three brothers came into rescue in February from Tennessee. They all came down with Parvo and spent the weekend at the emergency vet. Our Louisville, KY volunteers have put their credit cards on the line, hoping to get paid back through ChipIn. Our goal is to raise $1500, half of the estimated $3,000 vet bill. NGPR will match the $1500 raised through ChipIn to pay the Louisville volunteers back. Even though the ChipIn is now closed, if you think these little guys are worth saving, please click on the blue donate button above to help pay down these adorable pups' vet bills.
Spiro Update (5/15/12)
Spiro has healed from his surgery and has been adopted by a family in Lookout Mountain, TN who read his story and wanted to care for him for the rest of his life.
"Time's Up" Spiro—Saved Just in Time (1/12/12)
Time's Up is out of the shelter The shelter called him "Time's Up" because they thought nobody would ever rescue him. He limped—the shelter said his right dew claw was torn. He was filthy—he looked and smelled like someone had poured a quart of oil over him. The vet estimated his accident happened three weeks before and he has been in constant pain since then. 
Time's Up (Spiro's) SkinNo one examined him, treated him or cared about him. Until we did. We found him just in time, picked him up at the shelter on Saturday, did our best to clean him up and brought him to our vet. Our volunteer named him Spiro, which means "Hope" in Latin.
Spiro shaved.He was x-rayed on Monday, put on pain medications and referred to an orthopedic surgeon. We found his injury was much more than an injured dew claw, the metatarsal bones in his foot were fractured. When he was operated on on Wednesday, we learned his bones were so damaged they required a bone graft and plate to repair. When his dirty matted hair was shaved, you could see how thin he is.
Spiro was released on Thursday, January 12 to start his recovery and rehabilitation.
