Ashley Prescott has been a foster mom for Diamonds in the Ruff for 4 years. On September 25th of last year, she brought in a 3.5 year old Boxer Mix named Josie. Josie was found at the Orange County Animal Services Shelter in Orlando, FL after bring abandoned right before Hurricane Irma hit. She was underweight, anemic and tested positive for heartworms. On November 20th, Josie came in for her first day of heartworm treatment. Read our mini interview with Ashley below.
“She was one of the saddest cases I’ve ever been a part of rescuing”
Q: Have you dealt with heartworm positive cases before?
A: Yes my males Brady and Moses both had heartworm when we rescued them, so we weren’t new to what had to be done. It’s so frustrating making people understand heartworm prevention and how essential it is! Our dogs and cat never go without it.
Q: Did you have any other foster dogs at the time?
A: Not fosters but I do have four other dogs and one cat that I adopted over the years. Josie loved my two males. I had to keep Josie and the cat separate. She was not cat friendly.
Q: Was it hard to keep Josie calm at home during her heartworm treatment?
A: Somewhat. I had to keep her separate from my dogs. That was the hardest. I’d let them see each other on a leash so they could snuggle and kiss but not get active. She did well overall.
“She was so pretty, even on rescue day. She had the cutest eyes and under bite.”
Q: Did your children try to talk you into keeping her?
A: My pack is older. The youngest is 7. Josie was a little wild for them. The kids begged to keep her. If it hadn’t been for the cat issue and my pack being seniors, we would have. Of all the dogs I’ve let go she was by far the hardest. I cried for two weeks. But I trust my rescue organization so that made it easier. I flew up last May and got to see dogs I had rescued years before!!!! It was amazing.
Q: How is she now?
She had to have a blood transfusion once she got up north .They think it was due to all she had going on. We would feed her high protein iron foods but it just wasn’t doing the trick. Since transfusion, she has done marvelous!