The ‘cuddly’ dog who was thrown from a moving car and has spent 660 days in a South Carolina shelter is still looking for a forever home
- Perez, 2 1/2 year old pit bull mix has been with the Florence Avenue Humane Society
- The dog arrived at the shelter after being thrown from a moving car
- Jayne Boswell, president of the Florence Area Humane Society, said Perez “needs to be a dog, chase a ball and interact with humans.”
Perez has been waiting in a South Carolina shelter for more than 660 days waiting for a forever home.
The two-and-a-half-year-old pit bull mix arrived at the Florence Area Humane Society in the most inhumane of circumstances after he was dumped from a moving vehicle when he was just a puppy.
“This has been the life of poor Perez…abuse, abandonment, trauma and confinement,” the shelter wrote on its Facebook page. ‘Please help us turn things around for this sweet and loving boy and find him a loving home.’
Jayne Boswellpresident of the Florence Area Humane Society, also known as the Animal Shelter Jayne Boswell, told DailyMail.com that Perez is a friendly, outgoing and energetic dog who needs to get out of the shelter environment as he not a place for a dog to live long term.
“It’s not their fault they weren’t born into a loving home,” he said. “Perez needs some interaction and he needs to go out and be a dog and play and be able to chase a ball and interact with humans.”
The two-and-a-half-year-old pit bull mix arrived at the Florence Area Humane Society in the most inhumane of circumstances after he was thrown from a moving vehicle as just a pup.
Boswell said there are currently 70 to 80 dogs at his shelter and 10 to 20 of those are in foster homes.
She said Perez’s situation points to a national crisis. There are many other dogs in her shelter like Perez.
“Our shelter is full,” he adds. Adult dogs, particularly the larger breeds, are not in as much demand as smaller dogs and puppies.
About 70 percent of your dogs also have a condition called heartworm, a parasite that needs treatment, otherwise it can be deadly. The prevalence of the parasite is due in part to stray animals coming from homes where they did not receive heartworm medication.
Boswell told DailyMail.com that they do not have a vet at their shelter. ‘We need access to veterinary services and sterilization; there are no laws in our community that provide incentives for sterilization.
Dogs with heartworm can be treated, but it costs between $500 and $800 and shelters rely entirely on donations.
Boswell said they offer heartworm treatment to help a dog secure a home, but said it places a financial burden on the shelter.
“We are constantly raising funds and are totally dependent on donations, which are generous but never seem to be enough,” he said.
“Perez needs some interaction and he needs to go out and be a dog and play and be able to chase a ball and interact with humans,” Jayne Boswell, president of the Florence Area Humane Society told DailyMail.com.
An exterior photo of the Jayne Boswell Animal Shelter located in Florence, South Carolina
Another hurdle is that as a volunteer based organization they often have a hard time providing enough once with each dog.
“It breaks our hearts that we have dogs and puppies growing up in kennels. We’d love to rebuild our kennels to be more conducive to emotional health, which is just as important as physical well-being.’
She added: “Having them in a kennel day after day and limited opportunities is not fair to these dogs…most of the dogs we see that find a home flourish.”
But he said most dogs require at least three months to adjust to their new environment and pet owners need to be patient.
His shelter is currently in need of volunteers, adopters, foster homes, people to just open up their home even temporarily, Boswell said, giving the pups a chance to get outside, have human interaction and really just be a dog.
Those interested in learning more about Perez can contact the Florence Area Humane Society at LetMeHelpFAHS@gmail.com