Lovebug's Legacy

A special fund exclusively for animals with extra needs

On the evening of November 11th 2023 an emaciated dog came through our doors.

This was the worst case of animal cruelty our staff had ever seen. We quickly posted his story online to not only find answers, but to raise money for the emergency vet bills that would come with treating this level of neglect.

Our community quickly came together and raised over $14,000 to help save this sweet boy we named Lovebug. Despite all of our efforts, Lovebug's journey came to a comfortable and loving end as he passed away in his sleep during the early hours of November 12th.

While he may have been gone, his impact was strong. Community members demanded answers/shared multiple tips with us and authorities. Thanks to the swift investigative efforts of the St Louis County Sherriff's Office a suspect was taken into custody on November 13th. This individual is currently facing felony charges.

With broken hearts among staff and community members, we vowed to ensure Lovebug was remembered and that his tragic story became a shining light of hope for other animals. The money raised for Lovebug went towards helping other shelter pets with medical needs.

We have now set up Lovebug's Legacy so those touched by his story can continue to support other animals in his memory. Lovebug's Legacy will provides crucial funding for a number of specialized needs including:

Medication and supplies to treat heartworm for dogs.
Medical care for a stray mama cat and kittens or mom and litter of puppies.
Repair of a broken leg for a stray pup or cat that was hit by a car.
Help regulate diabetes medication for an elderly cat/dog.
Repair a torn CCL for a young, active and healthy dog.
A pet requiring specialty or extensive to become adoptable.
Dental procedures or tooth extractions
…and many more

Thank you so much to our incredible community for the continued support of helping shelter animals in need. We could not do this work without you.

IF YOU SUSPECT ANIMAL CRUELTY, PLEASE CONTACT YOU LOCAL AUTHORITES AS QUICKLY AS POSSILE WITH DETAILS AND A REQUEST FOR A WELFARE CHECK.

ALL REPORTS OF ANIMAL NEGLECT CAN BE COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS.

City of Duluth

218-723-3259

On-Duty Cell Phone: 218-390-2256

Cloquet/Carlton County

218-384-3236

Hermantown

218-729-1200

St. Louis County Sherriff's Office

218-726-2340

Proctor

218-624-7788

Experiencing a crisis and need temporary placement of your pet or resources?

Visit https://www.puppaspals.org/

Below you will see photos and read the stories of pets whose lives were greatly improved thanks to community support. Their success would not have been possible without your generous donations to the Healing Hearts and Paws Fund (now named Lovebug's Legacy).

DONATE TO LOVEBUG'S LEGACY

DOZER'S STORY

In December 2016, a handsome white 4 year old American Bulldog named Dozer arrived at Animal Allies with a very noticeable rear right leg injury. This made it difficult for him to run and play as he was a very energetic boy. Dozer's CCL (similar to human ACL) tear was so long and severe that it took more than one surgery to fully repair. Had it not been repaired, the tear would have led to additional pain and potential further injury down the road. After 6 months, multiple surgeries and a slow recovery, Dozer was finally able to run and play again; he was adopted by a staff member that fell in love with him during his stay at Animal Allies.

His procedures were paid for by funds from the Healing Hearts & Paws Fund provided by generous donors.

POPO'S STORY

In April 2015, Popo arrived at Animal Allies, this 5-year-old Staffordshire terrier mix was so overweight that she couldn't walk, not only because of her severe obesity, but also because she had torn both rear CCLs. She had to be walked by two people, one guiding her path with a leash and the other holding a sling for her back end to help her keep her weight off her legs.

What is a CCL tear?? CCL tears are a result of chronic stress or acute injury to the knee joint (the dog equivalent of an ACL tear in a human). A CCL tear is a relatively common hind limb injury in dogs. Occurring most commonly in large breed, middle-aged dogs. CCL tears affect approximately 4% of the canine population.

In order to undergo surgery to repair her torn CCLs, Popo needed to go on a long weightloss journey so the repairs would be successful and not have to hold as much weight as they previously did. After losing 40 lbs over a year's time - most of which was spent in foster, Popo was able to have both of her CCLs repaired (one at a time with recovery time between the two procedures). She went from being unable to walk without assistance, to running around and being able to roll in the grass without the burden of injuries or excessive weight. Her foster ended up adopting this happily rehabilitated girl.

Popo's surgeries and extended treatment were covered in part by Animals Allies' Healing Hearts and Paws Fund, created fall of 2014 to help animals that require extra care. She was the first of many paws to have CCLs repaired.

RUBEN'S STORY

In 2019, Ruben came to us as a stray and was an instant staff favorite. He loved greeting everybody and hanging out with kids at Animal Allies summer camp. Then, during a routine exam, we discovered that Ruben was heartworm positive. Heartworm takes a long time to treat. During treatment, dogs need to keep their heart rate down - a tough task for playful pups like Ruben.

In order to keep him from going stir-crazy without the physical exercise he craves, we knew we needed to keep Ruben’s brain busy. That’s why we sent him to the inmate training program at Moose Lake prison. While at Moose Lake, Ruben got continuous daily socialization. He worked on basic obedience, completing three months of RR Dog Training’s nine-month program. This constant mental exercise helped Ruben forget that he wasn’t allowed to get his heartrate up.

We are overjoyed to report that Ruben was adopted by a wonderful family and together they have completed the remaining six months of his training program. Heartworm-free Ruben enjoys playing with other dogs and just “being a dog.”

Heartworm treatment is one of many special medical needs that are paid for by the Healing Hearts & Paws Fund.

BOSCOE'S STORY

In 2020, a silly, smart, playful, loving, Aussiedoodle named Boscoe was just over a year old, when his family noticed that he seemed to be confused and bumping into things in the house and discovered that Boscoe was developing cataracts. “His lack of sight gave him a great amount of anxiety. He was destructive and reactive to new situations.” Boscoe’s family knew that he needed professional help, so they made the difficult decision to surrender him to Animal Allies.

Upon arival at the shelter, he was even more stressed and anxious than his owners had described him so we knew he needed help right away. Our veterinarian referred Boscoe to a veterinary ophthalmologist, who determined that Boscoe would be a good candidate for lens replacement surgery where his clouded lenses with clear artificial ones.

When he came to from anesthesia after the operation, he saw the world with new eyes. Our transport volunteer who drove Boscoe to his procedure recalls him standing still outside the transport van, staring fascinated at the cars driving by. He could see them all!

We are so proud that we were able to turn Boscoe’s young life around and give him the bright future he deserves. His procedure was made possible with donations to the Healing Hearts & Paws Fund.

GUS & PRECIOUS' STORY

Gus and Precious both came barreling through our doors in 2021 with huge personalities! Gus, a 1-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier with one of the best smiles we’ve ever seen. Precious, a 2-year old-American Staffordshire Terrier who has a funny fascination with sniffing everyone's winter boots. She is also deaf, which leads to loads of loud, loving howls. Both pups love meeting new people, playing with other dogs and carrying around fluffy toys.

When shelter medical staff performed the intake exam on Gus and Precious, they quickly noted something off about their heartbeats. Consultation with a specialized veterinary cardiologist in the Twin Cities confirmed the bad news: both dogs had heart murmurs.

Gus’s heart murmur is caused by the narrowing of a blood vessel and thickening of a heart wall. Meanwhile, an echocardiogram of Precious revealed multiple cardiac defects: narrowing of blood vessels, valve abnormality, and a small hole within the heart wall. Ultimately this has caused the blood to flow through Precious's heart in an abnormal direction, which means she could lose good oxygen-carrying capacity at any time. The cardiologist recommended both dogs receive heart surgery at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

Both of these bouncy young dogs have their whole lives ahead of them. They live to please people, and would thrive in a loving home. Without surgery, Gus and Precious are not expected to live very long. You can give them the chance to have a full and happy life by making your gift into the Healing Hearts & Paws Fund. The estimated cost for both of them to have surgery is $8,000.