KURTIS – Abandoned and left for dead

What can I say about Kurtis other than he’s probably one dog that at least one person in almost every city in the world probably knows about. You see, Kurtis isn’t supposed to be here. Kurtis was supposed to be a number that adds to the number of dogs that get neglected, abandoned and left for dead every year. He wasn’t supposed to have a story or a name. Kurtis was supposed to be nothing more than a casualty of what happens when you don’t fix your animals.

Named after the man that found him in a wash in san Bernardino, CA, Kurtis was a 3 month old puppy who had been infected with staph, eccoli, and also had a severe case of mange. The man that found him didn’t know what to do with him so he brought him to the pound at the same time that one of the Priceless Pet Rescue volunteers was there. She basically blocked the drop off and pulled Kurtis from the pound before he could be admitted. You see,  had Priceless Pets not been there at that exact moment, Kurtis would have been taken into the pound and isolated for about a week and then put up for adoption for one day before he got euthanized. Being that he was in the condition he was in, nobody would have even gave him a second look.

We all instantly fell in love with Kurtis when we saw him, even though he smelled of infection and could do nothing but cry. I offered to foster him within the first 5 minutes of meeting him, not knowing anything about his condition. All I know is I wanted to help and I was in a position to do just that.

We had posted a video of Kurtis telling his story and asking for donations to help with his condition. Within 4 days, he was receiving donations from all over the world! In a day and age where “likes” and “shares” are a competition, some of the biggest Instagram accounts had shared his story and it spread like a wildfire.

For the next few months, Kurtis battled high fevers, extreme pain and infection. The vets had actually suggested euthanizing him because his case was so extreme. However, Kurtis found a way to make it through each day. Every morning the vets came in expecting Kurtis to not be breathing and every day Kurtis proved them wrong. He had lost most of his fur but after giving him daily baths, meds 3 times a day and the proper diet, his fur grew back. Penny and Elvis have accepted him into the pack and these days he’s a happy 5 month old puppy. The whole world has fallen in love with him and he’s indirectly helped save so many other dogs with his story. Because of Kurtis, I’ve received a number of emails and messages about how owners are now getting their dog(s) fixed, opening up their homes to foster, volunteering at their local shelter and promoting adopting. As cliché as it sounds, everything does happen for a reason and because of a puppy’s will to survive, he has made quite the impact on the world without ever having to say a word.