Family of 19 Pets, Many Medically Needy and Less Adoptable

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Getting Inspired

Who are the people in your life who inspire you to be or do more? For me, two of them are my friends Joanne and Eric, two of the kindest and most compassionate people I know. They have 19 pets: six cats, three dogs, two rabbits, two guinea pigs, 2 chinchillas, 2 leopard geckos, 1 iguana and 1 bearded dragon. All have been adopted, many were considered harder to adopt due to medical needs, including:

  • T-shirt (not pictured), a cat whose back legs are paralyzed;
  • Kyla, a Shih Tzu (photograph below), who was dropped off at the Loudoun County Animal Shelter at the age of 13, with cancer and arthritis;
  • Nick Fury (photograph below), adopted from the PIGS Animal Sanctuary, after a breeder turned him in due to severe eye issues;
  • Bianca, a 23-year-old iguana (photograph below), adopted at the age of 18, after her owner passed away; and
  • Spike (not pictured), a bearded dragon, turned in to the shelter with severe eye issues, who has been syringe fed for three years.

September 20-26, 2015: National Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week

Less adoptable pets, e.g., big, black dogs, senior pets, and pets with special needs often wait four times longer than average to get adopted. If they get adopted at all. This week is “National Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week,” and I thought it would be inspiring to share what Joanne and Eric do and why. Maybe they will motivate others to do the same. Joanne said that she rescues so many pets with medical challenges because she believes that all animals can have a wonderful life if given a chance. She wants to save them all, but knows she can’t; because pets with special needs are harder to adopt, she focuses on them more—the needier they are, the more she wants to save them.

Joanne is a vet tech, so she has the skills necessary to take care of medically challenging pets. She also credits her husband, Eric, for his support and willingness to learn how to care for them. Joanne works at Leesburg Vet Hospital, and they are understanding as well; if she needs to take one of her pets to work, she can.

How You Can Adopt a Medically Needy Pet

If adopting a medically needy pet is something you’d consider, Joanne recommends that you talk to whoever has the pet to find out what his or her needs are and what is involved; it might not be as difficult as you think. Talk to your vet to find out how you can keep the animal as healthy as possible. And a lot of vet techs pet sit, so you can take a vacation and know your pet will be well cared for while you’re away.

All of my pets are adopted, and many have developed medical issues as they’ve gotten older. I agree with Joanne that the veterinary community is extremely supportive; we’ve learned how to take care of their challenges and manage them at home so that they can be healthy as long as possible.

Read more on “Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week” on PetFinder.

Ellen Zangla Photography—Specializing in pets and the people who love them.

Professional Photographers of America: 2015 Silver Medal Photographer of the Year