Animals need safety and loving care. They need a hand.

Life on the streets is tough. Life on the streets as a four-month-old puppy with two broken legs and a body covered in fleas…nearly impossible.

Champ could have easily died on the side of the road after being hit by a car—another abandoned dog whose life was tragically cut short.

Instead, the local authorities scooped him up and initiated the chain reaction of compassion that characterizes our community. Champ received emergency medical care to alleviate what must have been unbearable pain. Animal services could help him in the short-term, but with a long road to recovery ahead, Champ needed a full-service shelter. He needed the Humane Society of Sarasota County (HSSC).

HSSC is always ready to give a hand to the injured, the sick, the weak, and the forgotten—the ones that, in other circumstances, might be deemed too broken to be saved. And we are continuously amazed by how these animals transform when given safe shelter, nutritious food, healing medicine, and time to heal.

Champ arrived at HSSC, and we immediately set to work. Our medical team is highly skilled in orthopaedics, so Champ was in good hands. Radiographs revealed a broken femur in one leg and fractured shins in both. We splinted his legs and found him a foster home where he could rest and heal. He may need surgery and will likely need physical therapy and laser therapy, which we are fortunate to offer at our public animal clinic.

Despite everything he has suffered, Champ is still a smiley, happy puppy. At HSSC, he's receiving the absolute best care so he can go on to have a long, healthy life in a loving family.

Champ embodies HSSC's commitment to helping all types of cats and dogs, not just the easy, healthy ones. As the area's premier no-kill shelter, we have a responsibility to take on the difficult cases and to be a resource for our community, our state, and beyond. Nearly half of the animals in our care need medical treatment—right now.

It takes tremendous resources to protect and rehabilitate these fragile lives, but it's who we are as a shelter. While we collaborate with other animal organizations, we receive no funding from them. HSSC is a private, local nonprofit, and our work is made possible by generous supporters like you.

So many animals will need rescuing this summer. Whether it's a litter of kittens needing round-the-clock care or a senior pet desperate for a second chance, HSSC is their safe haven. The trouble is, donations tend to slow down in the summer. 

Your generosity will set them on the path to the happy, healthy lives all animals deserve.

Please save animals' lives this summer.