Pinot was e-listed at Maricopa County Animal Care & Control for medical needs in July of 2024 – her name at the shelter was Montie. She had been found as a stray with 2 other huskies – we learned later that all were abandoned by their owner. Pinot was the only one e-listed; her left eye was smaller than her right and the shelter suspected she was blind. She was panicking in her in kennel, and one of our board members, Alex with his wife Lori, stepped up to take her in right away. 

She was nothing short of perfect once out of the shelter. She loved giving kisses to the dogs and didn’t even care about cats. She made herself right at home and began to relax. 

They noticed she was a little under the weather, but she just seemed to have kennel cough – something almost all shelter dogs get. Her energy was good and her future looked bright. 

On her second day, Alex and Lori noticed she seemed to be feeling more off – her breathing wasn’t great and she’d lost her appetite. She had a vet appointment the following day, and still thinking it was kennel cough, we figured that would be just fine.

The fosters left home briefly that same day and by the time they got back, she had gone drastically downhill, becoming almost unresponsive. They rushed her to the emergency vet where they put her on oxygen and IV fluids right away. Her temperature was over 105. After a brief consult with the doctor we were about to approve continued acute care when she began losing blood through her nose and mouth. Her situation became so dire so quickly, and we had no idea why, no diagnostics, and no answers. Alex and Lori made the gut-wrenching decision to let her go as she was rapidly slipping away from us already and now trying to breathe through her own blood.

Pinot’s story is so unfair. Just 48 hours of freedom. She was filthy, matted and clearly not cared for before coming to the shelter after being discarded. Just 48 hours was not enough time. She deserved a happy ending.

This is why we won’t let her story end here. Donate to our medical fund to help us set aside funding so we can always say yes when the next Pinot comes along.