Animal rescue group needs help

FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Pet owners all know how expensive vet bills can be. A rescue group in Fayette County said it has been hit hard financially by back-to-back medical bills for sick puppies. Donations are pouring after a plea for help this week.

Royal Animal Refuge has adopted out 2,000 dogs in its first two years. Many of those dogs came to the rescue group from area shelters with a high euthanasia record. Coca, a pit bull mix, for example, had a broken leg and was malnourished when she arrived from the Clayton County Animal Shelter. After arriving, she gave birth to ten puppies, eight survived, but because of Coco’s poor health, all became deathly sick with first pneumonia then parvo.

“She was so malnourished. You could see her ribs.  So the puppies were born very sick,” said Mariel Weigand, director of Royal Animal Refuge

Royal Animal Refuge did not give up on the puppies, eventually taking them to Auburn University where they were treated and recovered.

A happy ending, Coco was adopted out. Six of her puppies have found new homes. Only two pups, Beckham and Bliss, remain and are available for adoption. But unfortunately Royal’s finances the story does not end there. They took in another litter. This one also came down with parvo. They also were treated at Auburn University, but only one of the four pups survived. Ruby is in foster care.

Now, it’s Royal Refuge that needs help. The two litters back to back have left the rescue financially strapped.

“We don’t give up on the dogs we take in,” Weigand said.

The public has been rallying to help Royal with donations. Although their doors have only been open less than two years, it has gained a good reputation among animal lovers, rescuers, and shelters for its work in rescuing and adopting as well as spay and neuter education.

Anyone who would like help can find Royal Animal Refuge on Facebook and donate from there or go to their website royalanimalrefuge.org.