In animal rescue, some dogs just resonate with you. Upon first glance, they speak to you—they call to your heart and soul and you simply cannot turn away. And so the story begins with Amy and Gunther.
Gunther started his journey at GPG at the Emergency Shelter, and Amy became Gunther’s shelter guardian. Shelter guardians are paired with shelter dogs to work individually on socialization, training, enrichment, and adoption exposure. One look at Gunther and Amy knew he was special. Gunther had heartworms, and needed a calm place to recover from treatment, so she decided to take him home to have a calm, quiet place to recover.
That first night, though, fate intervened. He had a reaction to the treatment and suddenly went into liver, heart, and lung failure. Amy rushed him to the emergency vet, where he would spend several days fighting for his life.
Gunther was on oxygen and IV cardiac medicine in the ICU for six days. When he was released, he was on strict crate rest for four months. Amy gave him cardiac and lung medicine around the clock every four hours for several months. Amy and Gunther developed a very special bond throughout this time as she cared for him day and night and made sure that he had the best quality of life despite his restrictions.
Months later, Gunther is fully recovered, receiving belly rubs, giving kisses, and loving life. He’s a sweet and affectionate dog, and adores his humans and playing with other dogs. He bounces around the yard playing with his jolly ball, making Amy and her friends and family laugh and smile. The journey that these two shared has had its highs and lows, but Amy’s passion and commitment to Gunther have helped him through one of the toughest points in his life so that he only has good times ahead.
But Gunther’s journey is not finished. He is still looking for his forever home, a family to call his own. If you are interested in being a part of Gunther’s happily ever after, click here. To learn about how you can make a difference to dogs like Gunther by opening your home to foster, click here.