Pupdate: Kyle finds home sweet home
Hi ya!
My name is Kyle, and I’m new here! Well, new-ish. Since September, I’ve been at the Dumb Friends League, but I have yet to see all the Colorado colors everyone talks about. You see, I’ve only been to the Centennial Airport and the outdoor areas surrounding the League. Sure, they’re nice, and I’ve really grown to love my caretakers, but I want to experience more! I hear there are big, beautiful mountains nearby, and it should start snowing any day now.
I’m originally from Louisiana, where we don’t have mountains or snow. We sometimes have pretty bad storms, though – with more rain and wind than you could imagine. In fact, that’s what brought me to Denver in the first place, if you can believe it.
You may remember Hurricane Ida. She was a Category 4 hurricane that sadly devastated my old home earlier this year. I was living in an animal shelter in Louisiana when the storm hit. The days that followed were stressful and intense as people from all over the whole country worked around the clock to make sure my friends and I were safe and properly cared for.
One of the best things these folks did was arrange a flight for 44 of us pups to relocate to Colorado – almost half of us came to the Dumb Friends League. I’ll admit, I was nervous. But I knew there were a lot of other pets in Louisiana whose families might still be looking for them, and they needed a place close by to wait. After an exciting flight, we landed at the Centennial Airport, and I was whisked off to the League, where I met even more new people – my favorite! Things were looking up.
That is until another challenge came my way. After arriving in Denver, I was diagnosed with heartworm disease. I’m told heartworm is common where I’m from because it’s transmitted by mosquitoes who like warm and damp climates. When mosquitoes bite certain animals, they transfer larvae that can grow into adult worms in the heart and lungs. It sounds pretty scary, and at first, it is. But I’m lucky because my caretakers at the League tested me as soon as I got here, and I started my treatment almost immediately. Treatment lasts a total of 271 days, but I’m already nearly 90 days in. It’s really not that bad – just routine injections and limited activity (OK, that part is tough) until I’m finished. The medicine will kill the adult worms so they can’t damage my heart, so it’s worth it!
Everyone at the League is so kind to me and keeps me comfortable, but I wish I had a family to keep me company while I’m on the mend. They wouldn’t even have to pay for my treatment! The Dumb Friends League pays for the whole thing! Isn’t that the best? And right now, anyone who is interested in taking me home can adopt me for 50% less than the regular fee. Just come to the Leslie A. Malone Center and ask for Kyle at the front desk.
Anyway, I’m getting a little lovesick with the holidays around the corner. All my Louisiana friends have gone home with their new families, and I’m the last one here. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for them, and I have everything I need at the League … but it’s not quite the same. I want to snuggle up with my humans on the couch or by the fire and watch the world go by. Oh, and the mountains … I can’t wait to see the mountains. Will they have snow on them?
Maybe my feline friend, Panther, will have a weather update when she checks in with you later this week before the holidays! In the meantime, I hope to see you soon.
