For Scotty, a young puppy facing a grim fate, time was running out.
He was on the euthanasia list at a kill shelter in southern Illinois due to overcrowding until the Iroquois County Animal Rescue (ICARe) stepped in at the eleventh hour. Volunteers there pulled him and his sister from the brink and set them on a path to a forever home. In a Facebook post, ICARe recounted the success story.
Margaret Fox, 51, president of ICARe, told Newsweek about the sense of responsibility she felt in rescuing the pup, named Scotty, from his near-fate.
“Scotty was adopted today!” ICARe wrote in a Facebook post. “He was on the euthanasia list at a kill shelter, so we grabbed him up at the last minute and it didn’t take long for him to find a wonderful family!”
Fox recounted the urgent situation that led to Scotty’s rescue.
“On June 18, I received an urgent email from … the transport coordinator for all of the Animal Control facilities in southern Illinois,” she said. The email stated that Scotty, his sister Tabby and two other littermates “had a date scheduled for euthanasia—and they most definitely would be killed for space if a rescue did not commit to pull them that day.”
Despite her own shelter being full, Fox’s immediate response was unequivocal.
“I immediately agreed to take all four puppies, even though our shelter was full at the time,” Fox said. “I could not let these babies be killed and felt an immediate sense of responsibility for their lives.” Fortunately, another shelter also committed to saving some of the litter.
So, the litter was split between the two rescues—and ICARe got Scotty and his sister, Tabby—who has now been renamed as Mocha.
The puppies’ journey to a new life began with the dedication of volunteers.
“The pups went directly from transport to one of our amazing volunteer foster families,” Fox said. “They have fostered countless dogs and puppies for us and were gracious enough to take these pups into their home at the last minute.”
Once settled with their foster family, the crucial next steps for their health and well-being commenced. A vet exam was scheduled, along with spaying and neutering, vaccinations and deworming.
Remarkably, just two days after the comprehensive veterinary care, Scotty found his forever home.
“Just two days later, Scotty was adopted by a PetSmart employee,” Fox said, “and we were informed that the [foster family’s] adult daughter Delaney was interested in adopting his sister.” The news brought immense relief to the rescue team.
“We were overjoyed at this news and that both pups were able to be in their forever home so soon after rescue,” Fox said.
Scotty and his siblings’ ordeal began tragically. Their original intake paperwork said that the puppies were taken into care in May after being dumped outside the ICARe building.
“How extremely sad it is to think of these babies being discarded like trash,” Fox said.
This heartwarming story underscores the critical role of animal rescues and foster families in saving vulnerable lives. For animals facing euthanasia due to overcrowding, a last-minute rescue is their only hope—and Fox said she was proud to play a part.
“I am very thankful to be able to have played a small part in their rescue journey to a happily ever after,” she added.
The post He Was Out of Time at the Shelter—Then a Family Showed Up appeared first on Newsweek.
