Baxter, Yellow Labrador Retriever Mix, 1.5 Years Old

Meet Baxter.  Baxter is a 50 pound lab mix who is thought to be 1.5 year old.  Baxter was found as a stray and unfortunately no one came looking for him.   Baxter was taken to the vet for a checkup and to get his vaccines, and unfortunately it was determined that Baxter is heartworm positive.  We were so bummed.  Unfortunately, so many people don’t realize the importance of keeping their dogs on heartworm preventatives.  It certainly isn’t Baxter’s fault that he got heartworm.  All it took was one bite from a mosquito carrying the heartworm. He trusted his family to keep him safe, and they let him down.  If Baxter’s heartworm isn’t treated, he will die from it – plain and simple.  Again, Baxter didn’t ask for this fate.  All he wanted was to be a loved pet in his home.  He feels great now and can run around and play like any other dog, but if he doesn’t get rid of the heartworms soon, they will win and he will lose.

The good news is that heartworm is treatable and the success rate of the treatment is over 99%, particularly for young dogs like Baxter, and this is where you come in.  Brookline wants to help Baxter live a long and healthy life, and we are looking for a foster or foster to adopt in our coverage area to see him through the 4 month treatment because at this moment we don’t have a foster who can do that.  And Brookline will pay for the treatment at an approved vet and guide you through the process.    At the end of it, Baxter will be as good as new.  You will need to be able to provide Baxter with a quiet environment while he goes through the treatment, but it’s a short term constraint that will pay off in the long run!  And we think Baxter is worth it.

If you think you might be interested in being Baxter’s hero, please reach out to Brookline and we’ll connect you with our volunteer who can explain the treatment to you in more detail and answer any questions you might have.

Here is what we can tell you about Baxter:

Baxter is handsome, sweet and friendly.  He hasn’t met a dog or person that he doesn’t like.  He loves attention from his people, and he loves to play, but when it’s time to settle, he happily curls up on his bed and snoozes.    He is housetrained and is past the chewing stage, so will be trustworthy in your home.  He loves his plush squeaky toys, and he loves to play in the water- whether in a lake, the kiddie pool or his water bowl.  Like many young labs leash walking and good manners (not jumping up in excitement) are works in progress, but he’s a smart boy and wants to please.  Baxter is up to date on vaccines and neutered, and is in perfect health except for the dreaded positive heartworm diagnosis.