Dog Saved from Euthanasia Faces a Second Brush of Euthanasia
A three-year-old dog named Balboa is facing a second brush with euthanasia in just one week after being rescued from a similar fate.
This heartbreaking turn of events has captured the hearts of animal lovers across the country who are rallying to find him a loving home.
Balboa’s journey began at the Maricopa County Animal Care & Control (MCACC) shelter in Phoenix, where he had spent nearly 250 days. Despite his cheerful and playful nature, Balboa’s health challenges, including recurring ear infections and recently developed heart murmurs, had made it difficult for the shelter to provide the necessary care.
On August 27, MCACC issued a plea on social media to find Balboa a loving home. The shelter explained that due to the extent of his medical needs, Balboa’s future was uncertain. They emphasized his love of children, obedience skills, and ability to get along with other dogs, expressing hope that he would find a family who could provide the love, attention, and medical care he deserved.
The post went viral, and Balboa was quickly adopted by a well-intentioned individual who hoped to find him a more suitable home.
“After more than 250 days in the shelter, sweet Balboa has found a home – and it’s all thanks to YOU! After we posted a plea for an adopter to help care for his medical needs, his post went viral and was picked up by Newsweek. His adopter came across his article online, and the rest is history,” MCACC shared on Facebook accompanied by a photo of Balboa and his adopter.
However, the adopter who only rescued Balboa from being euthanized but had no intention of adopting him later rehomed him to someone else but unfortunately, the adopter struggled to care for Balboa, citing his size and the cost of his medical treatment.
“Balboa was adopted from the shelter a short week ago by a well-intentioned person from the public who adopted to save his life but never intended to keep him. He has since been rehomed to an adopter who says he is “too big” and “cannot afford his medical,” Arizona Adoptable Dogs shared on Facebook. “We HAVE to find a foster for him or he could be at risk of being returned to the shelter where he will be at risk to be euthanized…again,”
Now, Balboa is once again on the brink of being returned to a shelter where he would be likely euthanized if he is not adopted or fostered. A rescue organization has stepped in to cover the costs of his care and medical treatment, but they urgently need a foster home in Arizona to provide him with temporary shelter.
The shelter is appealing to anyone in the Phoenix area who is able to provide a loving and supportive environment for Balboa to please reach out and offer their help.
“We have a rescue in place for Balboa, which will cover all of his cost for care and medical but just need a local foster in Arizona for him,” the Arizona adoptable dog group stated. “We need to get him out of his current home ASAP. If you are in Arizona + able to foster please message us ASAP for further information.”
The community is rallying behind Balboa, hoping that his second chance at life won’t be his last. Many people have expressed concern for the dog and have shared his story on social media in hopes of finding him a loving home.
Balboa’s story has highlighted the challenges faced by shelters and the importance of finding suitable homes for animals with special needs. It has also sparked a wave of compassion and support from the community
