LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – For rescue dogs, going from the streets to a shelter to a home can be a ruff transition — but one Southern Nevada non-profit is preparing those dogs for life in their forever homes, preparing them with the skills and manners they need for a seat at your dinner table.
Pawtastic Friends is the only non-profit in the country that funds and provides enrichment training for shelter dogs — to prepare them for adoption.
“So this whole facility is dedicated to building a foundation of skills, a résumé for the rescue dogs to help them become more adaptable, to find their happily ever after, and to stay in that forever home,” said Melissa Novelli, co-founder of Pawtastic Friends.
On Sunday, Pawtastic Friends held their first monthly foster fair with local shelters and animal rescues, sharing information on the fostering process.
The Animal Foundation was also there, recruiting fosters families for dogs at their crowded shelter.
At the Animal Foundation last week, a dog was humanely euthanized after testing positive for canine distemper, which is a highly contagious disease.
Animal Foundation: Dog humanely euthanized after Canine distemper diagnosis
The shelter says the dog’s symptoms were severe and she was actively shedding the virus — with no definitive treatment.
“When dogs are in shelters or when they’re in boarding facilities, there is a chance that diseases can run rampant,” said Novelli, “and although the animal shelters the boarding places all do their best to not allow that to happen, sometimes it’s beyond our control.”
That’s another reason why it’s so crucial to get dogs out of shelters and into foster homes.
“Fostering saves lives, and right now, our community is facing a crisis with an overwhelming number of homeless animals,” said Novelli. “We had someone tie a dog to our front gate, we had someone come through the back and leave a cat, the shelters are overcrowded, they can’t take any more dogs.
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