PHOENIX — An 11-week-old puppy whose family was forced to surrender him to a Scottsdale animal hospital as a last-ditch effort to save his life after not being able to afford his Parvo treatments -- which can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars -- has been reunited with his family to continue his treatment and recovery.
It was an emotional reunion, staff from Follow Your Heart Animal Hospital and Rescue told ABC15's Sonu Wasu on Thursday. Nimbus, the puppy, lit up and ran towards his owners and jumped into their arms when he saw them.
ABC15 shared Nimbus' story on Tuesday.
The owners told the organization that they recently lost another dog to Parvo, a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease -- and when Nimbus was diagnosed with Parvo they were unable to afford his treatments.
They reportedly called a number of animal clinics and hospitals in the Valley and asked if they could have Nimbus treated and then be put on a payment plan.
When that didn't work, they felt they had no other option, but to surrender him to an animal clinic. They reportedly put Nimbus in a plastic tote with his blankets, toys, and meds, wrote a heartfelt letter explaining the situation, and his current treatment plan.
The family called the clinic and then reportedly watched from the parking lot as staff brought him inside. Nimbus was then transferred to Follow Your Heart Animal Hospital, which has a specialized unit to treat dogs with Parvo.
"We are unable to afford an overnight visit at an animal hospital. We are giving up our rights to ownership, our hope is that you can care for him and help him survive. Nimbus is an amazing puppy that deserves to live a long happy life with a loving family," the letter said, in part.
Follow Your Heart told ABC15 that they wanted to reunite the dog with its original owners believing they did the right thing in a difficult circumstance.
After ABC15's story aired, the family reportedly reached out to the organization. They did not want to go on camera. ABC15 is told that Nimbus is now at home recovering.
The family will be considered "fosters" until they can be fully vetted, the organization said.
"I just want to give them some joy. I'd like to just like be able to hand them their puppy back and say, I know it wasn't the best for anybody. The situation was hard. But in the end, your puppy is safe and saved," Denise Verner, co-founder of Follow Your Heart told ABC15.
