#SouffleAllDay: A love story
Today, our foster care and internal veterinary services teams are giving you a look inside their daily lives at the Richmond SPCA on our Instagram account. There is so much amazing lifesaving that these people make happen every day, helping animals who need them the most.
About a month ago, which now truly seems like a lifetime ago, we introduced you to a tiny puppy named Souffle, but that’s not where his story started.
We transferred a mama dog and her six puppies from Lunenburg County Animal Control into our care in mid-February. We named the sweet mama Brunch, and her puppies Crepe, Scramble, Souffle, Benedict, Quiche and Omelette.
Souffle was tiny compared to his siblings, weighing only 14 ounces. His mother, busy with her five other puppies who were close to two pounds each, had not been able to give him the attention he needed.
That’s when we came in. Brittany Pierri, our manager of internal veterinary services began fostering Souffle, bottle-feeding him every two hours, including through the night.
Soon, Souffle was ready for solid food—and Internet stardom! We shared Souffle’s adorable mug with our supporters and you all LOVED HIM. #SouffleAllDay was all over RVA.
You squealed when he nibbled his puppy food, you melted when his ears wiggled while he slept, and you cheered when he got to be reunited with his mother and siblings, including his brother, Scramble, in foster care with one of our amazing foster care volunteers, where he has been for the past few weeks.
Along with incredible triumphs, our internal veterinary services team also does have to face heartbreaking lows.
Souffle’s foster rushed him to our humane center early this morning, Friday, April 10, due to complications from a congenital condition called atresia ani, a birth defect that he and Scramble both have been battling. This condition has left too small an opening for the puppies to adequately defecate through.
We are devastated to tell you that Souffle’s health went down hill very quickly today. When there was no more our veterinarians could do to save him, our only option was to humanely euthanize him to relieve his suffering.
We are still hoping that we can find a way to help Scramble through this, and we’re currently consulting with local specialists to discuss treatment options for this little guy. We really just don’t know what his outcome will be.
When you work with animals in great need, many of them sick and injured, not every story has the ending that we hope for. But, the success that we’re clinging to is that little Souffle was shown more love, care and commitment in his short life than some experience in a lifetime. That is something every pet in our care receives, and we all should be proud of it.
The support from our staff, Souffle and Scramble’s amazing foster family and the community has been nothing short of incredible. Our heartfelt thanks to each person who’s been part of Souffle and Scramble’s story cannot be overstated. We’re immensely grateful for all of your kindness.
Please send healing wishes and love to Scramble, his foster and to our team. They are working tirelessly to save Scramble and help hundreds more pets in need who are depending on us today.
Just as these little ones depend on us, we depend on the support of our community to be there for each pet who needs us. If you would like to make a gift, please call us at 804-521-1308 or make your gift online today.
Brittany Pierri is the manager of internal veterinary services at the Richmond SPCA. She has worked at the Richmond SPCA for more than 11 years and currently shares her home with two senior canines, two feline leukemia positive cats and a flock of chickens with her husband Ben. All four of their four-legged babies are Richmond SPCA alumni, of course!
Outside of work, Brittany spends her time gardening and fostering our pets with more involved medical needs. She is an avid runner who finished her first marathon in November 2019.
Gray Miller is our manager of community development. After adopting her first dog, Olive, in 2009, Gray made it a priority to give back to the Richmond SPCA because of how much we had given to her by saving the life of her best friend. In her role, she works with wonderful people and generous local organizations who wish to partner with the Richmond SPCA to support its lifesaving work.
Gray and her family share their home with three dogs, Olive, Fang and Sam, and a cat, Eric.