Michael and Dala

At just three months old, Dala, a Belgian Malinois puppy, is a beloved companion for her pet parent, Michael. Michael came to the United States two years ago in search of new opportunities and has been navigating significant challenges while staying at a shelter with Dala by his side.

When Dala suddenly began vomiting, experiencing diarrhea, and becoming lethargic, Michael knew something was wrong. Her symptoms came on quickly, and he was frightened that she may have been exposed to something harmful. Without transportation or the financial resources to get his young puppy evaluated, Michael reached out to Project Street Vet for help.

Through our Veterinary Case Management Program, Project Street Vet arranged and funded an Uber Pet ride so Michael and Dala could get to Animal Urgent Care K-Town, one of our veterinary partners, for an urgent evaluation.

At the hospital, Dala received diagnostic testing funded by Project Street Vet, including a Parvo test, drug screening, and X-rays. Thankfully, both the Parvo test and drug screen came back negative. Her X-rays initially raised concern about a possible foreign object, but after further review by a radiologist, no obvious obstruction was found. The veterinary team believed Dala's symptoms could be related to parasites and sent her home with medication.

Our team followed up with Michael the next day to see how Dala was doing. Thankfully, her vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy had stopped.

After returning to the shelter with Dala, Michael shared his relief and gratitude with our team:

“We’re back from the hospital now; the care was excellent. The doctor and nurses were all very kind. They ran tests on Dala to check for infections or potential drug toxicity, but everything turned out fine. It seems to be a case of parasites, and we were given medication for that. Thank God everything is okay and there’s nothing serious. Thank you for your help. You really helped both me and my pet during a crisis when we urgently needed assistance.”

For Michael, getting Dala to the hospital meant receiving answers and reassurance during a frightening moment. For Dala, it meant getting timely veterinary care when her symptoms could not be ignored.

Thanks to our supporters, Project Street Vet was able to remove two of the biggest barriers standing between Dala and the care she needed: transportation and cost. Through our Veterinary Case Management Program, Michael was able to get his puppy to a veterinary team quickly, receive the testing she needed, and return to the shelter with Dala feeling better by his side.