'She's like Supergirl': Abandoned dog cared for by West Deer shelter overcomes odds

Defying all expectations, a dog left abandoned in a McCandless park in April may now find a new home.

Josie, a 10-year-old flat-coated retriever mix, underwent three major surgeries within six weeks over the summer, said Barb Pasquale, volunteer kennel manager at the West Deer Township Dog Shelter.

“We just got a clean bill of health for her,” Pasquale said.

The shelter took in Josie after McCandless police found the dog abandoned and tied to a tree. She has no chip or tags. Pasquale said there have been no leads in finding Josie’s original owner.

Josie had many health problems that required major surgeries. First was an April surgery where a large, softball-sized mass was removed, 15 teeth were extracted and Josie was spayed, Pasquale said.

The second surgery, in May, removed a large mass on Josie’s neck. Doctors had planned that to be the final surgery but, because that surgery was so delicate, another mass was removed from her neck two weeks later.

Josie will be on daily thyroid, calcium and antacid medications for the rest of her life.

“The dog is doing wonderfully well,” Pasquale said. “She has bounced back from every one of those surgeries like it’s a piece of cake. It’s amazing.”

Pasquale said she was worried for Josie because the dog required such delicate surgeries. Veterinarians at All Pet Animal Hospital in Richland “did a superb job,” Pasquale said.

Pasquale said Josie’s recovery was incredible.

“She’s like Supergirl,” Pasquale said. “She just keeps bouncing back.”

Pasquale said she has been in contact with a woman who is interested in adopting Josie. They have scheduled to meet later this week.

Pasquale was thankful for how the community rallied around Josie. She didn’t have a number of how much money was donated, but the donations were able to cover all of Josie’s surgeries, which cost between $6,000 to $8,000. Pasquale also fielded phone calls from people curious about Josie’s status.

“People were extremely kind and generous,” she said. “It’s really nice that they cared that much.”

The shelter is at maximum capacity and caring for 10 dogs, Pasquale said.

Financial donations are the best way to help the shelter, she said, and people can do so by mailing or dropping off donations to 109 East Union Road, West Deer, PA 15024, or sending them via Venmo to @westdeerdogshelter and entering 5519 for the phone number.