Insider Stories: Charlie the Pup
This is the story about a pup named Charlie, the newest member of Samantha Hernandez’s family. Samantha is one of our newest dispatchers and her fiancé Ty is a San Francisco Police Officer.
On December 29, 2016 Ty and his partner Kim responded to a reported child abuse call. When they arrived, the occupants of the house, who were spotted through the window would not respond to knocks at the door forcing Ty and his partner to gain entry via the backyard.
When they hopped the fence, they came across a little blue nosed puppy, sitting on a concrete slab, with no food, sediment in his water bowl, and surrounded by feces and garbage. The pup was emaciated, frightened, and left without shelter from the recent storms. The pup peered at them cautiously, uncertain if they were friends or foes. Immediately after Ty gave him a reassuring pat on the head, the pup knew he had found his human and sat right on Ty's boot.
The owners of the pup surrendered him without protest. Ty gave Samantha a call and explained the situation. They quickly agreed that this pup was going to be the newest member of their family. Immediately Ty and his partner drove the pup to San Francisco Animal Care and Control to be evaluated by the staff and a veterinarian.
The ACC staff showered the pup with love and developed a plan to get him healthy (the puppy was in poor health due to the extreme neglect). His growth was stunted from malnourishment, he had diarrhea due to a parasite, and a cold. He was 24 pounds at 7 months old and was not gaining weight and seemed stressed at the shelter. After speaking to the veterinarian, Samantha advised that the puppy might have a better chance of getting healthy if he was away from the stressful shelter environment.
They brought the puppy home on January 9, 2016 and named him "Charlie" after Ty's home station Charlie Company (Bayview Station). Although Charlie was sick, he happily adjusted to his new home and within two weeks gained more than 20 pounds!
Two months later, Charlie has become an active, happy, and plump pooch. He's made a full recovery—no one would ever guess he had a rough start. His favorite things to do are finding sticks on the beach to play fetch and sleeping in the warm sun. Charlie also enjoys visiting his extended family at Bayview Station as well as the dispatchers at DEM. Charlie hit the puppy lottery, but Ty and Samantha feel just as lucky to have found him.
Congratulations to this newfound family and DEM wishes you a lasting and happy time together.
Many thanks to the San Francisco Animal Care & Control for their help in placing Charlie at his new home.
The SFACC keeps our community safe and protects all animals from abuse, neglect, and cruelty. SFACC is the City’s only open admission shelter; they accept all animals regardless of temperament, medical condition, or species. They are the local agency you should call to investigate animal cruelty, rescue and rehabilitate injured wildlife, and aid domestic animals in distress. And when you adopt a pet from the Adoption Center at San Francisco Animal Care & Control, you are getting a lifetime of unconditional love.
For more information, please visit: http://www.sfanimalcare.org/