A pup living the shelter pet’s dream

Pancake was found as a stray in American Canyon in August 2019.  She came to the Napa County Animal Shelter with 3 tumors that needed to be addressed quickly, one tumor had ulcerated causing pain for Pancake.  The Animal Shelter did not have to budget to treat this medical emergency so they reached out to Friends of Napa County Animal Shelter for help to get Pancake the care she needed. FONCAS paid for immediate tumor removal, biopsies, and other diagnostic testing to determine the type of tumors and possible treatments.  Time was of the essence to prevent possible metastasis so we knew we had to work fast. 

Pancake had all three tumors removed and recovered at the shelter while we all waited for lab work results.  The results arrived and while 2 of the 3 tumors were cancerous, the vet was able to get clear surgical margins on each of the sites during removal.  This was fantastic news for Pancake! The tumors were completely excised giving Pancake a much brighter future.  Yearly check-ups and keeping a close eye on the surgery sites for possible tumor regrowth was the follow-up plan. First, Pancake needed to find a family.  

On December 17th, 2019, all of Pancake’s dreams came true when she was adopted from the Animal Shelter by Renada and JD.  Pancake has a wonderful life!  Her family and vet keep a close eye on Pancake knowing her medical history.  She is happy, healthy, and living the dream of all former shelter animals.  We were so happy to give Pancake a second chance by providing the funding so she could receive the medical care she needed while she waited to be adopted.  Pancake’s family provided the below update on her life over the last 4 years…

“The next day, after I saw her on Instagram, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Something in my heart told me that she was our dog and that we needed to have her in our lives, so I talked my husband into going to the shelter with me the following Tuesday. I knew that we’d be going home with her, but we wanted to meet her and observe her behavior. As the shelter attendant walked in, I heard her say to Pancake, “See, I told you it was good news”. I’ll never forget that. Nor will I ever forget JD telling Pancake to sit, which she’d done before the word was even out of his mouth. When we left, she leapt right in the car.

Although I knew we’d be going home with Pancake, we hadn’t prepared to have a dog in our home! So, we went to Pet Express to get doggie supplies. As we were walking around, we heard someone say, “Is that Pancake”?! Little did we know that this would become a common occurrence; people coming up to us saying that they remember her from the shelter, or that they know someone who knew her. We’ve known people to stop their cars to get out and say hello to Pancake. She has been in the newspaper. She’s a lot more famous than we are. She has had professional photos taken and, in the fall of 2020, she was Bouchaine Winery’s dog of the month.”

“Pancake has been a wonderful addition to our lives. Her joy, wiggles, and snoring continue to entertain us, and her “pitty smiles” fill us with happiness. She is very food-driven and knows exactly when each meal will come and where the treats are kept. Pancake pretty much rules our home and gets to go between the house and the backyard whenever she wants. Like many pit mixes, she’s a sun worshipper, so likes to get warm and then come inside and lay on the cool floor. She also has a severe case of FOMO and constantly follows us to make sure she isn’t missing out on something.

We love to travel and do day trips and have brought Pancake along with us. She loves riding in the car and doesn’t care where we’re going as long as she can come. She’s been to Dillon Beach where she likes to roam around and sniff dead sea creatures. In Santa Barbara she was a rock star at her first restaurant visit after a long car ride. We did beach walks every day, brought her with us to so many restaurants, and was right at home at a brewery in Carpinteria where she roamed around looking for crumbs and pets and then laid down on the cool concrete.  Pancake has also been to the Redwoods!

She came with us on a week-long road trip to Oregon where there was more beach time, new smells, and a lot of walks in the rain wearing her hot pink raincoat. One night we stayed at a dog-friendly hotel and she was welcomed with treats, a dog bowl, and a towel to wipe off her paws. Her most recent outing was the First Annual Wags & Wine Benefit at the Meritage Resort where she got a ton of attention, tried her first pup cup, and ate a month’s worth of treats. Her next trip will be riding the Skunk Train in Mendocino.”