Stratford Animal Rescue Society (STARS) is a non-profit group founded in September 2000 with unanimous support from the Stratford Town Council.

Stratford Animal Rescue Society (STARS) works in collaboration with Animal Control for the Town of Stratford, Connecticut and was founded in response to the large number of adoptable homeless animals impounded at the Stratford Animal Control Facility.

The group is funded by private donations, public fundraising and grants.

ANOTHER CRUELTY CASE. SEVEN MORE INNOCENT LIVES THAT DESERVED SO MUCH BETTER.

We wish we didn't have to write another one of these posts. We wish we could tell you that the suffering had stopped, that the neglect cases were slowing down, and that our shelter was finally getting a chance to catch its breath.

But here we are again. And this one hurts.

Stratford Animal Care & Control has taken in five small dogs and two cats from a heartbreaking situation of severe neglect.

Meet Coco, Sophie, Bear, Copper, Oreo, Winter, and Spring. Seven innocent animals who depended on people to love them, protect them, and provide even the most basic care.

Instead, they were failed.

The dogs had previously been used for breeding. They were valuable enough when they could produce puppies, but once their owners had gotten what they wanted from them, their basic needs were neglected.

They gave these people puppies. In return, they were left to suffer.

What we found was heartbreaking. And the results of their veterinary examinations are even more devastating.

Their little bodies were crawling with live fleas. They have significant hair loss, painful skin infections, eye infections, ear infections, respiratory infections, and other serious medical concerns.

Two of the dogs are blind. All seven animals are anemic and have low albumin levels, findings that raise serious concerns about prolonged malnutrition and chronic illness. The dogs are also riddled with mammary tumors.

Let that sink in.

These animals weren't simply dirty or in need of grooming. Their bodies are showing the devastating effects of prolonged neglect.

Imagine being covered in biting fleas with no relief. Imagine living with untreated infections, struggling with illness, and never receiving the medical attention you desperately need. Imagine losing your sight and having to navigate a world where the very people responsible for your safety have failed you.

And imagine being used to produce puppies while your own health and well-being were ignored.

It is difficult to comprehend how anyone could watch an animal deteriorate to this extent and do nothing.

All seven animals remain under veterinary care, where they are being examined, treated, and closely monitored. We are still learning the full extent of their medical needs. The mammary tumors will require further evaluation, and their other conditions may mean lengthy treatment and recovery.

We don't yet know what their final veterinary bills will be, but we know they will be substantial.

And now comes the part that genuinely pains us.

We need to ask for donations. Again.

We know. It feels like we are constantly asking. Another cruelty case. Another emergency. Another group of animals needing extensive medical treatment. Another mountain of veterinary bills.

Please believe us when we say that we hate having to ask our community for help over and over again.

But we simply cannot do this without you.

Our Animal Care & Control Officers and shelter staff work tirelessly to rescue, protect, and care for animals who have nowhere else to turn. Our nonprofit partner, Stratford Animal Rescue Society (STARS), helps shoulder the enormous financial burden of providing the medical care these animals need.

And just when we think we might be able to catch up, another heartbreaking case comes through our doors.

We cannot undo what happened to Coco, Sophie, Bear, Copper, Oreo, Winter, and Spring. But together, we can make sure their future looks nothing like their past.

We can give them relief from the pain and itching. We can treat their infections, address their nutritional deficiencies, evaluate their tumors, and give them the medical attention they have gone without for far too long.

And perhaps most importantly, we can show them that they matter. That they are more than animals used for breeding. That they are living, feeling beings who deserve kindness, dignity, and love.

They deserved care long before they came through our doors. Now we are doing everything we can to give it to them.

If you can spare even a few dollars, please consider helping us with their veterinary expenses. Every donation matters, and every dollar helps us continue providing the care these seven animals desperately need.

If you cannot donate, please share their story. Your share may reach someone who can help.

To everyone who continues to stand beside us, even when the heartbreaking stories seem never-ending, thank you. We know we ask a lot of you. We know there are only so many times we can come to you with another sad story and another request for help.

But when we look into the faces of these animals, we cannot turn away. And because of you, we don't have to.

They have already spent far too much of their lives suffering. Whatever time they have ahead of them should be filled with comfort, compassion, and the care they always deserved.

With gratitude,

Stratford Animal Care & Control and Stratford Animal Rescue Society (STARS)

Coco & Friends

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