Shamus needs your help!

Whoever first coined the term "gentle giant" had to have Shamus in mind. Despite being a 130-pound behemoth, he's a lap dog through and through. He has the sweetest personality, burying his head in your lap the first chance he gets. He has a beautiful smile and the funniest little hop when he tries to play. Being so big, you'd think he'd bowl over other dogs. But he doesn't. He seems to recognize how big he is and treats those around him, animals and humans, with the gentleness they need to stay safe.

Given how wonderful he is, it's hard to imagine why anyone would surrender him to an animal shelter, but that is exactly what his owners did. Underweight and showing signs of neglect, Shamus found himself dumped off at the San Jacinto, CA, shelter wondering what the heck happened. He waited for his family to return and then for someone to save him. Unfortunately for him, a large group of Great Danes was seized from a hoarding/breeding situation shortly after his arrival, and Shamus ended up lost in a sea of Danes needing rescue. As an owner surrender, he didn't garner the urgency the other Danes did, so he continued to wait as rescue groups pulled the other dogs, giving them a new chance at life while Shamus still waited.

Also going against Shamus was his fur color. Black dog syndrome is a heartbreaking reality as dogs with dark coats are not adopted as often or as quickly as their lighter-coated peers. As a result, he was facing euthanasia, so we rescuers worked together to pull him from the shelter on March 19, 2024.

A friend in Oregon agreed to foster Shamus with the possibility of adopting him. While he waited for his transport, Shamus stayed with a short-term foster family in Corona, CA. During that time, he developed kennel cough. Between the stress of the shelter, moving between fosters, and the long, cold transport to Oregon, Shamus’s kennel cough turned into pneumonia.

He is now fighting for his life. He’s running a fever of 102, both of his lungs are infected and ¾ full of fluid, and he needs forced oxygen just to breathe. As I’m sure you know, the vet bills for dogs with severe respiratory illnesses are quite high, especially when they are 130-pound Great Danes. In less than 24 hours, the bill is already close to $4,000.

Shamus deserves to live his best life after suffering from neglect and abuse, and you can help by pitching in on his care. He is being treated by Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center in Central Point, OR. The vet isn’t taking phone call donations, unfortunately, so we’ve had to set up the GoFundMe. Please be assured that 100% of the money raised will go to Shamus’s vet bills.

Anything you can spare to help Shamus would be so appreciated. If you know me, you know I don’t often ask for help, especially monetary help, but I just feel like this boy needs all the help he can get.

Whether you can send a donation or not, please do send all the healing energy you can to this sweet boy. Shamus, his new family, and his rescuers all thank you for your generous help.