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Virginia Beach no-kill shelter saved puppy from euthanasia, helps him find forever home

8-month-old Stuart and his siblings were scheduled to be euthanized at a North Carolina shelter. That's when Hope for Life volunteers stepped in.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Stuart, an 8-month-old puppy, walked out of Hope for Life Rescue Wednesday officially part of the Guthrie family.

RELATED: Thousands of dogs and cats are euthanized in Virginia every year

“We decided that we were going to officially adopt him," Samantha Guthrie said. "I can’t imagine him being with another family when he just fits in so well with ours. So, he’s going to be ours now." 

Stuart and his siblings were scheduled to be euthanized at a North Carolina shelter when Hope for Life volunteers stepped in. Hope for Life Rescue is a no-kill shelter in Virginia Beach.

Guthrie has fostered Stuart since December. But the road to adoption hasn’t always been an easy one.

“He was vomiting a lot when we first got him, wasn’t really able to keep food down," Guthrie explained. "He ended up going to a specialist to do an internal endoscopy. They found that he had an enlarged esophagus. In dogs, it’s called megaesophagus.”

After countless trips to the emergency vet, Guthrie said Stuart is finally on the up and up.

“Now he eats wet food, pretty much the consistency of a milkshake. He also sits in a little doggy highchair when he eats and eats through a slow feeder bowl," she said.

Guthrie signed Stuart’s adoption papers Wednesday. He now joins two other dogs and a cat at the Guthrie home.

Guthrie said it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Hope for Life volunteers.

“It’s just so invaluable to these animals. They are, honestly, just innocent, little creatures that want to be loved and deserve a chance," she said. 

Guthrie said Stuart’s siblings have all been adopted, too.

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