Okeechobee's Trail of Hope Rescue has puppies galore

Posted 3/17/21

OKEECHOBEE – If you’re in the market for some puppy love, check out the Trail of Hope rescue in Okeechobee.

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Okeechobee's Trail of Hope Rescue has puppies galore

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OKEECHOBEE – If you’re in the market for some puppy love, check out the Trail of Hope rescue in Okeechobee Since the first of the year, Trail of Hope, 1201 U.S. Highway 98 N., has taken in five mother dogs who have given birth to 44 puppies.

The pups and their mothers are thriving under the care of Trail of Hope volunteers like Kathie Papasso, a retired nurse they call “the puppy nanny.” Kathie started volunteering at Trail of Hope in 2020, when the pandemic shut down their business, Big Lake Hobbies. “I’ve been here every day since,” she added.

In the past year, she has taken care of 38 litters, ranging from two to 10 puppies. Mother dogs currently at the shelter include Kimmie, Angel, Mocha, Aroma and Georgia.

• Kimmie, a Black Mouth Cur, had eight puppies – four males and four females. Some of the puppies have blue eyes. From their coloring, rescue staff guess the father might have been a Catahoula Leopard Dog. Six of the puppies have adoptions pending. Two pups, and their mother, are still looking for their “fur-ever” homes.

Kimmie, a Black Mouth Cur, and the "puppy nanny" keep watch on Kimmie's puppies at Trail of Hope.
Kimmie, a Black Mouth Cur, and the "puppy nanny" keep watch on Kimmie's puppies at Trail of Hope.

• Angel, a Plott Hound, had nine puppies – five males and four females. Eight puppies have been adopted. One female puppy, now 12 weeks old, is still available for adoption. Angel is also available for adoption.

Angel and one of her puppies are hoping to soon find their own "fur-ever" homes.
Angel and one of her puppies are hoping to soon find their own "fur-ever" homes.

• Mocha, a Lab mix, came to the shelter 11 days before she delivered her litter of nine puppies – three males and six females. Five puppies have adoptions pending; four are available. Mocha also needs a home.

Four of Mocha's puppies are still available for adoption.
Four of Mocha's puppies are still available for adoption.

• Aroma, a Shepherd/Husky mix, was a stray caught in Clewiston. When the rescuers first saw her, she was running with a male Chocolate Lab and two older puppies. They caught the younger dogs first; those went to a different rescue. Eventually they were able to catch Aroma and bring her to Trail of Hope, where they discovered she was four weeks pregnant. Three and half weeks later, she delivered 10 puppies – three males and seven females. Aroma and one of her puppies have adoptions pending. Nine puppies still need homes. Aroma’s puppies look like black Labs. Kathie said they have different white markings on their bellies and that is how she tells them apart.

Aroma's puppies look like Labs. Their fur is velvety soft. Nine of the puppies are available for adoption. The mother dog  has her new home waiting as soon as the puppies are weaned and she is neutered.
Aroma's puppies look like Labs. Their fur is velvety soft. Nine of the puppies are available for adoption. The mother dog has her new home waiting as …

• Georgia, a Catahoula Leopard Dog and her eight puppies were living in a culvert in Hendry County when rescuers found them. They caught the mother first and then brought her to the mouth of the culvert and the puppies came running out, Kathie explained. She said Georiga’s scars indicat she has had a rough life and the pups were covered in fleas. It took hours to bathe them and remove all the fleas. Kathie said the little ones were so infested with fleas that she cried while bathing them. All of the dogs are thriving now. One female puppy has an adoption pending. Two female puppies and five males still need homes, as does their mother.

Georgia and her eight puppies were living in a culvert when rescuers found them. One pup (the gray puppy in the center of this photo) has an adopting pending. The other puppies and the mother still need homes.
Georgia and her eight puppies were living in a culvert when rescuers found them. One pup (the gray puppy in the center of this photo) has an adopting …

Trail of Hope is a no-kill shelter, and runs on donations, with no city or county funding. The adoption fee of $250 includes spay/neutering, all shots, flea treatment, worm medicine and microchipping. Those who wish to adopt must first fill out an application and be approved. The application requires information such as whether you own or rent your home, how many people in the family, other family pets, the name of your veterinarian, how many hours the dog will be left alone during the day and where the dog will sleep at night.

If you want to adopt a puppy or one of the mother dogs that can't leave the shelter yet, once your application is approved you can put down a deposit to hold the dog for you until your new furry family member is ready to go home.

For more information on Trail of Hope, see their Facebook page or their website http://trailofhopeanimalrescue.org/ or call 863-357-1104.

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