Deana Snyder’s Rescue Story

Deana Snyder is a hero. She lives and breathes dogs and rescues them. She doesn’t just have one special needs dog, but three. She volunteers in a dog rescue center and fosters as well. She has dedicated her time and energy to helping dogs with special needs.

“Chewie was my very first foster – fail. Scruffy, I rescued out of a bad store, and Snowy was a foster- fail. This coming June, it will be two years since I started doing rehab on Snowy. How could I let him go to someone else?”

I agree with her. Snowy needs a lot, and Deana is the best person to take care of her. Her devotion, her dedication, her love for rescue is amazing. Deana is a very special person indeed. She is a blessing.

Deana’s Three Special Dogs

Snowy is a 6-year-old mini Poodle mix. Snowy came from SNARR NORTHEAST where her mom Deana Snyder volunteers. SNARR Northeast provides special needs animal rescue and rehabilitation out of White Plains, New York. They save the toughest dogs to place. It is run by Courtney Bellew.  It has given hope to the countless hopeless dogs who have come their way. They also have  SNARR Adoption Agency.

Snowy came into the rescue in June 2018. Deana said, “We knew he had IVDD and a problem in his hip. He was an owner surrender. His mom died suddenly, and the family didn’t know how to best care for Snowy. I have cared for special needs dogs (my own and fosters), have a BEMER machine that would help with his inflammation and pain, and live near the specialty hospital the rescue uses in addition to the physical therapist”.

“Snowy has undergone three operations/5 surgeries in less than a year (2 knees, 2 ACL, 1 hip). He went through months of hydrotherapy and physical therapy. I have a therapy ball, an ultrasound machine, and the BEMER in my house to continue his care. (BEMER: Bio-Electro-Magnetic-Energy-Regulation, a therapy that normalizes and optimizes the body’s blood flow). He also gets acupuncture and laser once a month. He suffers from autoimmune joint disease, so all this helps manage his pain. He will forever be on prednisone and a whole host of natural supplements to help keep him healthy.”

Deana goes on to say, “He’s a quirky little spitfire who is funny, bouncy, and a pure love bug. I can’t imagine life without him. With all his Vet visits, surgeries, therapy, and the hours, days, etc., taking care of him, I couldn’t let him go. His favorite thing to do is snuggle and loves to eat anything that is not nailed down”.

She adds, “I cannot tell you how many Doctor’s visits, trial, and errors and screaming in pain, therapy, etc. for this little dog. I could not help but cringe a little just imagining her screaming from pain.

“Chewie, Shitzu mix, was six months old and dumped at a kill shelter. SNARR stepped in and rescued him. He was flown to NY from SC to me to foster. It turns out he was born with double hip dysplasia. SNARR got him surgery, and my Scruffy fell in love with him, so he became part of the family in September 2014. We “think” he may have a slight neurological issue, but he’s just a quirky guy.”

“Scruffy is a Morkie breed. Although not a true “rescue,” I got him out of a pet store that SNARR eventually got shut down. He was small and underweight when I got him at 4.5 months old. He’s my funny one, my sensitive one, my little protector. Scuffy and Snowy are best friends. If Snowy screams in pain, Scruffy is right there. Scruffy knows when someone has a medical issue. My mom went into diabetic shock one night, and Scruffy knew before it happened that something was wrong. I had some blood pressure issues a few years back, and as I was passing out, Scruffy kept licking my face to keep me awake. Scruffy is a big brother to Chewie and Snowy. He turns eight on May 14th.”

“Scruffy did tear both his ACL’s last year. We operated on 1. So far, with Physical Therapy, hydrotherapy, supplements, etc. we are hoping not to have to operate on his second one.”

Why Do You Do What You Do?

When asked this question, Deana says, “Well, I’ve always loved dogs. I chose not to have children. My first dog was a challenge because he was very aggressive. He later developed seizures. My girl developed a heart problem through the years, and my little guy had cancer. So I “grew” into special needs. I feel these babies need and deserve the same love as a “perfectly healthy or normal ” dog. Most are the best dogs, loveable, etc. They just need extra attention. I only take the ones I know I can handle. There are many that require much more than I can provide, and they have fosters or adapters that are able to take care of their needs. Normal dogs will get adopted quickly. The special needs deserve that same opportunity.”