A Second Chance for Athena
After being rescued in critical condition, Athena required emergency surgery and intensive medical care. Her recovery will take time, money, and significant resources. We are committed to giving her everything she needs to heal and the second chance at a better life she deserves.
Prefer to mail a check?
Karen Hotem - Treasurer
Doberman Pinscher Rescue of PA, Inc.
1239 Saint Francis RoadBel Air, Maryland 21014
ATHENA UPDATE 3/5/2026
Athena has been released from the hospital and is now home with her foster dad! This sweet girl has had a rough few days but is on her way to a better life.
We want to say thank you to everyone at VEG ER for Pets in Nanuet, NY. You went above and beyond helping save Athena and we could not be more grateful.
We also must express our gratitude to Andrea and Michael who helped transport Athena from the shelter, and have been our on site support for Athena. These two amazing volunteers were at the ER as much as they could be each day so that Athena knew she was loved.
The support our rescue community has shown us in donations and sharing Athena's story has been tremendous. We are in awe of you all and we hope you know that without your support we would not be able to do this incredible work.
Special Needs Dobermans once again stepped up to support DPRPA and we appreciate everything you do for needy Dobermans everywhere.
Athena still has a long road of recovery ahead, but thanks to all of you she now has the chance to heal.
ATHENA UPDATE! 03/04/2026
This sweet girl is a fighter.
Athena has started showing interest in food and has eaten a small amount of low-fat canned food. The veterinary team is slowly increasing her feeding while also continuing support through her feeding tube. They will be drawing blood this morning to make sure she is not developing refeeding syndrome as her body begins to receive more nutrition.
Her blood pressure has stabilized, and she has been able to come off all blood pressure medications, which is encouraging news.
Her protein and albumin levels remain low, so she will likely receive another plasma transfusion today. The team is also working to obtain canine albumin, which can help support her protein levels while her body continues to recover. They did notice some sensitivity in her right forearm when flexing it, so they are keeping a close eye on that area. Her vomiting has stopped, but she is still experiencing some diarrhea, which the veterinarians say is expected given everything her body has been through.
At this point we expect Athena to remain at the ER for at least another 24 hours, but we are hopeful she will be able to return to her foster home within the next couple of days.Two of our longtime volunteers and foster families have been taking turns visiting her at the hospital. When Andrea arrived this morning, Athena simply stood there with her head in Andrea’s hands, soaking up as much affection as she could. Andrea climbed into her recovery kennel and Athena immediately curled up beside her and fell asleep.
While Athena still has a long recovery ahead, she has a lot of people in her corner. We truly cannot thank everyone enough who has donated toward her care. The outpouring of support has been incredibly humbling.
We will continue to share updates as she progresses. Thank you for standing with her. ❤️
Athena was rescued after being found locked inside a crate on someone’s porch. A police officer intervened and she was brought to safety.
When she arrived at the shelter, veterinary notes documented evidence of neglect and severe emaciation. Her body condition score was 2/9. At 4 years old, she weighed barely 30 pounds. She was dehydrated and far too underweight to even be safely spayed. While in the shelter, she vomited a sock. No abdominal imaging was performed at that time.
Within 32 hours of entering foster care, she began vomiting again. Then came the diarrhea. We rushed her to emergency. During surgery, doctors discovered another sock with string attached. Part of it was anchored in her stomach while the rest extended into her small intestines. Multiple incisions were required to remove it safely. This was a serious obstruction. Her intestines were extremely inflamed. During surgery, her blood pressure crashed. She required emergency medications and a plasma transfusion to stabilize her. She remains hospitalized on blood pressure support and is being closely monitored as they attempt to slowly wean those medications.
She now has:
• Multiple abdominal incisions
• A feeding tube in place
• Severe intestinal inflammation
• Ongoing ICU monitoring
Dr. Keto generously performed her spay and preventative gastropexy at no charge while she was already under anesthesia. We are incredibly grateful for that kindness. Athena will remain hospitalized for at least another 24 hours. She is still experiencing significant diarrhea, and her blood pressure remains the primary concern.
This surgery saved her life. Emergency abdominal surgery, plasma transfusion, ICU care, and continued hospitalization come at a significant cost. Our current total is over $11,000 and we are not out of the woods yet. We are asking for your help to cover her life-saving care and ongoing recovery.
She survived being abandoned in a crate. She survived starvation. She survived emergency surgery. Now she needs help surviving recovery. If you are able to donate, no amount is too small. If you cannot donate, please share. Every dollar helps us give her the second chance she deserves.