Scoot to the Stars
A new non-profit is working to rehabilitate dogs with special needs and find them loving homes
RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - One look into little Gracie’s eyes, and you are instantly hooked.
This 3-year-old pup is full of spunk and doesn’t slow down, even without the full use of her back legs. Some would say Gracie is a lost cause. But not her foster, Angie Pace, and a new non-profit called Scoot to the Stars.
“We think that every dog deserves a chance,” said Marie Syrovy, founder of Scoot to the Stars.
She started the non-profit after adopting her dog, Scooter, in 2020.
MARIE SYROVY FOUNDED SCOOT TO THE STARS AFTER ADOPTING HER DOG SCOOTER--- IN 2020.
“He had no feeling and no function in his back legs, and I started bringing him ...to Blue Pearl,” she said.
Blue Pearl is a specialty and emergency pet hospital, and one of the services offered is physical therapy. That’s right, physical therapy for dogs.
“It’s a thing,” Pace said. “We can do physical therapy for dogs.”
Pace is also a physical therapist who began her career working with humans and then transitioned to caring for pets. She first met Syrovy while working with Scooter, and thanks to lots of dedication and hard work, Scooter learned how to use his back legs.
“Every time I see Scooter take steps at home, it’s amazing,” Syrovy said. “You just can’t believe the recovery that he has made. He’s running in the backyard with no wheelchair and no assistance.”
That inspired Syrovy to create this non-profit so dogs like Scooter, and now Gracie, can have a chance at a better life.
“When [Gracie] first came in, she did not move her hind legs at all,” Pace said. “She would just drag them behind her. Even in her wheelchair. Now after a couple months of therapy she gets in the wheelchair and she uses all four legs.”
That’s the mission behind Scoot to the Stars.
“We focus on dogs with mobility impairments,” Syrovy said. “Our goal is to bring them in and rehabilitate them and find them forever homes.”
Many of the dogs the non-profit has saved have come from Texas since that state has a high number of kill shelters. While progress isn’t promised, if they aren’t given the chance to improve, they never will.
“To Scoot to the Stars, these dogs they rescue like Gracie that have neurological issues, they have a long road of recovery ahead of them and progress can sometimes be slow,” Pace said. “But Scoot to the Stars, they’re committed and absolutely dedicated to giving them the care they need.”
Scoot to the Stars covers 100% of the costs to fosters who take in these dogs. If you would like to donate, or learn more about them, visit Scoot to the Stars.
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