Most of you probably remember what you were doing in March of 2020 when the world first shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Denise Katz is no different.
“Just for fun, I started an animal shelter in my garage,” the doctor of veterinary medicine says. “My background is as a shelter vet. I needed something to do, and I wanted to help animals, specifically animals with health issues.”
That “just for fun” shelter kept growing. By September, The LOVE Pet Project had gained its 501c3 nonprofit status, and during the first year alone, the organization took in around 700 animals.
“It grew bigger than my garage,” Katz says, “and it just kept snowballing into what it is today.”
This past year, The LOVE Pet Project has helped find homes for more than 3,000 animals.
“We take the dogs in, no questions asked,” Katz says. “We find out what’s wrong with them, and we treat them if possible.”
Katz and a second full-time veterinarian, Payton Thomas, perform any surgeries they can and seek additional support whenever they can’t, working with organizations like Indy Animal Surgery Center, Animal Allergy and Dermatology Clinic and the Purdue veterinary cardiology team.
“The vet community has been so welcoming to what we do,” she says. “We are so lucky to have those relationships. We spare no expense at all. We’re willing to take the risk to see if these dogs can live a full life.”
Despite many of the animals they bring in having medical issues, they have achieved a 98.9 percent live release rate, which means they lose very few of their rescues. They work with shelters in Chicago and Texas, where about one-third of their animals go after being spayed or neutered and having any health issues repaired. The other two-thirds of rescues are adopted locally.
Katz says there is often a lot of shame involved in the rescue process, whether it is shaming breeders, shaming those who surrender their animals or shaming those for whom placements don’t work out.
“I wanted to take the shame out of sheltering,” she says. “I don’t care how an animal comes to us. If they need us, we’re here.”
Katz describes The LOVE Pet Project as a collaborative environment, where everyone can work together to provide the best outcome for every animal. In addition, the nonprofit takes the rescue process a step further, working to help the general pet population.
As a vet, Katz will track health issues with certain litters and take that information to breeders and let them know what they can do to keep the problems from recurring. Many times, the breeders are receptive to doing further testing and implementing recommendations to ensure a healthy outcome for future puppies.
Katz even helps with research for various treatment options as she has the pet population from which to draw meaningful data.
“I feel like that’s a really important part of our process,” she says.
The LOVE Pet Project holds adoption events on a regular basis and is available by appointment.
“We are always looking for foster homes and for people to volunteer,” Katz says. “There are a lot of different ways to get involved other than taking a dog home.”
To learn more about The LOVE Pet Project and to see animals available for adoption, visit TheLovePetProject.wordpress.com and follow them on social media @the_lovepetproject.
“I wanted to take the shame out of sheltering. I don’t care how an animal comes to us. If they need us, we’re here. We find out what’s wrong with them, and we treat them if possible.”