NIAGARA COUNTY, N.Y. (WKBW) — A family is in dire need of help but luckily some friendly neighbors are trying to make sure they do not lose their four-legged companions.
The Niagara SPCA said a man stopped by their location with tears streaming down his face after realizing he would have to surrender his two dogs, Raven and Luna.
"They're not available for adoption. The owners actually signed them over, technically, to the shelter. They did that before they knew I had this plan," Niagara SPCA executive director Amy Lewis said.
Chris Segura's wife, Nicole, suffered a stroke last January, leaving her in a wheelchair.
She also had to leave her job. With the household income reduced, the family was no longer able to make ends meet.
Nicole suffered a heart-related event where she coded and has been waiting on a heart transplant since.
Because of this the shelter felt compelled to help.
"Shelters are not the best places and so many shelters and rescues are so full and so many people are facing this issue,” Lewis said.
Unfortunately, the shelter like many others, do not have the capacity for the two dogs.
They are trying to help Chris raise money and get back on his feet, so the shelter's executive director created a GoFundMe with a $20,000 goal.
"It's so difficult for people to find alternatives and this is kind of out-of-the-box thinking. This is not something that we would traditionally not do. It's just not our mission but he kind of tugged on our heartstrings and it just seems one thing after another, after another has happened to this poor family,” Lewis said.
