In March 2022, Luisa, a one-year-old black pit bull-mix, was one of three dogs found tethered to the lobby of an apartment building. After being rescued by the NYPD, Luisa was brought to the ASPCA Canine Annex for Recovery and Enrichment (CARE) where she would receive the care, attention and love she deserved. 

At CARE it was discovered that Luisa had skin infections causing hair loss, chronic diarrhea, inappetence and weight loss. To help her heal, she received medical care from Dr. Sarah Mantovani, Medical Supervisor at CARE and Dr. Sylvia Lesnikowski, Director of Internal Medicine and Clinical Research at the ASPCA Animal Hospital (AAH). 

“Skin infections are usually secondary to severe allergies, either from something in the environment, fleas or food,” explains Dr. Mantovani. “But when there is hair loss and an obvious infection like in Luisa’s case, we first have to clear up that infection before or in addition to addressing the underlying cause.”

Dr. Mantovani started Luisa with an oral and topical treatment for a bacterial skin infection, and while her condition improved, it wasn’t fully resolved. 

“A skin cytology showed that in addition to bacteria, she also had an overgrowth of yeast on the skin and her eyes,” Dr. Mantovani tells us. “We added on treatment for yeast on both the ears and skin. We then started to address the underlying cause by giving her medication to control the itch associated with the environmental allergies as well as hydrolyzed food in case there was a food component. She also had a pattern of hair loss around her eyes which is a common presentation for a mite called demodex, so we treated this too and the hair loss around the eyes resolved.”

Luisa was also given Omega fatty acid to help improve her skin overall.

In addition to treating her skin infections, Luisa saw Dr. Lesnikowski for chronic diarrhea and Giardia. Dr. Lesnikowski started Luisa on steroids and kept her on a special diet which resolved the diarrhea and began a treatment for the Giardia. 

“She handled all her exams fine—just with LOTS of energy!” Dr. Mantovani remembers. 

Once her medical conditions were all under control or resolved, Luisa was transferred to the ASPCA Adoption Center, where she patiently waited for her person to find her. 

Sandra D. and her daughter, Alexis, were looking to add a medium or large-sized furry friend to their family who would go with them on adventures like hiking and camping. Having been ASPCA donors for years, they decided to check out our website where they eventually spotted Luisa and knew they had to meet her. 

“This was our first time visiting the Adoption Center and it was amazing, everyone spoke about the animals with love and compassion,” says Alexis. “As soon as they brought Luisa out to us, she ran to me and rolled on her back for tummy rubs. Right there I knew she chose me, and I wanted to take her home that second.”

That day, almost five months after her rescue, Alexis and Sandra brought Luisa to her new home and life in Connecticut. 

When she first arrived home, Luisa was timid inside the house, but outside, she was running around and playing fetch almost immediately. From there, it took about a week for Luisa to be comfortable indoors and about a month for her to decompress completely. 

Now, almost a year later, Luisa, or LuLu as Alexis calls her, spends her days hiking and enjoying adventures with her family. 

Having built a strong foundation and connection with Lulu, Alexis offers advice to others looking to adopt a shelter dog.  

“Stick to a schedule to help your new friend decompress. You don’t want to overstimulate them, and you want them to help build trust with you. You started off as strangers, so it takes time, patience, love, affection and many hours of learning to build a relationship with them.” 

Alexis and Sandra wouldn’t trade their relationship with Lulu for the world. 

“Lulu has completely turned our lives around,” Alexis tells us. “She is the perfect dog when it comes to family, being outdoors, friendliness and how much love she has to give. We could not have found a better fit for this family, and she will be treated like a queen for her entire life.”