More proof that truth is stranger than fiction. Ingrid, a 6-year-old pit bull, needs Viagra. No matter that she’s a girl, and that she’s a dog. She needs the little magic pills that give rise to certain coveted effects in men with flagging libidos. Ingrid doesn’t need Viagra for that purpose. She needs it for her heart. The little blue pills — 50 mg, twice per day — keep her alive. Here’s the scoop.
According to the Ingrid spent much of her life tied to a tree. She was in heart failure, caused by heartworms, when she was brought to the Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center on Long Island two years ago. A veterinarian opted to try a round of Viagra, a drug whose original use was as a heart medication that promotes blood flow. It worked on Ingrid.
But the pills are expensive — $10 each. So the shelter put out a call to the public for these pricey pills, and the coffers quickly filled — sometimes by wives who would prefer their husbands not have this drug on hand. Alas, Ingrid is still not well enough to be adopted out, and the shelter is nearing the end of its supply, and is starting a new Viagra drive.
“She’s the first, and the only, dog that I’ve ever known that needs Viagra,” shelter spokeswoman Jodi Record told the Daily News. “If she didn’t have it, she’d most likely go back into heart failure.”
Ingrid isn’t yet up for adoption because of her medical issue, but the hope is that she can be one day. I spoke with a shelter rep today who says she’s a sweet, loving dog who lives to kiss and lick. Until she is well enough to find a forever home, “she has it pretty nice here. She gets so much love and attention and care,” she told me. She just needs her meds.
So if you have extra pills for this pooch, you’ll be helping save her life. You can remain anonymous, but the shelter asks that if you don’t identify yourself, pop a note in with your Viagra donation that says you read about Ingrid on Dogster, so they know it’s as legit as possible. Send your donation to Little Shelter, 33 Warner Road, Huntington, NY 11743.
