{"id":7206,"date":"2026-04-06T04:35:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T03:35:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/?p=7206"},"modified":"2026-04-06T04:35:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T03:35:43","slug":"lulu-a-dog-abandoned-in-the-florida-everglades-finds-forever-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/?p=7206","title":{"rendered":"Lulu, a dog abandoned in the Florida Everglades, finds forever home"},"content":{"rendered":"


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From paws burned on scorching asphalt and her tail swarming with fleas, to the comfort of the living room couch and a pink collar around her neck, Lulu has finally learned what it\u2019s like to have a loving home.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was left to die in Miami,\u201d said Stuart resident Lauren Provenzano, who adopted the 5-year-old American bulldog after she was rescued and recovered from surgery in February.<\/p>\n

When life calls for a pet owner to give up their dog or cat, some people take them to an animal shelter or give them to trustworthy friends or family. Others abandon them in the Florida Everglades.<\/p>\n

The epidemic<\/a> that overwhelms South Florida animal shelters and volunteer rescue operations that desperately need people like Provenzano to adopt unwanted pets dumped in the swamp.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m gonna spoil her for the rest of her life,\u201d Provenzano told TCPalm in August. \u201cShe\u2019s doing just fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

What happens to dogs that are abandoned in the Everglades<\/h2>\n

Lulu and abandoned animals like her face a variety of threats in the Everglades, including starvation, dehydration and mosquito-borne illnesses. There’s a long list of dangerous predators such as bobcats, panthers, coyotes, alligators, crocodiles, Burmese pythons and poisonous toads. Getting hit by vehicles is another common hazard.<\/p>\n

Lulu was 20 pounds underweight, weighing 60 when she should have weighed 80, according to veterinarian Mary Bressman of Stuart. Lulu had cuts, burns, anal sores and a fistula that made going to the bathroom painful. She had a mammary tumor and myriad other issues she may never recover from, including allergies and missing teeth.<\/p>\n

“She stayed a week,” said Provenzano, who helped Lulu’s rescuers get her to the vet. “She had a lot of health issues, unfortunately, that we had to cure for her, and then I fell in love with her. I visited her every day and I decided to adopt her myself.”<\/p>\n

Provenzano paid all the vet bills to remove Lulu’s tumor, spay her, give her antibiotics, immunosuppressive medicine and proper nutrition. Now Lulu is on track with her weight and is as healthy as she can be.<\/p>\n

In her forever home with Provenzano\u2019s family, she has a cozy bed, reliable food and air-conditioning. She wears pink pajamas and loves playing with her also-rescued siblings, Franklin and Liam.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s been through quite a bit,” Provenzano said. “She\u2019s a good girl. If people learn from this, that\u2019s the best thing. You got to do something, got to help.”<\/p>\n

Dog rescue, animal shelters, pet adoption<\/h2>\n
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