PETS

After owner was arrested for abusing her, this pet of the week needs a loving home.

Lola's previous owner was arrested after she made a 'phenomenal recovery.' She's one of two pets of the week for the week of March 18.

Katherine Kokal
Palm Beach Post
Lola, a one-year-old spayed female dog, is The Palm Beach Post's pet of the week for the week of March 18. She underwent a dramatic surgery and recovery after being found with shoelaces tied around her neck that caused swelling of her head and made it hard for her to breathe.

Update: Both Lola and Bleu have been adopted!

A dog whose owner tied shoelaces tightly around her neck was rescued from her abusive home and rehabilitated for two months. Now, she's recovered and ready to live life with a family that loves her.

Welcome to The Palm Beach Post's Pet of the Week, a series where we feature animals up for adoption in Palm Beach County in hopes of finding them a forever home. This week's pets have survived pain and unthinkable treatment, but they embody the resilient spirit of dogs desperate to give someone their love.

This week's pets are Lola and Bleu Davinci. Lola's owner was arrested by The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in January after someone called police worried about the dog's condition. The one-year-old dog underwent surgery to remove the makeshift collar that was making it difficult for her to breathe and causing massive swelling of her head. Now, she's looking for a home that can give her the love and care she deserves.

Bleu Davinci is a senior dog who is well-trained, well-behaved and looking for a loving home, too. He came to Animal Control with an infection in his feet that his previous owner couldn't provide care for. Animal Control cleaned his feet and cured the infection, restoring him to health and allowing him walk without pain again.

Here's what to know about our pets of the week, including what Animal Care and Control staffers say about Lola and Bleu Davinci's personalities:

ADOPTED: Bleu Davinci

Bleu Davinci, a 10-year-old neutered male dog, is The Palm Beach Post's adoptable pet of the week for the week of March 18.
  • Age: 10 years old
  • Weight: 53 lbs
  • Sex: Male, neutered
  • Animal ID: AA2159778

About her: Bleu may be older, but he proves that age is just a number. He is well-trained and very well-behaved. He waits patiently for kennel staff and volunteers to take him out of his kennel, and he gets along well with other dogs. Bleu has a great temperament for adventuring or just staying home and relaxing — this gentle boy just wants affection! Bleu Davinci has a lot more life in him, he just needs a new home that can give him the love and care he deserves.

For more information, you can check out Bleu's online profile on the animal care website.

ADOPTED: Lola

Lola, a one-year-old spayed female dog, is The Palm Beach Post's pet of the week for the week of March 18.
  • Age: 1 year, 8 months old
  • Weight: 65 lbs
  • Sex: Female, spayed
  • Animal ID: A2161617

About her: Lola came to Animal Control needing immediate surgery and care to reduce painful swelling in her face. She needed 25 stitches to close the wound around her neck caused by the shoelaces. Animal Control staff noted that she'd likely just had puppies when she was rescued.

A dramatic before and after collage shows the swelling in Lola's head before her makeshift shoelace collar was removed by Animal Control staff. She has recovered and is now ready for adoption,

Staff said she made a "phenomenal" recovery in just three days after her surgery. Lola is extremely affectionate and loves to kiss kennel staff, and they say the young dog enjoys playing with toys. Despite the fact that she's 65 lbs, she may think she's a lap dog. Lola loves to jump up into volunteer's laps to cuddle.

How to adopt a cat or dog in Palm Beach County

You can start the adoption process in person or online.

To begin in person, visit Animal Care and Control during normal business hours at 7100 Belvedere Road in suburban West Palm Beach to fill out an application and meet the pets there.

To begin the process online:

  1. Use the pet's animal ID number (listed above) to search them on Animal Control's online database.
  2. Click on the "Ready to Adopt? Click Here" link to the right of the pet's photo.
  3. Fill out the two-page downloadable adoption application​ and email it to Animal Control at PSD-ACCSupport@pbcgov.org.
  4. Once Animal Control has reviewed your application, a team member will contact you to confirm that you have been approved to adopt. Submittal of an online application does not guarantee the pet's availability.

Adoption fees: This month, standard adoption fees are waived at Animal Care and Control. Adoption fees are usually $60 for adult dogs, $75 for puppies and $50 for cats and kittens. Palm Beach County residents who are 55 years and older are offered a discounted adoption fee.

Note: All animals adopted from Animal Control will be spayed if female or neutered if male. They will be up-to-date on vaccinations, protected against fleas and ticks and microchipped.

About fostering: If you are not ready for a long-term commitment, you may want to consider offering foster care to a pet. This is a great way to get the feel for becoming a pet parent, and it allows you and your new prospective pet to get to know each other. You can find more information about fostering on Animal Control's website.

Have you adopted one of The Palm Beach Post's pets of the week?

We'd like to track our impact, and potentially feature you in a "where are they now"-style story this year.

If you've adopted a pet featured in this series, tell us about it here: https://forms.gle/nN9w7cmCQRJmVcus6

We won't use any of your information without contacting you first.

Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. She has a dog, Cooper, who is 8 years old, and a kitten, Benny, who is 9 months old. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work:Subscribe today!