Partner Spotlight: Pippy’s Pals
Meet Pippy’s Pals, a woman-run rescue serving of one of the areas of highest need in the country when it comes to rescue: Houston, TX. Pippy’s does everything they can to save the lives of dogs going up against the incredibly challenging circumstances of immense shelter overcrowding and low local demand for adoptions (Pippy’s often responsibly transports to awesome adopters in other states in the Northeast, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest).
On her first day volunteering at BARC shelter in Houston, rescue founder Chrissy fell in love with Pippy, a euthanasia-listed, heartworm-positive pittie mix. She saved her life by fostering her, and Pippy is now living her forever happy tail with adoption director Dana. As soon as we heard that story, we knew Pippy’s and The Hansel Foundation were a dream partnership. And as one of our 2025 Hansel Help grant recipients, they’ve proven us so very correct! Here’s what they’ve been able to accomplish with the help of our funding.
First up is baby Tahoe! He’s proof that even well-behaved, kid- and dog-friendly, happy 6-month-old puppies can find themselves on the euthanasia list in the current shelter crisis. Pippy’s saved this boxer/lab mix baby on his euth deadline at the Pasadena, TX shelter. They used some Hansel Help funding to help cover his preventative vet care and tests, training, foster supplies, treatment for some tummy troubles, and his recent transport to upstate NY to find his forever family in the Northeast! He’s still adoptable and you can learn more about him here.
Next came miracle girl Shirley Temple, who has continually been described with the adjective “perfect.”
Pippy’s Pals rescued her when she urgently needed out of Montgomery County Animal Services after being attacked by her kennel mate. Shirley is a shining example of the loving, resilient spirit of dogs. She was in the shelter for three months after being surrendered as part of a disturbing cruelty case. She has probably spent her whole life (approx. 4 years) in a kennel, yet she's still happy and so full of love — she even appeared to hug shelter staff in her intake photo.
Our funding helped cover her diagnosis and treatment for heartworm and giardia, and food for while she’s been in her amazing foster homes. She’s doing SO much better and has been the subject of multiple rescue photo shoots like the star she is.
Eleanor Rigby (now known as Basil) is also so, so special — are you sensing a theme? No more lonely people when this sweet 10-month-old girl with the giant ears is around!!!
Eleanor was a volunteer favorite at BARC in Houston, and volunteers literally saved her young life, blocking staff from taking her to the euthanasia room until she was saved by Pippy’s Pals. She’s absolutely a survivor; she was also hit by a car, and some of our Hansel Help grant was used for her X-rays, as well as her spay, vaccines, and foster supplies. While miraculously, she had no broken bones, it was recently confirmed she will need TPLO surgery for her injury that hasn’t healed as hoped with rest and physical therapy. She’s currently in a loving, foster-to-adopt home who’s ready to make things official once her surgery is scheduled.
Hugely important addition that while they were briefly in the same foster home, she and Tahoe became fast friends and took some of the cutest pics ever taken in the history of the world together!!!
Described as happy and goofy, 1.5-year old mastiff mix Mr. Handsome had a rough start to life. He was at the shelter in Houston for a third time after adoptions didn’t work out, but then Pippy’s scooped him up. They’d had their eye on him after previously rescuing his sisters! He’s a smart dude who does well with other dogs. We’re so happy to share that a portion of our grant was used for his care while in foster AND for transport to his new forever home in upstate NY (which includes a human baby brother and forever BFF!).
While that covers the beneficiaries of our primary grant to Pippy’s Pals this year, we also sent them an additional $500 in August, a small contribution towards the high medical costs of one of their more recent rescues, beautiful Lyra.
Lyra was on the 8/16 euthanasia list, heartworm positive, and in need of TPLO surgeries on both back legs. That’s over $10,000 in medical costs for this small rescue, so please continue to support their care of Lyra and other dogs like her here. We’re thrilled they were able to take a chance on her — “THRIVING” is the word Chrissy used in our most recent email exchange. She should hopefully be done with her treatments by February and ready to go to a forever home then.
