CARE AND PROTECTION OF ANIMALS CENTER EIN: 83-1827996 Donate Now A Shocking Discovery Animal control officers responded to an anonymous tip about a backyard breeder in Hesperia. What they found was heartbreaking – a tiny German Shepherd mix puppy, later named Phoenix, chained to a rusty barrel with severe mange and infected wounds. “He was so weak he couldn’t even lift his head,” recalls Officer Maria Gonzalez. “But when I picked him up, he gave one small tail wag. That’s when I knew he still had hope.” The Long Road to Recovery At CPAC’s medical center, veterinarians discovered: Advanced demodectic mange covering 80% of his body A severe ear infection causing balance issues Malnutrition stunting his growth Phoenix required: Medicated baths twice weekly Special high-calorie diet Physical therapy for muscle development Foster volunteer David Chen remembers the turning point. “After three weeks, his new fur started growing in. He looked like a patchwork quilt – but the happiest quilt you ever saw.” A Match Made for Healing Retired firefighter Mike O’Reilly had been looking for a companion when he saw Phoenix’s story online. “Something about his eyes reminded me of rescue victims I’d worked with – that mix of trauma

CARE AND PROTECTION OF ANIMALS CENTER EIN: 83-1827996 Donate Now A Desperate Cry in the Cold The call came in just before Christmas – construction workers at an Apple Valley housing development heard faint, high-pitched mews echoing from underground. When they investigated, they found a heartbreaking sight: a tiny orange kitten, barely four weeks old, trapped in an icy drainage pipe with water rising around him. CPAC rescue specialist Jake Torres responded immediately. “When I shined my flashlight down that pipe, I saw two glowing eyes looking back,” Jake recalls. “He was paddling desperately to keep his nose above water, his fur completely matted with ice. That image still haunts me.” The kitten’s condition was dire. His body temperature had plummeted to dangerous levels, and his weak cries were fading fast. Jake carefully fished him out with a net, wrapping the shivering bundle against his chest for warmth during the frantic drive to CPAC’s emergency clinic. The Fight to Save Four Tiny Paws At CPAC’s medical center, Dr. Lisa Chen discovered severe frostbite affecting all four paws. “The tissue damage was extensive,” she explains. “We weren’t sure if he’d ever walk normally again.” Popsicle’s treatment plan was intensive: Hourly warm

CARE AND PROTECTION OF ANIMALS CENTER EIN: 83-1827996 Donate Now The Rescue That Broke Our Hearts It was a rainy November evening when a Good Samaritan called about a “skin-and-bones cat” hiding in the engine compartment of an abandoned car at a Hesperia junkyard. Our animal control officer, Miguel Santos, spent two hours carefully extracting the terrified calico, who we later named Luna. “She was so frail, her ribs showed through her patchy fur,” Miguel recalls. “But what haunted me most were her eyes—wide with terror, like she’d given up on kindness.” Back at CPAC’s clinic, Luna’s exam revealed severe malnutrition, a respiratory infection, and old scars suggesting past abuse. “Her front teeth were broken, likely from trying to eat garbage,” said Dr. Hernandez. “This wasn’t just neglect—this was survival.” The Slow Unfolding of Trust Luna’s rehabilitation became a masterclass in patience. For the first three weeks in foster care with volunteer Sarah Mitchell, Luna lived inside a specially prepared “safe room” with hiding boxes and vertical spaces. “She’d freeze like a statue if I made direct eye contact,” Sarah explains. Progress came in tiny increments—the first time Luna took food without hissing, the first night she slept on the

CARE AND PROTECTION OF ANIMALS CENTER EIN: 83-1827996 Donate Now A Desperate Discovery in the Dead of Winter The call came from a horrified McDonald’s employee who discovered a skeletal senior dog methodically licking frozen grease stains behind their Hesperia location during a record-breaking cold snap. Animal Control Officer Miguel Santos arrived to find what he initially mistook for a pile of discarded rags—until a faint whimper revealed the shocking truth. “She was so emaciated her hips protruded like coat hangers,” Miguel recounts, voice cracking. “The worst part? Her collar had clearly been cut off, leaving raw indentations in her neck fur. Someone had deliberately abandoned this old girl to die.” At CPAC’s emergency intake, the veterinary team worked urgently as the dog—now named Grandma Pearl—hovered between life and death. “Her body temperature was so low our thermometers couldn’t register it,” says Dr. Priya Kapoor, who supervised the careful warming process. “We later estimated she’d been surviving on fast food scraps for weeks based on the pancreatitis flare-up. But even dehydrated and freezing, she kept gently licking our hands as we worked. That unbroken spirit is what made us fight for her.” The Unexpected Challenges of Healing an Old Soul

CARE AND PROTECTION OF ANIMALS CENTER EIN: 83-1827996 Donate Now A Desperate Cry for Help The call came in on one of those bitter winter mornings that makes even the hardiest desert creatures seek shelter. A local gas station attendant reported seeing a “scared, injured dog” hiding beneath a parked truck for three straight days. Our CPAC rescue team mobilized immediately, arriving to find Duke – a matted, underweight terrier mix who barely lifted his head when approached. Volunteer Marta Rodriguez remembers the moment vividly: “His eyes told the whole story – pain, exhaustion, and most heartbreaking of all, resignation. He’d clearly given up hope.” Duke’s physical condition was dire. His fur was so matted it had to be carefully shaved, revealing a body covered in old scars and fresh wounds. The worst discovery came at our clinic: X-rays showed a badly healed pelvic fracture, likely from being hit by a vehicle weeks earlier. “The fact that he survived this long on the streets with such injuries is miraculous,” noted Dr. Alvarez, our lead veterinarian. The Long Road to Recovery Duke’s rehabilitation became an all-hands-on-deck effort at CPAC. Our medical team performed delicate surgery to repair his pelvis, followed by

CARE AND PROTECTION OF ANIMALS CENTER EIN: 83-1827996 Donate Now A Harrowing Rescue in the Dead of Night The distress call that shattered the quiet of our emergency line described sounds no animal lover could ignore—high-pitched, panicked yelps echoing from the depths of a storm drainage system near Victorville’s busiest trucking route. Our rescue team arrived to find a scene that would haunt even seasoned responders: a pitifully small brindle puppy, later named Tank, wedged between rusted pipes with his hindquarters crushed beneath debris. Officer Daniela Ruiz, who army-crawled through 18 inches of filthy water to reach him, recalls the moment with visceral clarity: “His entire body was shaking, but when I touched him, he stopped crying just long enough to lick my finger. That tiny gesture—that instinct to trust despite everything—is what kept me fighting for him during those critical first hours.” At CPAC’s ICU, the veterinary team worked under the harsh glow of surgical lights as Tank’s fragile body revealed the full extent of his suffering. “We counted seven broken bones, including a compound fracture in his right femur,” Dr. Evan Park explains, pointing to the X-rays that still hang in their staff lounge as a reminder of