Jenny Desmond is no stranger to rescuing animals in need. She and her husband run the Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue and Protection Sanctuary, a sanctuary that looks after about 35 orphaned chimpanzees.
In January 2016, Jenny got the chance to save another animal in need: a tiny, dying puppy.
Jenny and some members of her team were driving through a village near the sanctuary when they saw the little puppy. The puppy was missing huge chunks of his fur, and he was covered in sores. If Jenny didn’t do something, it was clear he wasn’t going to make it.
Jenny rushed the puppy home and brought him to her husband Jimmy, who’s a veterinarian. Jimmy said that the poor puppy was starving, and he started digesting his own muscle.
Jimmy cleaned up the puppy’s sores and gave him lots of food and water. Jenny decided to name the puppy Snafu.
Over the next week, Snafu got stronger and stronger. Soon, his fur began growing back.
“His hair is starting to kind of look more normal. He didn’t even look like he had fur or hair. There used to be big chunks of skin and there’s not that much of it anymore,” Jenny said. “Every day it looks like he’s getting better, but as with most animals we rescue there’s a day when it seems like they’re taking a turn.”
When Snafu was healthy enough, Jenny introduced him to the orphaned chimps.
The chimps absolutely loved the puppy, and he loved them back. The chimps seemed to realize that Snafu was still fragile, and so they carefully held him and carried him down the steps in the sanctuary.
Over the next year, Snafu grew into a happy and healthy young dog. Snafu loved his mom and dad, and he also enjoyed playing with the chimps at the sanctuary.
Jenny and Jimmy loved Snafu, but since they traveled so much they couldn’t give him all the attention he deserved. And so, Jenny called her sister in Colorado and asked if she wanted to adopt Snafu. She quickly agreed, and in December 2017, Jenny and Snafu flew over to Colorado.
Snafu absolutely loved Jenny’s sister, and he also loved playing with her nieces. It was clear that Snafu was going to be well-loved in his new home.
After getting Snafu settled into his new home, Jenny headed back to Liberia to continue her work saving orphaned chimps. She shared an adorable video of the chimps playing on her Facebook page.
Jenny is always taking in new chimps. In May 2019, she rescued a little chimp named Tracey. The poor chimp was living in a cage, but now she has plenty of space to roam and play!
Jenny has done an incredible job looking after both the chimps and dogs in her life! If you want to learn more about Snafu, check out the video below. If you’d to help Jenny with her lifesaving work, consider donating to the Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue.
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