birch

You can fill out an adoption application online on our official website.Meet Birch, a handsome young fella who is ready to find a family to grow up with! Birch was just 5 months old when he first came into Safe Haven, along with his siblings Olive and Willow. He shares the same unique heritage, with a father who was an American Eskimo and Great Pyrenees blend and a mother who was a Pit Bull mix, resulting in a one-of-a-kind boy with a heart of gold. Birch is incredibly lovable and sweet, and will thrive in a home committed to helping him build the confidence he needs to navigate the world as a well-adjusted adult. Sadly all of Birch's siblings were quickly adopted, leaving him behind at the shelter. This is only because at his first vet appointment Birch was found to have a rare, serious dental condition called enamel hypoplasia. This condition occurs when the enamel fails to form completely as the permanent adult teeth were forming, likely when he was around 5 or 6 weeks old.  This typically happens when a puppy has an infection where they have a high fever. During this illness Birch had to fight off that fever so hard, that his little body had to halt some of the other processes, like enamel development, in order to survive. Enamel is necessary to protect teeth from damage, bacteria and plaque buildup. Without enamel, Birch's underlying soft, sensitive tooth dentin is exposed and will have rapid tartar buildup, with increased fractures and infection in his tooth pulp to follow. In order to help Birch, it was necessary to have a consult with a Board Certified Veterinary Specialist as soon as possible since this is a time sensitive medical case. In June, Birch had a consult with Dr. Mathis at Animal Dentistry Referral Services in Des Moines.  At this consult appointment we learned that once Birch is 9 months old (in August) his growth plates in his jaw are likely to be mature and closed. This will be the ideal time to have the necessary enamel restoration process. Dr Mathis will perform 3-D imaging and then go through Birch's mouth examining all 42 teeth, performing extractions where necessary and then build back up the areas that the enamel never formed on the remaining teeth using a dental resin composite.  This appointment is scheduled for August 3rd, and will be an expensive undertaking, likely to cost over $4,000. Safe Haven has spent several months fundraising and writing grant requests in order to try and provide the advanced medical care that Birch requires. Once this procedure is completed, it is likely to help protect his teeth for three to four years before needing maintenance and repairs. It will be imperative that Birch only has soft plush or rubber toys, to help protect his teeth restoration. His future family will need to take these after care instructions and the future expense into consideration as there will be upkeep on the composite sealant as it wears over time from ordinary use. The great news is that Birch is a fantastic pup and will repay some lucky adopter with years of amazing commitment and companionship! While we know he is surely worth it - this medical concern needs to be kept in mind when considering adopting Birch to make sure his adopter can financially plan for this care and expected expense down the road.   If you have the time and love to dedicate to this sweet boy’s journey, and are able to meet his medidal needs - please submit an online adoption application today to meet Birch!Visit this organization's web site to see any additional information available about this pet.August 4, 2026, 1:34 pm