“Kamali” is the 1,000th Dog Saved Through KodiakCare’s Lifesaving Grant Program
BOSTON, April 29, 2025 – Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston and the New England-based nonprofit KodiakCare are celebrating a major milestone—more than one-thousand dogs saved—following the harrowing case of Kamali, a seven-year-old mixed breed dog who was in need of emergency care to save not just her life, but the lives of her unborn puppies.
Kamali’s owners planned for her to give birth at their New Hampshire home in February 2025, even setting up a special birthing suite for her, but fate had different plans.
“Kamali labored for a full day,” explained her owner, Angella Pucillo-Driscoll, who is no stranger to complicated medical situations as a medical assistant at an urgent care office. “After hours of panting with no progress, we tried to move Kamali, but then the first puppy got stuck in the birth canal, and it was really scary.”
“That’s when we knew we needed the kind of advanced care we could only get at Angell, so we packed up the car and headed to Boston.”
A Complicated Case
“There’s a big risk of infection with cases like Kamali’s,” explained Dr. Kiko Bracker, service director of Angell Animal Medical Center’s Emergency and Critical Care Department. “When she came in, we knew that she would need an emergency c-section, and, unfortunately, these things can be really expensive.”
Kamali’s family applied for financial assistance through the MSPCA’s Pet Care Assistance fund, and KodiakCare stepped up to cover the remaining costs.
“As doctors, we want to do everything that we can to save patients like Kamali who come through our doors in distress,” Bracker expounded. “We’re really grateful for funds like these that allow us to focus on getting pets the care they need, instead of having difficult conversations about possible surrender or euthanasia.”
Angell emergency staff helped Kamali give birth to five healthy puppies in the early hours of February 8, marking a major milestone for Angell and KodiakCare.
A Landmark Save
Kamali was the 1,000th dog to receive lifesaving medical care thanks to KodiakCare, which operates in Boston and 10 other cities across the country.
“We founded this organization in honor of our late Bernese Mountain Dog, Kodiak,” explained Glenn Shapiro, a retired insurance executive who cofounded the organization along with his wife, Nancy. “Kodiak received the best possible care at Angell and ended up living nine years longer than expected.”
“All pet parents should have that chance, regardless of their position in life, and that’s why we started this organization,” he added.
Now that the puppies are old enough to leave the nest, Pucillo-Driscoll recently found adopters for four of them, while the fifth will remain with Kamali. All will be spayed or neutered before going to their new homes—an important piece of controlling animal overpopulation in New England.
Those interested in learning more about KodiakCare are encouraged to visit its website, kodiakcare.org.
