Meet the foster family who welcomed the LMAS dog Dia

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – In one day, a near-dying dog rescued by Louisville Metro Animal Services found a foster home.

On Monday, LMAS published an article online about the rescue of a pit bull mix named Dia. Animal control found her hungry and homeless, fenced in the yard of a Louisville home. His history is unknown, but the neglect was evident, as ribs ran through his fur and sores covered his entire body.

With the shelter overwhelmed with animals in need of homes, they put out an urgent appeal for a foster family who could give Dia the care and attention she needed to get healthy.

Within hours, LMAS was overwhelmed by an outpouring of support online, and less than 24 hours later, Dia left the shelter and went to the Timmons’ family home.

“We’re going to work on getting him back to weight and getting his skin condition back to where it needs to be,” Ashley Timmons said. “(We’re) going to give her a safe place to figure out what her personality is and then get her back on her feet and ready for adoption.”

Timmons is no stranger to fostering pets through LMAS. She currently has two other foster families in her care, as well as several other dogs that she adopted herself.

Unfortunately, families like Timmons’ are rare. LMAS shelters have been near or at capacity for months. As of September 27, LMAS registered 954 animals in their care, with only 10 spots open in their kennels.

Many of the dogs in their care have been abandoned or rescued from situations like Dia’s.

LMAS cited Dia’s owner for cruelty, which could result in serious consequences under a new Kentucky law. This year, the state passed Ethan’s Law, named after Ethan, the dog who was rescued in 2021 in a similar condition to Dia. The law expands the definitions of animal abuse laws and elevates violations to a Class D felony for each offense.

For Dia’s owner, these accusations are in the hands of prosecutors. Now the accusations are the least of Dia’s problems as she begins to heal from the inside out.

“I’m hopeful. She is very alert. She is friendly. She doesn’t seem to be afraid, which is good,” Timmons said. “We just play it by ear and take it day by day and get a good read on what she needs, both physically and emotionally.”

Dia now has a warm house to sleep in and a large garden to play in whenever she wants. Timmons’ priority is to get her back to a healthy weight, and over time, she will begin socializing her with the other dogs in the house.

It could take at least six weeks before Dia reaches a healthy point making her eligible for adoption, but it will likely be longer.

“It’s a slow and steady process,” Timmons said. “I would like to see if we could get her there just before Christmas and maybe put her in a home for Christmas.”

Visit LMAS for more information on how to foster or adopt.