Westport Siblings Save and Reunite Dog with Heartbroken Massachusetts Woman [VIDEO]

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been edited from its original published form. Portions have been removed after the case against the person accused was sealed.

Life works in mysterious and wonderful ways when people come together to better humankind.

Humanity was restored recently as Westport residents Shannen Viveiros and her brother Chad Pavao went above and beyond to reconnect a dog with a stranger in Pittsfield. Their journey starts in Westport, continues to New York and ends with an emotional yet happy reunion.

In the end, both Viveiros and Pavao will never forget what they went through just to rescue a dog.

Get our free mobile app

This is their story, as Viveiros tells it:

In June of 2021, I purchased my puppy Pablo from [redacted]. He did not have an easy transition home, and his first few months here were draining. He had giardia and numerous other urinary issues that cost me hundreds of dollars to resolve. When I brought his issues to [redacted]’s attention, I was met with a total lack of interest and concern, which left me with a sour taste in my mouth. Because I declined a health guarantee, I accepted full responsibility for his veterinary care and discontinued my correspondence with [redacted].

 

Fast forward to January 2023, I noticed a Facebook page called 'Exposing [redacted]' surface in a group I was in. This immediately caught my attention due to my prior experience with this breeder.

 

I became engrossed in following everyone’s stories posted in the group and decided to share my own experience of dealing with [redacted]. After being attacked by [redacted] on my Facebook review, she blocked me. This only fueled my desire to expose this breeder for who she really was. As more reviews began to surface, I grew emotionally attached to a specific testimony written by [redacted].

 

On January 28, 2023, [redacted] shared her story about how Radar, a dog she had adopted at 8 weeks old through [redacted]s guardianship program in 2020, was taken back by [redacted] and her daughter [redacted].  She explained how “the very minute [she] met this dog he was [her] entire world." After suffering the loss of her son, Chad, to cancer, Radar was her 'healer' and 'saving grace.' Radar was Tammy’s shadow. He even became the poster child for her dog training business. Following a bad falling-out between [redacted] and [redacted], Radar was stripped from [redacted], leaving her shattered.

 

While at the time of her testimony, she was unable to share the details of her loss, she did disclose that her heart was breaking all over again upon finding him for sale on [redacted]s Facebook page after years of wondering where he was and if he was OK. My heart ached for [redacted], as I couldn’t imagine having Pablo taken away from me. I immediately began thinking of ways to somehow reunite her with Radar.

 

I contemplated starting a fundraiser to collect the funds for purchasing him back from [redacted], but quickly realized I didn’t have that type of time to waste before he was sold to someone else. Because I had just been blacklisted by [redacted], I knew I had to enlist some help to pull off the unthinkable. At 11 p.m. that same night, I called upon my friend Katy and brother Chad.

 

Katy did all the communicating with [redacted], while Chad agreed to take the nine-hour round trip with me to [redacted], from Westport, MA, and put the dog in his name. Our plan was executed seamlessly the following morning, and we were able to secure Radar in a Dollar General parking lot from [redacted]’s daughter, [redacted], less than 12 hours later from first inquiring about the dog.

When we received Radar, he was in rough shape. He was wet, foul-smelling, had apparent dental issues, appeared underweight and was visibly frightened. I wrapped him in a blanket and immediately reached out to [redacted] via Facebook to tell her what I had done. This was my first correspondence with [redacted].

 

Imagine the shock and sheer emotion that we experienced when I was able to reunite [redacted] with her long-lost puppy through my brother Chad. It was almost as if [redacted]’s late son, Chad, had sent us to make this reunion happen. Many tears and stories later, we parted ways, and Radar was able to settle back into his original home with his mama.

After a few warm baths, hearty meals and lots of love, Radar began coming out of his shell. {redacted] was able to get him evaluated by a vet, where it was determined he will need extensive dental work, additional diagnostic testing, and neutering to bring his health back to good standing. While he’s doing much better, he still has a long road ahead.

[redacted] has had a rough go at life. Losing her son Chad to cancer is just a fraction of the hardships she’s endured. She suffers from severe seizures, was homeless in 2021, is a suicide survivor, and is on a fixed income due to her disability. I know [redacted] would sacrifice her own well-being for the sake of Radar, but we took it upon ourselves to help pay for the vet bills to take the extra burden off of [redacted]'s shoulders.

Viveiros is adamant about putting an end to the alleged animal abuse for good, so if you, too, have a story you'd like to share or would like to help, reach out to her at shanpavao@gmail.com.