PALM HARBOR, Fla. — We all know how much work it can be to take care of a dog. Now imagine taking on not just one dog, but several, all with major medical issues. It's become an unexpected full time job for Karey Burek, but it's one she wouldn't trade for the world.
At first glance, this motley crew may look like too much to handle. Most people wouldn't even consider taking on dogs like these. Karey Burek isn't most people.
"Everyone kind of writes them off or thinks that, I guess, they're broken. Maybe they think that they're broken and just working with the Suncoast Animal League, we have the ability to make them whole," said Burek.
It's a lesson she learned more than 5 years ago, when she agreed to become a medical foster for Denali, a dog severely burned in a domestic dispute. 10 Tampa Bay covered the story back in 2018.
"People started emailing the shelter and they wanted to meet her, you know like schools, groups, people in the community, and she became this symbol of hope," said Burek.
From there, a temporary foster became a permanent partnership.
"We went through all this training to become a therapy team and I had never, that was not anywhere in my agenda, my life. I had never thought about doing that. So she put me on that path and she changed my life," said Burek.
A couple years later, she found Hugo among a litter of pups abandoned in a park bathroom in the middle of the night.
"He's a dwarf bully. His sisters are about 110 pounds, he's 50 and he has neural issues." Another baby Burek couldn't turn her back on. "He doesn't see evil in the world. He doesn't view anybody as a threat so he thinks everybody is a friend, so he approaches life in that way."
Last spring, Beans came along. He was dropped of at the Suncoast Animal League by an English Bulldog breeder. Just 4 months old, with a number of major medical conditions.
According to Burek, Beans doesn't have hip sockets or kneecaps, which makes his stance a little wide. He has scoliosis, spina bifida, shortened spinal cord syndrome and likely a short time to live.
"You know, he's living his best life. He has no idea, Hugo has no idea that they're any different than any other dog. They just live each day, they love, they play, they have adventures and that's all I can really ask for," said Burek.
Karey Burek shares her pups with the world on Instagram to remind everyone that we all deserve love just the way we are
"With a dog like Beans where you know that he is going to have the shortened life, when you're waiting for the quality of life situation. I feel like I want to pack everything into his life possible, so that I know that he had the best life and had joy."
A joy that Burek wants to everyone to see.
"I'm just trying to put good things out into the world and just spread kindness and joy just like they do," she said.
Karey has created a bucket list for Beans. Beans first birthday is coming up on January 15th and Karey plans to have a big birthday party for him. You can follow all of Beans, Denali and Hugo's adventures on Instagram.
Also, the Suncoast Animal League is having it's annual gala fundraiser on January 13th. Click here to find out how you can help.