Seal Sitters is elated to share the news that our little pup Primo is winging her way to the San Juans as we speak. With the authorization of NOAA, SS volunteers removed Primo from the beach at 6:45 this morning. She spent the entire night on the beach tucked behind a log. Volunteers checked on her throughout the night and were on the scene before daylight. Primo was driven to PAWS where she was quickly evaluated by their staff.

As of last evening, it was determined she would most likely need to be euthanized this morning. Volunteers were disheartened at her downturn yesterday afternoon and evening, though we tried our best to keep our hopes up and remain positive. As many of you know, seal pups only have about a 50% survival rate. She had been thin from the very day she hauled out on the south end of Alki Beach, but was excruciatingly thin yesterday. It was obvious that Primo was in a serious situation. Kristin Wilkinson (NOAA) and Dyanna Lambourn (WDFW) began to put things into motion late yesterday to see what steps could be taken to help Primo.

Upon Primo’s arrival at PAWS this morning, she (yes, our first pup is a little girl) exhibited some feisty behavior that led the team to think that she might be able to survive. She was severely dehydrated so they stabilized her with fluids and a dextrose solution. She had no lesions in her mouth, but did have an exposed opening where the umbilicus had been attached. Since this is a vulnerable spot for pups to get deadly infections, she was immediately started on antibiotics. She weighed just over 13 lbs. The typical weight of a newborn seal is 18-26 pounds, which gives an idea of how thin she truly was. Her age is estimated to be 2-3 weeks old. There are many scenarios as to why she would be alone without a mother to nurse her. Upon hearing that Primo had a chance, Kristin put the wheels in motion for possible transport to Wolf Hollow on San Juan Island. Kenmore Air donated a flight in order to help save her. The good news is that Primo now has a fighting chance to survive.

Please donate generously to PAWS and Wolf Hollow. They are the only rehab facilities in the entire state of Washington for seal pups. They are privately funded and the cost of rehabbing a seal pup is extraordinary. Our deepest thanks to Kenmore Air for making sure Primo made the 12:30 flight.

As always, Seal Sitters is so incredibly grateful to our support team of Kristin and Dyanna who always go the extra mile for us. Thanks to our many dedicated volunteers and to the very concerned and caring public who watched over Primo the past few days. Please keep an eye on the blog where we will post updates on her condition. And keep Primo in your thoughts as she is not out of the woods and the next hours are critical.

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