Christina Boyle
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

 

Sunday, May 16th 2010, 4:00 AM

 

Chu for News

Ingrid, a 6-year-old pit bull, must take Viagra daily for a life-threatening heart condition.

 

Take two Viagra and paw me in the morning.

A Long Island shelter is looking for donations of those little blue pills to save a pit bull with a life-threatening heart condition.

Six-year-old Ingrid is dependent on two daily 50-mg. doses of the libido-revving meds, but her supply of the drug is just 30 days from running out. Caregivers at the shelter are appealing to Viagra users to share their coveted pills to give the much-loved pooch the gift of life.

"She's the first, and the only, dog that I've ever known that needs Viagra," said Jodi Record, spokeswoman for the Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center in Huntington. "If she didn't have it, she'd most likely go back into heart failure."

The shelter launched its first ever Viagra drive two years ago when they first took charge of Ingrid and donations poured in from around the country. The well has nearly run dry.

Anonymous letters arrived by mail with a single pill enclosed. Doctors' donated whatever they could spare. And one woman gleefully handed over her husband's stash of Viagra, believing he was using the pills to fire up an extramarital affair.

"She was happy to be giving it to Ingrid," Record recalled. "As long as her husband wasn't getting it, she was happy."

Another donor walked in and gave Ingrid a month's supply.

"When I asked if he wanted to see Ingrid to see how it helped her he replied: 'Oh, you don't have to tell me. I know how it works.'" 

Actually, there's no scientific evidence that man's favorite pill has the same impact on man's best friend.

Ingrid was rescued by the animal shelter after being neglected by her owners and tied to a fence for most of her life.

The dog was found to have heartworm diseaseand a veterinarian suggested Viagra. The drug was originally developed as a heart medication that promotes blood flow. It is not covered by animal insurance, and costs about $10 a piece.

Ingrid is up for adoption and the staff at the animal shelter say as long as she keeps popping the blue pills, she can lead a long and healthy life. 

"She's such a sweet, loving dog," Record said. "Some people are afraid of pit bulls, but all she's going to do is kiss them."