Thursday, January 27, 2011

No Justice for Baby Justice

Today was one of those days where I woke up and had that awful feeling in my stomach. I was hoping to hear good news today that Justice, the pug that was hit by a car, had made some improvements over night. Unfortunately, he had once again deteriorated. It had been 5 days, and still no progress. No feeling in his lower body, no anal tone, no ability to defecate or urinate on his own, his spine had become necrotic...he was suffering. All that could be done was to keep him comfortable and drugged up on pain meds and sedatives to help him sleep. He could not get comfortable no matter how he tried to lay. He was broken inside, and noone could fix it. No vet, no specialist. God had other plans for Justice....
It makes me so angry that someone let this dog out and let him get hit by a car. It makes me angry that he laid in the middle of the road suffering before finally a good samaritan took him to the ER. He deserved better. Today we let him go. He crossed over the rainbow bridge, and won't suffer any longer. He will not be in agony any more. This is the hardest part of rescue. When you do all you can, and you still can't save them. It's hard to have to be the one to make that decision about letting an animal go. For selfish reason, I want him to stay with me forever. But I know in my heart that he had already left us. He looked at me with pleading eyes as if to say "Please let me go. It hurts too much". He is gone, but he will never be forgotten. Some touch our hearts and take a piece of us when they go. Justice did that. He will always have a piece of my heart. I love you Justice. May you finally rest comfortably. I will see you again one day.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Gabriel

For those that didn't read Gabriel's original story, I have posted it below. But for those who do know his story, below are some updated photos of him happily living in his forever home. I can't think of a better family for him; What a deserving boy he is. This is what makes rescue worth the heartache. Thank you to the Oyer family for allowing Gabe to "choose them" as his forever home.




MEET GABRIEL. HE IS THE MOST STUNNING PEKINESE MOST OF US HAVE EVER SEEN. HIS PHYSICAL BEAUTY IS ONLY SURPASSED BY THAT OF HIS SOUL AND SPIRIT. HE CAME TO OUR RESCUE ON NOVEMBER 29, 2010 AFTER SURVIVING AN ORDEAL THAT, HAD IT BEEN INFLICTED ON A HUMAN, WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN CHARGES OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AGAINST THE PERSON WHO CAUSED THIS "ANGEL" SUCH SUFFERING, SADNESS AND PAIN. HE WAS GIVEN THE NAME GABRIEL, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF HIS WONDERFUL, SOULFUL PERSONALITY, BUT ALSO IN HOMAGE TO THE ANGELS THAT MUST HAVE BEEN WATCHING OVER HIM.
GABRIEL IS 2 1/2 YEARS OLD. HE WAS BROUGHT INTO AN URBAN SHELTER WITH BLOOD COMING FROM HIS MOUTH, EARS AND EYES. HE FACE WAS SO SWOLLEN, HE COULD NOT OPEN HIS EYES. HIS BRAIN WAS SWELLING FROM THE TRAUMA. WE BELIEVE HE WAS BARELY CONSCIOUS UPON ARRIVAL. HIS OWNER SAID THEIR DAUGHTER HAD BEAT HIM WITH A BAT. THEY BROUGHT NO VACCINATION RECORDS. HE WAS NOT NEUTERED. HE WAS HORRIBLY MATTED. HE WAS VERY UNDERWEIGHT. HIS TOENAILS WERE CURLING UNDER AND GROWING INTO HIS FOOT PADS.THEY GAVE NO FURTHER INFORMATION. THEY CALMLY LEFT THEIR PET AT THE SHELTER. NO REMORSE. NO GRIEF. NO PUNISHMENT. WE HAVE NO WAY OF VERIFYING THEIR STORY.
FORTUNATELY FOR GABRIEL, THE SHELTER KNEW HE WAS CRITICAL AND SENT HIM TO THE EMERGENCY VET FACILITY. HE WAS THERE FOR ABOUT 4 DAYS. THE SHELTER SENT OUT A PLEA FOR HELP, AND MMR WAS THE FIRST TO STEP UP. WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO THIS SHELTER FOR THE LIFE SAVING CARE THEY AUTHORIZED FOR GABRIEL, ESPECIALLY WITH A VERY SMALL MEDICAL BUDGET. WE CAME TO PICK UP GABRIEL ON THE 5TH DAY, WHEN HE WAS TRANSFERRED BACK TO THE SHELTER. HE STILL HAS A BAG OF MEDICINE HE HAS TO TAKE AROUND THE CLOCK. HE MAY HAVE BEEN BLINDED IN ONE EYE, AND WILL RECEIVE FOLLOW UP CARE WITH AN EYE SPECIALIST. HE ROAD FROM THE SHELTER ON A LAP, AND WAS PERFECT THE ENTIRE TRIP TO OUR PRIMARY ANIMAL HOSPITAL IN ROCKVILLE, MD. THE COMPASSIONATE AND CAPABLE STAFF FED HIM AND GAVE HIM A WARM, SAFE PLACE IN THE KENNEL, AWAY FROM ALL THE NOISE. TODAY, THEY GAVE HIM A SOOTHING BATH AND GROOMED HIS GORGEOUS COAT. IT WAS REPORTED THAT THEY COULD SEE THE BRUISING BEHIND HIS EARS WHEN THEY WERE BATHING HIM. HE WAS HIT WITH SO MUCH RAGE THAT IT ALSO BRUISED HIS TENDER SKIN! HIS EYES ARE STILL A BIT BLOOD SHOT, AND ONE HAS A BLOOD CLOT, BUT WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT IT WILL RESOLVE WITH THE MEDICINE HE IS CURRENTLY BEING GIVEN. HE WILL REMAIN AT THE VET HOSPITAL FOR ANOTHER DAY, AND WILL THEN BE TRANSFERRED TO HIS EXPERIENCED FOSTER HOME.
GABRIEL WILL STILL NEED TO BE VACCINATED, HEARTWORM TESTED, AND NEUTERED. HE WILL BE ON OPTHAMALIC MEDICINES INDEFINITELY. WE DO NOT KNOW IF HE WILL HAVE TO HAVE ANY FURTHER SURGERIES RESULTING FROM THE BEATING HE ENDURED. HE WILL NEED SPECIALITY CARE UNTIL WE CAN DETERMINE HOW MUCH HIS EYE SIGHT HAS BEEN AFFECTED.WE DO KNOW THAT HE DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY BRAIN DAMAGE. HE IS THE SWEETEST DOG, WHO HAS A VERY CALM PERSONALITY, AND SEEMS TO LIKE BOTH BIG AND LITTLE DOGS, AS WELL AS PEOPLE. HE ENJOYS HIS GOOD FOOD, AND LIKES TO "BURROW" A NEST FOR SLEEPING. HE IS A PERFECT GENTLEMAN, AND A WONDERFUL AMBASSADOR FOR HIS BREED, AND FOR RESCUE.
MMR WILL BE COVERING ALL OF HIS MEDICAL BILLS. WE ARE ASKING FOR HELP FROM OUR COMMUNITY AND RESCUE FRIENDS AS WE CONTINUE TO REHABILITATE THIS WONDERFUL BOY. IF YOU ARE ABLE, ANY AMOUNT OF MONETARY DONATION WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATED. YOU CAN DONATE VIA OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.MUTTSMATTERRESUCE.COM BY CLICKING ON THE "DONATE NOW" BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM ON OUR HOME PAGE. IF YOU CANNOT DONATE, GOOD WISHES ARE HAPPILY ACCEPTED. IF YOU CAN POST THIS STORY TO YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE, OR OTHER RESCUE SITES, WE WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT, AS WELL. WE REALLY WANT TO GET THE WORD OUT NOT ONLY TO HELP US WITH HIS MEDICAL CARE, BUT TO ALSO SHARE HIS STORY. THIS IS WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN A COMMUNITY WORKS TOGETHER TO RIGHT A WRONG.


I LOVE YOU GABRIEL....

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Farewell to Nikki (Zoey)

Several months ago, I drove to the NC border to pick a "throw away" breeder dog named Zoey.
There was a puppymill raid in SC, and all the other dogs got a rescue-except this poor girl. Nobody wanted her. What they saw was a mange infested, emaciated, older bulldog. What I saw was potential. What I saw, was a loving girl who needed someone to believe that her life mattered. And so off I went....to pick up poor Zoey. We decided to rename her Nikki...
Nikki was a 5-6 year old bully who was used for breeding over, and over, and over again. She was practically breed to death. The people that ran the mill, allowed her skin to become infected with mites and so she was practically bald when I got her.
Once I drove her back to Montgomery Animal Hospital where she was vetted, we found out more on her medical condition; Things that had gone untreated for God knows how long.
She had mange, mites, worms, a raging ear infection, yeast all over her feet, some rotted teeth, scabs everywhere...she was a mess. And so we/the vets/ the foster family, all had a lot of work ahead of us to get her well. We spared no expense in getting her well.
As time went on, Nikki made improvements. She went into a foster home that nursed her back to health. She was getting daily medicated baths, and all the meds she needed. Her hair was starting to grow back in. She was getting love, she was getting care, and she was becoming the dog she was always meant to be. The dog she DESERVED to be...

This is Nikki the day I picked her up. Sad, emaciated, and broken spirited.


In my car, I put a big soft bed down for her and gave her a bone to chew on. She had probably never had a bully stick before-or a bed.

After a few months, once we felt she was well enough, Nikki was adopted out to a forever home. But after a few months, they brought her back saying her medical conditions were just too much for them to handle. She had regressed as the family did not keep up with her daily baths and Ivermectin treatments. This was a huge let down to all of us. The last thing this poor dog needed was to regress in her care. Needless to say, we were all furious and upset. But I remembered the foster mom who had nursed her back to health, Shelly Bloodsworth, say to me the day she went to her forever home, that if she ever came back into our rescue, she would take her back. So back she went to the foster family that truly loved and cared for her. She was back where she belonged. And so she got well again. Shelly and Mike took excellent care of her and loved and adored her. Nikki's foster family fell in love with her. And so they had decided they were going to adopt her. She was meant to be with them.
All of us were so happy because we knew how much they loved and cared for her. She was a different dog in their care. She was the picture of health. We made her the center of our MMR holiday cards this year. She was an ambassador to what rescue is all about. Taking what's broken, and fixing it. She exemplified that. She was a survivor.


Yesterday morning, Nikki's foster parents brought her into the vets to have a routine dental done. As she walked through the door of the office, she collapsed. She was rushed back and given oxygen. She was fine. They though it may have been a seizure. But to be sure, we took her to a cardiologist a few hours later to check her heart. After hours of waiting and tests, they couldn't find anything wrong with her heart. They thought maybe she fainted or that she had a small tumor somewhere. Regardless, whatever it was that caused it, could not be identified. And so off Nikki went, back home with her foster family.
She rode in the car and was happy as could be. When she got home she was fine for a while. But then she went to the back door to go outside, and collapsed again. Shelly rushed her to the ER and gave her CPR on the way. By the time she got to the vet and was given oxygen, she was already near death. The doctor suggested letting her go since the amount of oxygen she lost to her brain would have caused brain damage. But Nikki must have know that a decision like that was one that we were not prepared to make. We didn't want to let her to go. So she made it for us. She stopped breathing and crossed over the rainbow bridge.
I have cried today. I cried last night. I cry for her and I cry for all the other dogs out there still living the life that Nikki had. This needless suffering has to end.
Nikki was an angel on earth. She brought a lot of joy into our lives, and touched everyone she met. Now Nikki's wings are real.

I saw you pass away. Although I loved you dearly, I couldn't make you stay. A golden heart stopped beating, hardworking hands at rest. God broke my heart to prove to me, he only takes the best. Heaven is lucky. I will miss you every day.

RIP SWEET ANGEL