Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Just a case of extreme neglect



Penelope came from a VERY unfortunate situation. The conditions in the yard were filthy. No one was taking care of her AT ALL...not even just a little bit!! She, quite obviously, was NEVER being fed.


She was DYING!!







AND she had puppies!

She really put our USED DOGS motto to the test.

Rescue efficiently, not emotionally.

Getting really angry, rude and sad would not have done much for Penelope. SO, we just changed her life in the most immediate way we could.

We focused on WHAT could be done for her, HOW it could be done for her and the very important part about HOW WE COULD MAKE IT AFFORDABLE!

We did not waste time on who to blame. Although of course people should be held accountable, holding this person accountable would NOT have helped Penelope!! The laws are a little weak and take a really long time to pursue. The property where Penelope and her puppies were, has already had ALL their dogs removed by authorities SEVERAL times!!! So to me, that is another issue that needs to be dealt with, but not at the expense of Penelope. Perhaps when I have a minute, I will look into what the actual laws are for habitual offenders, if ,in fact, there are any.

This was "JUST" a case of extreme neglect. I think time prosecuting is better spent on bigger cases of abuse. Although, of course for Penelope, this case is as important as a case can be. That's why we didn't want her to be "evidence". We wanted to make her life better! And it is.

She is no longer the skeleton of a dog that she was, in the filthy yard she was stuck in. Her body is no longer riddled with necrotic tissue.

She is a happy dog. She enjoys her days. She loves visitors. She is almost done with her pet meds. USED DOGS is getting her stronger everyday so that she can be treated for heartworms. She WILL find a home.

BUT, WE MUST GET HER BILL PAID!!!

In order to be able to rescue another dog on another day, we CAN'T owe our vets. USED DOGS appreciates our vets SO MUCH. One way we show our appreciation, is by paying them in a timely manner.

Our vet did all of this for Penelope for an incredible rate! Easily $1000.00 less than is should have cost. The whole veterinary team at Algiers Animal Hospital really gave of themselves for this girl!! Quote from the vet "Penelope is an awesome dog!"

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE contribute to the cost of her care if you can!


PLEASE consider making a donation to her care. You can donate on thru PayPal on our facebook page. Or you can donate directly to the vet. If you would like to donate directly to the vet call me at 504-442-3647. Or call Algiers Animal Hospital directly at 504-364-1556. If you do call the Vet, please be considerate and remember that they are a very busy practice. All donation are very much appreciated, but it would be best if the smaller ones were mailed to us or sent thru PayPal. You can also mail a donation to: USED DOGS PO Box 741163, New Orleans, LA 70174

THANK YOU!

Friday, June 3, 2011

Update on the Family of RED DOGS that taught me a great lesson

ELLA was just adopted. This is her lovely new family. She has moved to Connecticut. And not a moment too soon. Hurricane season has just started and it is record-breaking BOILING HOT today here in New Orleans.

Remember Ella? She was one of the puppies from the previous post. "TRAPPED: A RAGS TO RICHES LOVE STORY" .

Here is a photo of ELLA on her first day here:







I personally learned so much from these three little red dogs.

Because they had no real contact with humans before we trapped them, we knew that it would be a bit of a challenge to get them comfortable with people. Having raised and prepared dozens of litters of puppies for adoption, I figured that when I started seeing certain signs, things were going to be A-OK.

And as I had kind of predicted and hoped for, they began to show those signs. They went from not even wanting to make eye contact with anyone to running up to greet me and see whether I had brought treats when visiting their kennel.

However these little guys fooled me. Their mix of breeds probably played a significant role. Being a mix of Chow and Akita, they were only like this when completely in their comfort zone around other dogs. I found this out when I brought one into my home to see how crate and potty training was going to go. The first one immediately panicked and tried to jump out a second floor window. Once the window was closed she continued to try, hitting the glass.

The second one growled at me.

My heart sank. I was going to have problems. Finding adoptive homes for puppies that growl and try to jump out windows is not an easy task. perhaps not even a prudent one. I called the person who had adopted their brother many weeks ago. To my relief, things were going well. Django had bonded well with her.

We had to redefine their comfort zone and fast! A new routine was devised and with patience and consistency, they began adjusting really well. And now Ella is adopted and Miles is in a great foster home!