Some EXTRA special cases of The PRC

When we go to the shelter, the expression "you never know what your gonna get" certainly applies.  

"Rescues" - what kind of image do you conjure in your head when you hear of a rescue from the shelter? 

Bites children, rabid dog, untrustworthy around your family, bad dog, snarling, foaming, a dog that was featured on the news, etc.

or....

....was surrendered when their owner was deployed by the military to Iraq, a lifelong best friend to a little child that unfortunately when financial hard times hit the family couldn't afford the medical care and food a dog requires, an elderly companion that requires walking and after a hip operation was surrendered in "fairness" to give the doggy a better family, a pure bred puppy from a breeder that just wasn't perfect enough, hit by a car and the owners didn't want to pay for the vet bills to fix the injuries so they abandon him.

These are all true scenarios, and more common than you'd think.  Of course there are a few of the bad ones, but they are the minority. 

We all have preconceived notions, even the best of us.  Please take the opportunity to educate your friends and family about rescue and shelters.  You are our best ally in our efforts to save as many deserving dogs and cats from unnecessary euthanasia (meaning, they DON"T deserve or require it for medical or behavior reasons).

When we go to a shelter we do a general exam on site, combine the notes of the vets that oversee the shelter animals, and the circumstances and observations made by the shelter staff and volunteers, but until we can get our rescues in our own care, we never really know what medical surprises may arise.

Sometimes our cases require additional care on our part to get them to the point of Adoption Ready.  Some of our rescues require additional behavior training to break bad habits (like jumping on people, poor socialization around other dogs, fearful in general), or additional medical care beyond the standard care we give (spay/neuter, vaccines, flea/hearworm treatment, and love). We review each rescue case individually and determine a course of action.


Here are two special cases we have had lately that are currently at The PRC and are grateful for your support so they have the chance to have our care and a happy ending.



Roland -

Roland came to us as a Medical Foster that we wanted to rescue from the Baldwin Park Shelter but because he had a microchip there was a 10 day owner hold on him to give his family a chance to come get him.

This was his picture that came across my email w/ his request for rescue due to his medical condition.  You can see his raw wounds from his dead leg.  

When the shelter called his family and informed them he was injured, they hung up.  BUT, legally, he still had to wait 10 days before he could be released to anyone else.  So, we just couldn't see him suffer and accepted him as a Medical case that we hoped would be ours after the 10 days. It took two days of intense phone calling and negotiating, and a lucky break that Coastal German Shepherd Rescue happened to have a transporter in the area (Thank you Tiffany!).  Once in our care, we were able to relieve his significant pain which resulted from being hit by a car.  He was scratched and a little beat up, smelly, dirty and had nerve damage down his front right leg that rendered his leg useless.

Evidence of the car accident that caused his injuries.

He was still scared but he seemed relieved. 

Can you see the dirt on the hand, he was that dirty.

After recieving pain medication to ease his pain (he had been at the shelter 6 days in pain after his "car accident" before we intervened), Casey carries him to his bed to rest. 

Bathtime 

X-Rays

Weight for medication dosing, etc. 

This is Roland after 1 week of our care while he was waiting for his amputation surgery.

 After his x-rays and observation of the nerve damage, Dr. Matt Wheaton determined that the nerve damage had made the leg unusable and that it would never heal on its own. Amputation was our best option to eliminate his pain and relieve him of the burden of a dead leg.  We scheduled his surgery and it went perfectly.

Waking up from surgery

Casey fostered him for his immediate recovery, to stay on top of his meds and make sure he felt safe.

Post Surgery

 Roland is recovered, healthy, happy and faster with 3 legs than he was before.  He is a beautiful boy that will really make a great loving addition to any family.  He is friendly to cats and other dogs.  He is ready to find his forever family, please call us if you are interested.

Peggy Sue

Peggy Sue was rescued with our most recent trip to the OC Shelter.  This little doggy would never have been adopted and would most certainly been a euthanasia statistic, merely because of her appearance.

This is the face that we knew we couldn't resist....she just needed some love. 

She was completely covered w/ mats, so much so that the mats were covering her neck and ears, making head movement difficult, and elsewhere itchy and uncomfortable.  

Completely Matted! Ick! 

Can you see the dread locks on her face Dr. Forman? 

The shave down took about 45 minutes, she was calm and cooperative, but itchy. 

Bath time!

A LOT of mats were shaved off :)

Her hair will grow back soon and she will be recognizable as the little Shi Zhu cutie she is.  Peggy Sue is  available soon at The PRC and ready to meet her forever family.

These cases are just two of the 25+ dogs we have a The Pet Rescue Center.  Please support our Rescue. Rehab. Rehome program.

Donations from our supporters are how we keep our programs going, there is always a need.  www.thepetrescuecenter.org


Thank you for your support,
Blythe


Photography of Roland by Blythe Wheaton and Casey Oliver.
Photography of Peggy Sue by Amy Boring, www.aboringphoto.com

A Dog's Journey To Happiness

Someone said to me once that when a dog gets out of the shelter and "rescued," he/she "knows." This person was implying that to be "rescued" is something that a dog or cat appreciates deeply in their soul and relays their gratitude through their personality.  I believe this.

I am not an animal psychic or communicator, just a concerned individual that started a rescue with my husband, Dr. Matthew Wheaton of Alicia Pet Care Center. In the almost 4 years that The PRC has been rescuing we have successfully adopted 335 dogs and cats into their forever homes.  This experience has been incredibly rewarding and eye opening.  

One thing has been clear to me with each and every rescue though... They do know.  They do appreciate being rescued.  They do show you in every possibly way.  

A great example of this is Chaya... 

Chaya's story is NOT extraordinary. Because stories like hers happen all of the time.  But Chaya was extraordinary to us, extraordinary in every way.  

January 21st, 2011 - Chaya was brought to my attention through an email from another concerned rescuer, Dan of The Stand Foundation who had happened to be in the LA Shelter lobby when Chaya was being brought out of the Shelter Vet's office.  When he inquired, she was so sick and emaciated she was not being offered for rescue or adoption, she was only given the likelihood of death.  He snapped pictures and sent out an email plea to fellow rescuers. 

This is when I got involved.  Fortunately, through Dans intervention he persuaded the shelter to release Chaya to us because we could assess her medically more thoroughly than they could and hopefully treat her.  

It was touch and go, we didn't know if she would survive the transport, I didn't know if she'd survive treatment, I just knew she didn't deserve to die without trying to save her.  So she knew someone cared. 

She weighed 37.5 lbs

She was weak and had to be carried into The PRC 

It may not seem so in her pictures, but she was fortunate.  After she was examined by Dr. Wheaton, it was discovered that she did NOT have kidney or liver failure, no signs of neurological damage from the starvation, and superficial wounds that would heal with care. She had a long road to recovery ahead, but recovery was possible.  

One week later .... the staff was completely smitten, she was happy, well behaved, and gaining weight. 

She is now 46.5 lbs after 1 week of care!!

I continued to correspond with Dan, her shelter rescuer, over Chaya's entire time with us (and still to this day). This was my update at Week 1 - "Chaya is doing well.  She is still being treated for her ear and skin infections.  She is loving life, she snuggles with the staff, she gives kisses, and her weight has risen from 37 lbs to 46.5 in just one week.  She has a ways to go, but we are thankful for all and any support to help us pay for our veterinary bills.  She has passed every test with flying colors which is wonderful news.  She continues to defy what in most cases is inevitable diabetes, kidney failure, liver problems, etc.  Despite all her past hardship and all that we feel might appear diagnostically, she is so far,  healthy.  Except that she was starved.  So with food in hand, and many treats, she is learning to trust in her caretakers again. "

Week 2 

This was my update at Week 2 - "Chaya is doing great.  Tomorrow is officially 2 weeks with us.  As of yesterday she weighed 51.4 lbs.  That is 14.4 lbs more that she came in with!  Yeay!  She has developed kennel cough, which can lay dormant for a while.  So it was not a total surprise. She is 1/2 way through treatment for it and going to be just fine really soon."

Two weeks! It's remarkable and astonishing to think she was slated to die and came so close in so many ways. 

Week 3

Karolyn (APCC RVT) was the nurse who carried Chaya into the hospital the day we received her. As you can see they had a very special bond. :)

Chaya's starvation actually suppressed her immune system which hid some of her other "issues".  As she gained weight, they surfaced.  She had terrible skin issues, parasites and severe allergies, which took weeks to get under control. 

The bald and raw patches are where her hair fell out from scratching due to the allergies and parasites. 

  

My week 3 update - She is now 54lbs!  Yeay!  3 weeks this Saturday, she will have gained at least 17 lbs.  She is very sweet as you can see.  She is very dog aggressive though.  Which hopefully she will outgrow w/ training and trusting people again.  As health improves she is revealing to us she is very allergic.  Very allergic.  She is on meds and we really hope she will improve quickly.  Dr. Wheaton deals with a lot of allergy cases so he is pretty confident that her allergies will be manageable after they are better controlled.  For now though she is very scabby and her fur is pretty spotty.  She is getting fur back in the wound areas.  I can't wait to see her in a few more weeks. 

Week 4

62 lbs!!!!!

My week 4 update - "Chaya is doing amazing.  She is a wonderful super sweet girl who is VERY affectionate with the staff.  She is 4 weeks into her recovery with us and she weighs 62 lbs!!!!!  She is doing spectacular.  You can see in these pictures she still has a little way to go on her weight gain.  You can still see ribs and spine in her side view.  Which is mind boggling to me since she is 25 lbs heavier than 4 weeks ago.  Her skin problems, severe allergies and scabies, continue to improve.  She is about 60% improved.  Her hair is recovering and she is really doing well."

Week 5 

I think Chaya thinks she is a person, hehe. 

At 5 weeks into her recovery she is very healthy looking. Almost gone is the visible spine, the patches of missing hair, scabs and the sad sunken face.  Her allergies and parasites are under control. 

My week 5 update - Chaya is doing great!  You will melt in these pix.  I have never seen a sweeter dog.  She kisses, she hugs, she gently plays, and LOVES her Kong.  She is almost double her intake weight.  She is still struggling with her allergies, which are pretty severe and a mean case of parasites that doesn't want to go away.  I can still see ribs as you can see in the photo, and Dr. Wheaton says she is close but not at her full weight yet.  She is recovering so so so well, we are just now trying to get her skin under control and her weight level and we will start working towards finding her a home.  We love her! 

Week 7 

Week 7 - Chaya has officially stolen all of our hearts! She is healthy, her weight has leveled off at 67 lbs (she may gain more but at a slower pace over time), all of her skin issues are controlled and she is comfortable again, and she is our official social butterfly. She plays with each and every size and shape of dog we introduce her to.  

Almost 4 Months - Chaya is ready to find her Forever Family!!! I wonder who they are? 

Casey, our Director of Operations, also had a wonderful bond with Chaya. She was lucky enough to get a lot of kisses, from our sweet girl. 

Look at her healthy little body! It makes me happy beyond words!! Her struggles have actually helped other dogs and families  after an article was written and featured Chaya.
http://www.ocinsite.com/index.php/lifestyle/articles/fidos_springtime_itch

On May 13th, Chaya was adopted by her forever family!!!! We are so happy for her, but very sad to see her go.  We can't wait for her 1st visit back to all of us at The Pet Rescue Center!!! Thank you for caring and reading her story.  She has affected us all deeply, as I am sure she has affected you. 

Smiles all around :)

I  wanted to tell her story so she can inspire you to make a difference, to believe in and support what we do, so we can continue to rescue at risk dogs and cats from unnecessary euthanasia,  again and again.

Please help! Donate today!!! We can not do what we do without your financial support.  Thank you. 

www.thepetrescuecenter.org/give