BART – A FOCCAS success story. Bart was born with severe hip dysplasia. He was found by animal control as a stray, thin and dirty. He remained at the shelter for 8 months, and literally grew up in the special needs area of the shelter. Although he was shown to prospective adoptive families, no one wanted to adopt Bart with his medical issues. The FOCCAS team saw great potential in this boy, and worked tirelessly to find the right home and provide medical care for Bart. Bart is a 10 month old Boxer mix puppy that has a conformation issue with his rear legs. This sweet boy has seen some hard times. He was left to fend for himself and was subsequently bitten and chased off by other dogs. It’s hard to believe anyone would treat such a loving boy so cruelly. Bart loves to get attention from people, plays well with other dogs and enjoys a romp with the rope toys in the play yard. This loving pup deserves a chance at a normal life with a caring owner. He will need surgery to repair his poorly formed knee. Donations were requested, and the citizens of Citrus County responded with donations towards Bart’s surgery. Bart remained at the shelter for 8 months. It was thought too stressful for him to get out with his disability. Time was passing and he was no longer doing well at the shelter and thoughts were that he needed to leave the shelter one way or the other. He attended an event at Village Toyota and was subsequently adopted. By this time Bart was not friendly with all dogs. The family had a whole pack. The adoption did not work out and he was returned to the shelter. He was not getting enough exposure and had been at the shelter for too long. We again took him to an event at the Homosassa Hospice. He was a hit but no one wanted to commit. Another rescue suggested foster to Darlene and that seemed to work for her. She had recently lost her husband and shortly after lost her dog. It’s hard to say who rescued who. She adopted him the next day and he adored living with Darlene. And she adored him. After a couple weeks passed and he was comfortable at his new home, it was time to schedule his surgery. Things were going fine for a while after surgery; however, he never regained use of the surgery leg. Several months later an x-ray showed he had developed an infection in the bone. He then faced another surgery, amputation. It was heartbreaking; after months of therapy and recovery it was all for naught. His leg was amputated. He took it like a champ. He never did have full use of the leg and now that the infection and pain was gone he recovered quickly. Darlene needed to move close to family as she was getting up in age. That meant moving to Washington state with her son. Darlenes’ friends encouraged her to find a good home for Bart. Her response was why? He has a good home. And that is where the story ends. Darlene made all the arrangements and they both moved across country to their new home. Truly a Happy Tail!
Posted on: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 20:38:45 +0000
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