It Took A Village The beginning of this story is all too common to people who work in animal rescue efforts. A call comes in that, again, dogs have been “dumped”. In this case, it was a female “mama dog” and a young male, most likely a pup from one of what was probably many litters for her. Both were emaciated to the point of near death. The first thought is, what do we do? Dogs with health issues brought on by neglect and malnutrition take time and cost money that could be given to more adoptable dogs. So, the practical answer is to get them to a shelter, let them live out their final days, and know that at the end of their holding period, they will be humanely euthanized rather than slowly starving to death on the side of the road. So the call goes out for someone to take food to these two until they can be picked up and taken to the shelter. This is when the journey for Lady and JoJo really begins. It is discovered that the mama dog is gentle and affectionate, however, the male pup is very skittish and distrusting and wont come within 20 feet of any human being. Obviously, catching him will take some effort, so volunteers take turns dropping food off to this pitiful pair. It is immediately obvious that the two are very bonded, confirming the fact that they are probably mother and son. After 3 or 4 days, the two disappear, begging the question of what happened to them. None of the possibilities seem good, but it does at least solve the question of what to do with them. Then, 3 or 4 days later, the call comes in from the owner of the only house in the area that they have found their way there, and he doesnt know what to do with them. He has dogs of his own and is concerned for their well-being since there is no way to know what diseases the two strays might have. Dan agrees to feed the dogs while a plan is formulated to get them picked up or into foster care, which is a long shot. The word goes out, along with pictures, asking for suggestions, for a foster home, or better yet, a permanent home for one or both of the dogs. For probably the first time in their lives, these two dogs actually get a break. Calls come in from people who are willing to donate to medical care, as well as for food for the dogs. Still, no option for long-term care, but its a start. Dan and his family take up temporary care of the two, and mama dog makes her first trip to the vet. She is gentle and sweet, and one of her benefactors who went to the vets office with her decides she deserves a name befitting her disposition and that will give her courage to get better and dubs her “Lady”. Shortly after, her pup becomes “JoJo”. Juanita Murphy, President of the Natchitoches Humane Society, takes more photos and designs a poster to be placed at the Natchitoches Parish Courthouse asking for help for these dogs. More calls come in from people around Natchitoches Parish, and beyond, offering assistance to save the dogs. Lady makes follow-up trips to the vet, is given shots, placed on antibiotics, and it is determined that she is heartworm positive, with obvious damage to the heart, but she does not have mange or parasites which is often the case with abandoned dogs. Even though he has not been to the vet, JoJo is gaining weight, and is even allowing an occasional rub of his head or back by Dan and his sons. Ladys improvement is slower, even with medication and regular feeding. At one of the visits to the vet, it is determined that Ladys teeth have been filed down and some teeth are missing, probably indicating that all the cuts and scars on her were from her being used as a bait dog. But through it all, she maintains that gentle, affectionate temperament. And then, at Humane Society event a man makes the life-changing comment - “If there is anything I can ever do to help, let me know”. Immediately, the focus becomes getting JoJo socialized enough to get to the vet and actually being able to move him. Dan has discovered that JoJo likes to go into his work shop and seems to feel secure there, so a wire kennel was put in place with a bed in it, and JoJo eventually starts going in the kennel to sleep. As time passes, it becomes urgent to get the dogs moved because they continue to roam at night and are returning with cuts and scrapes, and Lady has developed an eye infection. However, because of the bond between the two, no one thinks one can go without the other. A plan is developed to sedate JoJo and get him to the vet for a checkup and shots, and it works. While JoJo is at the vet, Lady is moved to her new foster home, and JoJo soon follows. Rusty, Karen, and their dog, Abby, have worked tirelessly to socialize JoJo and get Lady on the road to recovery. The improvement in these two dogs is amazing, but it could never have happened without the donations of food, foster care, and financial contributions for medical. Words cannot say thank you enough to “The Village” who got Lady and JoJo from deaths door to the lovely dogs they are today, but hopefully, these photos can. Thanks you so much for donations, great and small, as they all contributed to this success story. Of course, the story does not end here. JoJo is coming along socially, and will eventually be looking for a loving forever home. Ladys future is dependent on her health, but right now, shes living a life she has probably never known before, filled with love and all things good.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 19:40:58 +0000
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