Handsome Hot Pocket Needs Your Help
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Meet Handsome Hot Pocket! He needs your help!
Hi, I'm Handsome Hot Pocket, I'm not sure what it means, exactly, but my new friends have been calling me it since they saved my life yesterday. They call me Handsome for short. I don't really care much what they call me, I'm happy to be alive today.
I'm from a gritty city, near a big river, Philadelphia, I think. Somehow, I got lost, I'm not sure how long I was wandering for, it was hot, I ran for miles and miles. I was terrified. I didn't know where I was going or what I was running from, I just knew I had to run. The sun burned my skin. It was beating down on me like burning rain. There was no breeze, the air was thick and heavy. I couldn't find any water, no shady place to rest. My chest was tight. My mouth was dry from panting.
There were huge loud machines rushing past me on the street, shouting at me with their loud horns. The horns scared me so I ran faster and got hotter. The ground burned my feet, I tried to run faster to escape the heat, but my feet only hurt more.
I ran for hours. A boy on a bike followed me and tried to touch me, but I didn't trust him so I kept running. He followed me. My legs were tired and my feet were so sore they began to bleed. I became confused, I was wobbly, I couldn't breath, everything looked foggy. My mouth burned, my throat scratched from dryness. I needed to lay down. I was fading.
The boy was still following me as I ran past a lady with a big fluffy dog. The boy and lady shouted to one another and the lady looked panicked. She yelled at the boy and then started running away from us with the fluffy dog. I couldn't see very well, my head hurt, my legs were weak and I slowed down , looking for a safe place to lay. I ran into a parking lot and the boy followed on his bike. Then the lady was back but the fluffy dog was gone. She shouted at the boy again and pulled a rope from her bag. They approached me, I was scared. I was trapped, no where to run, but I was so tired, I couldn't see clearly, it was so hot. I felt sick. The lady got closer and I tried to hide under a truck but I was too weak to crawl, I fell over. The lady shouted at the boy and he ran away and came back to her with a bottle. I couldn't keep my eyes open any more, the lady was crawling towards me under the truck. I was so scared, I couldn't breathe, there was no air, only heat, I closed my eyes & fell asleep.
I awoke a few minutes later, something cool & wet was in my mouth, it was water, but I was too weak to swallow it. I was dizzy and floating. No, not floating, the lady was carrying me. The boy followed and people started to come towards the lady. I couldn't understand what they were saying. The lady was walking fast, running and shouting. I closed my eyes again. She put her head to my ear and spoke softly.
Then a big machine, like the ones that shouted their horns at me, arrived. But this one was different. Another lady jumped out & opened a big door. There was a soft bed inside, they laid me on it and the lady climbed in with me. Then I felt coolness rushing all over my body, more in my mouth, it was water. I wanted to drink it, but I couldn't swallow. The machine doors closed and it began moving fast.
The machine stopped suddenly, the ladies opened the big door and carried me into a building. There were two more ladies waiting there, then a cold metal table. The table felt good on my burning skin. A lady in a white coat pinched me with something sharp and then I felt a coolness flowing into my arm. Another pinch between my shoulders and a rush of more coolness. A few moments later, I was back in the fast machine, rushing again. The ladies were holding me and stroking me and whispering things I could not understand. I drifted in and out.
The machine stopped again, the big door opened and the ladies carried me into a huge cool building with bright lights and lots of ladies and men in white coats and funny pajama like clothes. They pajama people took me from the ladies and into a big room full of other dogs who were sick too. They gave me more of the cool liquid in my arm and I fell asleep.
I awoke several hours later on a soft pillow bed in a large crate. I felt better but still confused and scared. A kind pajama lady told me I was at an emergency hospital and that I had to stay the night to get better.
All night the white coats and the pajama people checked on me, gave me water and more cool liquid in my arm and behind my neck. IV fluids they're called. The white coats put medicine on my bleeding feet and gave me something so I didn't hurt as much anymore.
I learned a lot in the hospital. The people in the white coats were Doctors and the pajama people were nurses and techs. They take care of sick dogs. They were kind and I liked their gentle touch. The nurses told me a story about the two girls and what had happened to me. They said I'd been "saved" by two girls, Gert & Kelly, who have 8 dogs of their own, all "rescued". The girls have a playground made just for dogs, where all kinds of dogs play together, have plenty of cold water, toys, shade and even something called a pool - which I think has something to do with more water. I learned Kelly & Gert, their white coated lady friend, Dr. Lauren Cohn & her pajama assistant, Erin, saved my life today. Together, they promised to help me find a home, "if I made it through the night". I had heat stroke and severe dehydration. My internal organs had begun to slow down & my brain became fuzzy. I didn't understand all that the Doctors were saying but I did understand when they said that "I was lucky; a few minutes more in the sun and I would have died".
I fell asleep, sick & sore, but safe.
The next day the Doctors gave me more medicine, more fluids and gentle caresses. I was still scared but I knew they were helping me so I tried to lay still. Later in the day they told me the two girls were coming back to get me & take me to their house to help me recover. Maybe I'd get to see this dog playground.
When the two girls came I was afraid but happy to see the ladies who'd given me a second chance. They were kind. They scratched behind my ears and hugged me. We went into a small room and they talked to the Doctors. I learned the two girls save dogs like me a lot. Even though they aren't their dogs and don't have too. People like them are called "Rescuers" and they come to the aid of lost or abandoned dogs in need. I am not their first rescue, in fact they have rescued dozens already. But the two girls don't have much and they pay for any treament the rescues need themselves.
In the small room the two girls gave me more fluids behind my neck and discussed my medical needs and further treatment. I was stable, but my kidney levels are still elevated. Apparently, though "Extremely handsome", I am expensive too, and the two girls seemed worried. But, they handed the Doctors a small plastic card and carried me out to that fast machine again.
Back on the soft bed, inside the fast machine they stroked my back, rubbed behind my ears & thanked me for surviving. Can you believe they thanked me?! I'm just a dog, but I think I should thank them and their friends and the boy, for saving mine. How would I ever thank the two girls for not leaving me in the hot sun? For giving me water? For taking me to the big cool building full of the doctors who gave me medicine and made me feel better? Maybe you can help me thank them?
When the machine stopped they carried me to the dog playground and though I'm still too weak to walk, they let me smell around. Inside they made made me a big soft bed, fed me a huge meal and said I can have all the cold water I want. I met 5 dogs here. They live next to the playground with the two girls. I liked them a lot, especially the silly young gray dog, Leroy, I think they call him. He's a rescue too, just like me. The two girls saved him 8 months ago and now he lives with them permanently and their other 7 dogs. All the dogs that live here have been rescued by the two girls. Sadly, the two girls say I can't stay here because I am an young adult male and they have a "full house". But they've promised to care for me and take care of my medical needs until they can find me a "furever" home.
I'm doing better now, but I'll need more medical treatment, vaccinations and something called a neuter. The two girls will need help paying for all of medical bills, food and care.
Maybe you can help me help them help me...well, with everything except the neuter that is?
Hi, I'm Handsome Hot Pocket, I'm not sure what it means, exactly, but my new friends have been calling me it since they saved my life yesterday. They call me Handsome for short. I don't really care much what they call me, I'm happy to be alive today.
I'm from a gritty city, near a big river, Philadelphia, I think. Somehow, I got lost, I'm not sure how long I was wandering for, it was hot, I ran for miles and miles. I was terrified. I didn't know where I was going or what I was running from, I just knew I had to run. The sun burned my skin. It was beating down on me like burning rain. There was no breeze, the air was thick and heavy. I couldn't find any water, no shady place to rest. My chest was tight. My mouth was dry from panting.
There were huge loud machines rushing past me on the street, shouting at me with their loud horns. The horns scared me so I ran faster and got hotter. The ground burned my feet, I tried to run faster to escape the heat, but my feet only hurt more.
I ran for hours. A boy on a bike followed me and tried to touch me, but I didn't trust him so I kept running. He followed me. My legs were tired and my feet were so sore they began to bleed. I became confused, I was wobbly, I couldn't breath, everything looked foggy. My mouth burned, my throat scratched from dryness. I needed to lay down. I was fading.
The boy was still following me as I ran past a lady with a big fluffy dog. The boy and lady shouted to one another and the lady looked panicked. She yelled at the boy and then started running away from us with the fluffy dog. I couldn't see very well, my head hurt, my legs were weak and I slowed down , looking for a safe place to lay. I ran into a parking lot and the boy followed on his bike. Then the lady was back but the fluffy dog was gone. She shouted at the boy again and pulled a rope from her bag. They approached me, I was scared. I was trapped, no where to run, but I was so tired, I couldn't see clearly, it was so hot. I felt sick. The lady got closer and I tried to hide under a truck but I was too weak to crawl, I fell over. The lady shouted at the boy and he ran away and came back to her with a bottle. I couldn't keep my eyes open any more, the lady was crawling towards me under the truck. I was so scared, I couldn't breathe, there was no air, only heat, I closed my eyes & fell asleep.
I awoke a few minutes later, something cool & wet was in my mouth, it was water, but I was too weak to swallow it. I was dizzy and floating. No, not floating, the lady was carrying me. The boy followed and people started to come towards the lady. I couldn't understand what they were saying. The lady was walking fast, running and shouting. I closed my eyes again. She put her head to my ear and spoke softly.
Then a big machine, like the ones that shouted their horns at me, arrived. But this one was different. Another lady jumped out & opened a big door. There was a soft bed inside, they laid me on it and the lady climbed in with me. Then I felt coolness rushing all over my body, more in my mouth, it was water. I wanted to drink it, but I couldn't swallow. The machine doors closed and it began moving fast.
The machine stopped suddenly, the ladies opened the big door and carried me into a building. There were two more ladies waiting there, then a cold metal table. The table felt good on my burning skin. A lady in a white coat pinched me with something sharp and then I felt a coolness flowing into my arm. Another pinch between my shoulders and a rush of more coolness. A few moments later, I was back in the fast machine, rushing again. The ladies were holding me and stroking me and whispering things I could not understand. I drifted in and out.
The machine stopped again, the big door opened and the ladies carried me into a huge cool building with bright lights and lots of ladies and men in white coats and funny pajama like clothes. They pajama people took me from the ladies and into a big room full of other dogs who were sick too. They gave me more of the cool liquid in my arm and I fell asleep.
I awoke several hours later on a soft pillow bed in a large crate. I felt better but still confused and scared. A kind pajama lady told me I was at an emergency hospital and that I had to stay the night to get better.
All night the white coats and the pajama people checked on me, gave me water and more cool liquid in my arm and behind my neck. IV fluids they're called. The white coats put medicine on my bleeding feet and gave me something so I didn't hurt as much anymore.
I learned a lot in the hospital. The people in the white coats were Doctors and the pajama people were nurses and techs. They take care of sick dogs. They were kind and I liked their gentle touch. The nurses told me a story about the two girls and what had happened to me. They said I'd been "saved" by two girls, Gert & Kelly, who have 8 dogs of their own, all "rescued". The girls have a playground made just for dogs, where all kinds of dogs play together, have plenty of cold water, toys, shade and even something called a pool - which I think has something to do with more water. I learned Kelly & Gert, their white coated lady friend, Dr. Lauren Cohn & her pajama assistant, Erin, saved my life today. Together, they promised to help me find a home, "if I made it through the night". I had heat stroke and severe dehydration. My internal organs had begun to slow down & my brain became fuzzy. I didn't understand all that the Doctors were saying but I did understand when they said that "I was lucky; a few minutes more in the sun and I would have died".
I fell asleep, sick & sore, but safe.
The next day the Doctors gave me more medicine, more fluids and gentle caresses. I was still scared but I knew they were helping me so I tried to lay still. Later in the day they told me the two girls were coming back to get me & take me to their house to help me recover. Maybe I'd get to see this dog playground.
When the two girls came I was afraid but happy to see the ladies who'd given me a second chance. They were kind. They scratched behind my ears and hugged me. We went into a small room and they talked to the Doctors. I learned the two girls save dogs like me a lot. Even though they aren't their dogs and don't have too. People like them are called "Rescuers" and they come to the aid of lost or abandoned dogs in need. I am not their first rescue, in fact they have rescued dozens already. But the two girls don't have much and they pay for any treament the rescues need themselves.
In the small room the two girls gave me more fluids behind my neck and discussed my medical needs and further treatment. I was stable, but my kidney levels are still elevated. Apparently, though "Extremely handsome", I am expensive too, and the two girls seemed worried. But, they handed the Doctors a small plastic card and carried me out to that fast machine again.
Back on the soft bed, inside the fast machine they stroked my back, rubbed behind my ears & thanked me for surviving. Can you believe they thanked me?! I'm just a dog, but I think I should thank them and their friends and the boy, for saving mine. How would I ever thank the two girls for not leaving me in the hot sun? For giving me water? For taking me to the big cool building full of the doctors who gave me medicine and made me feel better? Maybe you can help me thank them?
When the machine stopped they carried me to the dog playground and though I'm still too weak to walk, they let me smell around. Inside they made made me a big soft bed, fed me a huge meal and said I can have all the cold water I want. I met 5 dogs here. They live next to the playground with the two girls. I liked them a lot, especially the silly young gray dog, Leroy, I think they call him. He's a rescue too, just like me. The two girls saved him 8 months ago and now he lives with them permanently and their other 7 dogs. All the dogs that live here have been rescued by the two girls. Sadly, the two girls say I can't stay here because I am an young adult male and they have a "full house". But they've promised to care for me and take care of my medical needs until they can find me a "furever" home.
I'm doing better now, but I'll need more medical treatment, vaccinations and something called a neuter. The two girls will need help paying for all of medical bills, food and care.
Maybe you can help me help them help me...well, with everything except the neuter that is?
Organizer
Gert Schooley
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA
