Herd It Through The Grapevine

We just rescued these two sweet, gentle males, Mickey and Easy, from a high rate kill shelter; and a routine test at our vet indicated that they are both have heartworm.  We are committed to doing whatever is necessary to cure them both.  However, all the medical work needed in the veterinary protocol to rid them of this deadly parasite will be very expensive.  Both Mickey and Easy will need additional diagnostic tests to determine how severe a load of worms each has in his heart.  This includes, blood panels, x-rays, EKG's, and possibly ultrasound.  Both dogs must be on doxycycline for a month to weaken the heartworms, before they begin receiving the injections to kill the worms.  The cost of the antibiotic adds up, plus the three injections needed for each dog, will each cost several hundred dollars.  There is also the cost to keep the dogs at the vet, under observation during the most critical times.  We are a very small, all volunteer, and all foster based rescue.  We have very little overhead, allowing nearly all our funds to be spent on the care of the dogs we rescue.  We rely completely on donations to pay for all the care and veterinary needs for these dogs.

As soon as we learned of the heartworm diagnosis, we agreed to start both on the antibiotic for 30 days, and then ivermectin for another 30 days, to make the worms more susceptible to the actual injections.  Next, we will begin the tests to know how bad the heartworm load is in each dog.

Our hearts sank when we learned that BOTH were heartworm positive.  These two wonderful and friendly dogs, had already gone through so much. They were found together in a field. Their owner was found, but no longer wanted them; so they sat in a chain link & concrete cage for three weeks, with hardly anyone seeing them, in the sea of other animals at the shelter.  Their time was almost up, and our two wonderful souls would have been put down, if not rescued.  All the volunteers involved in their rescue said they are incredibly sweet, happy, friendly,  easy going, and great with everyone (people, cats, dogs!) they have met.

We are committed to curing these two great dogs.  We would be extremely grateful for any donations to help us pay for our vet costs to help Mickey and Easy, and enable us to continue rescuing great dogs like them, whose illness or injuries make them unlikely to be considered by others.

As a federally recognized, 501(c)(3), non-profit organization, your donations are tax deductible. No contribution is too small. Every $5 and $10 helps! Thank you so much!

We will continue to update our information on their status and condition.

On June 16, 2015, we rescued Dee from a very overcrowded kill shelter. Her people said they were moving and dumped her and another dog, Roxie, at the shelter.  We agreed to take both girls.  By the grace of a wonderful pilot, Dee was able to escape the 110 degree temperatures she was living in, and flown up to us in Santa Rosa. In a dehydrated and over heated state, weighing 94 lbs., and with an internal temperature of 105 degrees on arrival, we rushed her to the vet to make sure she didn't have any major health issues. When we first got her, she was too stressed to walk. After cooling down, getting rehydrated, and feeling more relaxed, we discovered that she could walk on her own, although with difficulty and great strain on her legs, feet, and joints.

After having a day to recover, we saw Dee's very sweet and charming personality emerge. Although Dee may be two and a third times more than her ideal weight (of 38-40 lbs. for her size), she is still a cattle dog! She is very alert, observant and bright, and wants to be with her people as much as possible. Dee does her best to follow her foster person around the house. She is also house trained and very obedient. She waddles to the door when she needs to go out and comes right back in when her foster calls her. She is a happy girl, who will roll over for petting whenever someone approaches her. Dee also wants to make friends with her foster's cat. Her foster mom is very impressed with what a good girl Dee is!

Dee arrived with kennel cough from the shelter, and initial blood work results show that she has a hypo-thyroid, some anemia, and a high white blood cell count. We immediately started her on meds for her cough and thyroid condition, and started her on a low fat diet. Her teeth also look very bad, and it looks like at least one tooth may need to be extracted. We don't dare knock her out for any procedure until she loses at least 40 lbs.

We are in it for the long haul with Dee, and already discussing plans for physical rehabilitation for her muscles, joints, and range of motion, as she loses weight and becomes more mobile. We will continue to update our information on Dee's status and condition.

It is clear that our veterinary and other health care expenses for Dee will add up quickly. We would be very grateful for any donations to help us pay for all our costs to help Dee, and enable us to continue rescuing great dogs like her, whose illness or injuries make them unlikely to be considered by most others. As a federally recognized, 501(c)(3), non-profit organization, your donations are tax deductible.  No contribution is too small.  Every $5 and $10 helps! Thank you so much!