Pioneer Humane Society

Meet Ruby!

Ruby is a special, little puppy because she is a bit of a medical miracle. Do you see that bump on her head? It is a meningocele. The plates of Ruby’s skull didn’t fuse together properly, leaving her brain dangerously exposed. This condition is extremely rare, and often fatal.

In addition to Ruby's "bump," she is also almost completely blind. But despite her challenges, she is a well-adjusted, sweet, very smart puppy! She loves other dogs, her foster family, children, and playing outdoors just like any puppy. To give Ruby the best chance at a normal life, she needs an MRI to determine whether she is a candidate for surgery.

If Ruby’s meningocele is surgically repaired, her neurologist anticipates that she will grow and live a normal life. Right now, the bump on her head leaves her at high risk for brain trauma or potentially fatal brain infection. After surgery, the lump would be removed and titanium mesh would be placed over the hole in her skull, protecting her brain from infection or injury.

The estimate for Ruby's MRI with a specialist is $2,500, and if surgery is recommended, her vet bills may total $7,000. These costs include very generous discounts offered by the neurology department at Pacific Northwest Pet ER and Speciality. Many shelters couldn't give Ruby this treatment. As a small, rural shelter, we will need your help to do it. We try to help every pet that we can, but we can't do it alone. Please donate if you can, and please share, no matter what. Help us help Ruby! Thank you!

Sincerely,

PAWS and #TeamRuby

Thursday, June 26th, we got a message from a woman that she was helping her neighbor bring us a dog that had a leg that appeared to be broken and her puppies. This woman seemed to think that we were expecting this mama dog and puppies to arrive at our shelter, but we hadn't heard anything about this.

Then, we learned that Bitsy, the mama dog, had been shot for chasing chickens. When we got the pictures, we were surprised. This was a tiny, little dog. Bitsy is 10.4 pounds. No dog should ever be shot, for any reason, but we were not expecting this tiny chihuahua terrier mix after hearing this story!

Bitsy and her puppies arrived at our shelter and were seen at Animal Urgent Care in Milton-Freewater, Oregon. Dr. Kelli Kidd cleaned her wound and performed x-rays and confirmed that Bitsy had, indeed, been shot. There were metal fragments in her leg. Bitsy currently has a splint and is on antibiotics and will have another checkup on Monday, June 30th.

Despite everything she's gone through, Bitsy is the sweetest little dog. She loves being petted, and she is very attentive to her puppies. She will most likely need to have her leg amputated because of nerve damage, but we won't know for certain until her next checkup. Please help us help Bitsy and her puppies. No dog should ever have to go through this, let alone a tiny dog with puppies. We try to help every pet that we can, but we need your help. Please donate if you can, and please share, no matter what. Thank you!