Abandoned Bailey & Buddy Need Your Help!

I drove up on these 2 beauties, abandoned & bonded, laying in the middle of the road. Poor babies were starving, dehydrated, limping, exhausted, and terrified. All I had in the car was pretzels, a bottle of water & zero experience. Hope of just getting them out of the road turned into 9 hours sitting on the ground talking to them; Bailey jumping into my car on her own; leaving them both as they followed my car (bawling my eyes out the whole way home) with a promise to come back the next day; and a stand off with animal control, all within 30 hours. I knew I couldn’t bring them home so they lived/slept in the back seat of my car for the first 5 days which resulted in losing my job. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. My neighbor saw what I’d done and generously offered yard space if I could get a kennel.

Fast forward to today (week 5): Bailey & Buddy have a covered, tarp’d & heated 10x10 kennel, layered 1.5 ft off the ground in white pine flakes, xl igloo doghouse they both fit in, Bailey is IN HEAT, Buddy is in tact, both are current on vaccines, both heartworm positive and need treatment, both need proper training and Bailey has a knot/lump (slightly bigger than a golf ball) on her inner right thigh that needs to be examined. Having no experience in any of this, I naively relied on promises (week 1) of a rescue org to get them s/n and started on heartworm treatment. Unfortunately, they abandoned us after day 22, with no reason or response given. Irony: Dog rescue org abandons me as I abandon my own life and dog, to rescue the lives of 2 abandoned dogs.

I’ve never had a female dog or been through the heat cycle, and never had a male dog in tact around a female in heat. What have I gotten myself into?! Upon advice, I separated them in the kennel by crating Bailey. That worked for one, almost two nights. Now that the heat is on, I have her in a crate outside of the kennel: layered, covered, staked, bungeed, & protected from rain/wind elements; and take each one, individually, to the dog park, making 4 trips a day. Gas/time is not on my side. Separating a bonded pair has to be traumatic on its own, but one person separating both while the heat is on, is a full time exhausting job, and borderline, dangerous. Buddy has to be close to 70lbs and Bailey around 50lbs now.

This is so much work for one person who just wanted to show some humanity to 2 dogs who were facing imminent death by a car or by the needle. It’s just me out here. I dont have extra hands at home or a second income to help. Both still need heartworm treatment and training before rehoming/adoption. I dont think they’ve ever had guidance, leadership or positive personal touch. Buddy has a massive/deep scar across his neck. Both are incredibly sweet with me and very eager to learn & show what they’ve learned, but I am not comfy with introducing them to other humans, dogs, or kids in the same space without a professional or before the 3 of us have worked with one. I dont know what I dont know and my late night “how to train a bonded pair of abandoned pits” YouTube cram sessions aren’t gonna cut it.

In a race against time, heavy rain, bone chilling winds, mid-20 lows, I’ve exhausted myself physically, mentally, financially & emotionally; and sacrificed my own livelihood, not just to get them off the streets, but to breathe life into them. 

If you want to see it all in action, please go on my facebook page (/habitualhealthllc), start at Day 1, and watch the day by day videos/updates.