Hello - My name is Terri, and I'm helping this very sweet 8-year-old girl, Carmen. After a terrifying and dangerous journey, she came to my home for safety and love. You know the saying... "just to foster for a while," but I fell in love. I hesitated to adopt her only due to finances, having just helped another lost and scared dog, Fergie, for two years with medical issues before her peaceful passing. After spending thousands of dollars for Fergie, I did not feel ready for another expensive rescue. Sad but a true reality.

This is a first for me to ask for financial help. The Eugene community rallied to help Carmen get off of the streets. Now, I'm asking for donations to continue the rally because she needed a major surgery and will need significant dental work done as well. Here is her story...

Carmen was named by a man who loved her very much. When he became terminally ill, the caregivers threw her and the other two resident dogs outside into a cage. Neglected, confused and scared for the following three months. Then her beloved companion passed away. The three dogs were dropped at a kill shelter and separated from each other. The other two were never seen again. She was petrified. Her known world was gone. She laid in the corner of the shelter kennel, face jammed into the walls, unable to look at anyone.

Unfortunately, someone thought they were helping her by pulling her from the shelter, but they placed her into a very inappropriate home. She was driven from California for two days up to Oregon and dropped off with a complete stranger who had no experience with traumatized dogs. With no introductions or time to assimilate, she was handed over to an elderly woman, not of right mind, a hoarder with trash everywhere, living in an RV.

On the fourth day at her new location Carmen scaled a 6 foot fence and bolted away. It was February 6th, in the cold of winter. That's when I began to help. She ran for miles and miles in all directions all over Eugene. No home to find and no familiar person waiting for her. She foraged for food in the woods and neighborhoods. Volunteers came together and began tracking her. We placed numerous posters where people reported seeing her running. We set up feeding stations and humane animal rescue traps. We watched her on cameras and learned she was not only petrified but also darn smart, avoiding the traps in all locations.

The search was a 24/7 project. Carmen covered many miles every day. We would identify an area where she was hanging out, set up cameras, place food, and hide a trap with savory cooked meat as bait. Unfortunately, she would get spooked by someone chasing her to catch her, or so they thought they could. Our posters always say "PLEASE DO NOT CHASE," and that is why. She would run away from the area and disappear. Within a few days, there would be a new sighting many miles away. And our work to track and set up would start all over again. This exhausting effort went on for 79 days!

She ran day and night. Telephone calls with reports from the public came in at all hours. No matter the time, we would hop in our cars and rush to the areas only to find her gone again. On a few occasions, she was witnessed coming out from safe zones she found, such as the old open-sided barn in photo below. We would ask the property owners for permission to set out food and attempt to lure her into returning again and again. We needed her to trust us. You can see the opening behind her where she found access to temporary, safe shelter. We had her on camera coming and going day and night. The homeowner is an older gentleman and was so loving by putting out food for her and welcoming her to feel safe on his property. We believe he reminded her of the man she loved who was gone forever. She wanted to trust him but just couldn't because she was so out of her mind with fear.

Eugene residents were absolutely amazing in the effort to rescue Carmen. A true blessing to meet so many loving people ready to support us and help save Carmen. But, inevitably, people tried too hard and would call out to her or follow her, not understanding a dog in fright/flight mode cannot stop. This only makes them run away, as she did from this property when locals in the neighborhood chased her believing they were helping. Again, another safe zone is no longer safe.

We mapped every sighting of Carmen. All the red markers on the map are places she was seen, usually running in the streets, but some were private properties where she was briefly resting. Eight long days passed, and finally, she was seen again - 12 miles across town. This busy girl far exceeded our previous rescues with an outstanding tally of 115 sightings by concerned citizens throughout Eugene. We diligently tracked details of her every move. We worried as she became too thin but we also knew she found cat food in various locations saving her from starvation.

Then the hallelujah day came that we finally tricked her into a trap. Safe! Very scared, of course, but safe. A journey of running scared for 79 fear-filled days and nights. This long rescue effort marked a very welcomed day of success in late April.

She has been nurtured, supported, provided care, and is on her healing journey. She slept for weeks with her head in the corner of a safe and loving foster home. Beds were offered in various locations. However, Carmen did what she needed to do in order to decompress. She hid from the world in order to sense the new environment around her. Then she began to realize it was calm and safe. A wonderful foster couple took her to medical appointments and treated her wounds and nasty giardia. They nursed her back to health, generously covering all expenses.

After many weeks of healing in the first foster home with massages, supplements, aromatherapy, calming products and much more, Carmen began to emerge from her shell and trust. Then, in June, she came to live with me. I planned to continue the fostering to help her prepare for a new forever home. However, I was so attached to her from the search and rescue efforts, along with visiting her at the foster home, that I was deeply in love with her. I knew she needed a gentle, peaceful, uncomplicated life. And, that I can provide.

This all-volunteer effort has been expensive. Three volunteers have paid for all costs of this rescue - poster printing, poster supplies, gas for traveling, healing supplies, wholesome food and medical care. All of this was done with love and without hesitation. Yet it can drain finances. The game-changer for me was this week - Carmen had surgery to remove a breast lump. We are awaiting the results for diagnosis. She also has two cracked teeth and several broken teeth that will need extensive dental care (those costs are not included yet in this request for financial assistance). The damage to her teeth was caused by her chewing on metal during her life in confinement. The veterinarian suggested we wait on the teeth issues to help her heal from the breast lump and get stronger and healthier over the next 3-6 months.

Carmen is a survivor. She has been through multiple losses and experienced severe trauma. She has been frightened, lonely, sick, weak, scared. Yet she looks upon me with hopefulness for her new wonderful life to continue. I have promised her this is her forever home and assured her it only gets better from here. With your support, the broader community continues to help Carmen. We will all guarantee her the best life possible - together.

With Much Love & Deep Heartfelt Gratitude,

Terri and Carmen

Her first walk to the river. Soaking it all in and feeling safe with two leashes ;-)

Below are the two medical bills for her pre-op appointment and her surgery. Cost of dental is unknown at this time.