Columns: No Limits, No Kidding!

NORTH CAROLINA POODLE RESCUE RESULTS

Poodle Tragedy Rescue, after ears, teeth, skin, bone, and detox treatments, the last dog gets a family!

December 20, 2008

Vickie Haywood, Dog Sports Editor

The last little poodle went to his new home on Friday. He was an adorable older boy, picked by an 83 year old semi invalid woman who has full time help. When she and her family came to visit the dogs, there were 3 still available. I showed her the 2 younger ones, the apricot girl, the black Champion boy, and neither suited her.

Then I brought out the older boy, “Guy.”  It was instant love. She said "well honey I think you and I can grow old together. You like my lap?? Good, cause all I do is sit all day.. and you warm on my old bones."

AHHHHH. That is sooo sweet... So Guy went in for his surgery on Tuesday night, had his teeth cleaned and his neuter, getting ready for his new family. My vet took Guy home, just as he had done with Cookie during her emergency surgery.  Guy slept in Dr. Mike's  bed that night.

The new owner was so excited they spent 2 hours in the pet store buying him all kinds of things. Meanwhile he spent some time with his Auntie Kathryn, who has been my alternate care giving volunteer, while I went away for a weekend of R and R. He slept in her bed with her 3 dogs and got good and spoiled.

He had stayed at my house since the shop was now empty of dogs and I didn’t want him to be alone. It was so strange coming in to work and not hearing the shrill pitch of the 10 voices. All screaming “OUT mom OUT...” OK, Give me some time here” and then out they would all go, running and ripping around the yard. I would fix their breakfast, and then meet them out at the x pens where they would line up by sex no less at the correct x pen, and wait to be lifted up and in for breakfast. They were then fed and most days spent the entire day out in the sunshine.

That was one thing the Vet from State had impressed on me. There was so much ammonia in the house we rescued them from, she said they needed time to detox with lots of fresh air and sunshine. What they had previously been fed was of such poor quality that their little livers detoxed for months.

10 extra dogs getting baths and blow dry twice a week was a chore for me but vital to the recovery of their skin. They were getting every good thing I could get into their little bodies as well as detoxing their skin and ears from outside. At six weeks all the vets declared them healthy but I was still seeing some skin sloughing, so some continued the medicated baths for a few weeks longer, while the Avoderm was doing its job rebuilding skin cells.

Meanwhile we were buying beef short rib bones and every other night they were put to bed with a raw bone. By the next morning they were half gone from night chewing and within 3 weeks there was significant improvement in the dirty teeth. Guy was the last one for a dental so he had 5 months of bone therapy, and the vet that did his teeth was very impressed. He did loose 4 front incisors, but in a toy breed, that’s not unheard of at his age. The important thing is that his teeth were now stronger. It took very little cavitron cleaning to get his teeth sparkling and he lost none of the canines or molars. Remember that when these dogs were seized, the ESTIMATE on the dentals was $34000!!! and Guy was the only one of my 10 that lost a single tooth.

I am proud to have been a part of this tragedy. I am fond of each of them, and each dog will forever call me mom. They all had their own little personalities and with time and lots of love and attention, we were able to bring out the goodness in each of them, overcome shyness and neglect, and each was very much on the way to being house trained by the time they left.

The last 3 weeks they were with me, I didn't have any dirty crates to clean in the mornings. That is saying a LOT because in the beginning I thought I would go insane cleaning crates all day long!!! As time goes by now, I will check in with each of them in their homes and continue to take pictures to document for the book. Little Katie is being given a “welcome to the neighborhood” shower by some of her friends and those still living near by will be invited along with Kathryn and myself.

And now, with the crates empty, the yard cleaned and all the toys put away, the beds all washed, the X pens stored, sweaters washed, folded and put away, I turn off the lights and listen to the silence. No rustling of papers, no chomping of bones, no sighing as they snuggle into the fleece beds.

Sad, sweet sad, quiet sad, “I have my freedom back" sad. My gas and electric bill will drop now.  As I sit here in my chair, Second Chance reminds me "Mom, I am still here, do not be sad." Butterfly kisses on my nose, a snuggle under my chin. head tucked tightly to my breast.

No little love boy, I am not alone, never alone, because you and your kind saved me. Because of you little boy, I had to get up out of bed, get dressed and drive to come take care of you. I could be responsible for my own death, but never the death of one of you.

You all deserved your second chance at love, and in giving you yours, I got mine.

Related Poodle Information: Background on The Poodle Tragedy  ~  My Miniature Poodle Breeding Program

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