Dog Rescue Campaign – Animals Abused & Abandoned

Sweet, Gentle Amelia

Richard Voelker — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 14:15:02 +0000

Please meet Amelia. She is the story of strength, perseverance, and the power of love. This beautiful girl had a rough start in life, but her spirit remains unbroken.
She was first seen running down a street full speed, in what appeared to be an all out pursuit of a car. Finally exhausted, she stopped in the middle of that street going from car to car. The traffic had slowed down to avoid colliding into her. Her current foster mom opened her car door and Amelia jumped in and simply collapsed. She appeared to still be lactating. Numerous postings with the photos of this lost dog produced no response.

She was thin, with skin infections, and tested heartworm positive. She has been spayed and vaccinated, and has been treated for skin problems. She is on her way to a complete recovery, and to finding her perfect forever home. She is still in foster care while undergoing heartworm treatment.
Sweet, gentle Amelia is truly one lucky dog. Her life could have taken a tragic direction. She could have been left in the street with the other 70 million cats and dogs that are homeless in the US.

Animals Abused & Abandoned paid every cost involved in treating this beautiful dog and her playful companions Penelope and Judy. To continue this important care for the underserved pet population, your help funding these life saving services will be most appreciated. We cannot save them all, unfortunately, but your donation will make a huge difference in this innocent dog’s life.

Please make your thoughtful and generous donation to her care to Animals Abused & Abandoned

through North Texas Giving Day, on or before September 21, 2023: https://www.northtexasgivingday.org/donate/animals-abused- abandoned-inc

or through our website: http://animals-abused.org/donations/
Animals Abused & Abandoned, Inc thanks you for your kindness and generosity.

Little Opi Had Parvo

Richard Voelker — Sun, 04 Sep 2022 18:35:46 +0000

A young lady on her way to work noticed a dog and two pups, about three to four months old, sitting on the shoulder of a heavily travelled road. Two days later, mom and puppies were still there waiting for something or someone. Truly a miracle that this trio was still uninjured and intact, the lady stopped, picked up the dogs and drove them back to her home. She put them in her backyard inside a big doghouse where they would be safe and gave them food and water. She then got back into her car to drive to her destination, which meant arriving late for work.

This kindhearted person put the word out on social media that she had found three dogs and was looking for homes for them. She was most fortunate when someone called her and said she was a vet tech and was interested in adopting the mother dog and her male puppy. The next day these two very lucky dogs moved into their new, and hopefully, forever home.

A couple of days later, that same vet tech called the good Samaritan rescuer to tell her the male puppy was very ill with Parvo. Within a matter of hours after that call, the female puppy, that was still with her good Samaritan rescuer, developed a decreased appetite, nausea, diarrhea, and scary lethargy. This rescuer did not have emergency funds available to pay for emergency vet treatment the female puppy would require.

When Animals Abused & Abandoned agreed to pay for the emergency appointment and treatment, Opi, the name given to the female puppy, was immediately taken to the rescuer’s veterinary hospital. Because Parvo (CPV) is a highly contagious disease, Opi was tested in the parking lot of the vet clinic. She, too, like her brother tested positive for the Parvo virus. Opi was hydrated with IV fluids while in the rescuer’s vehicle and administered an antibiotic and antiemetic by injections. The angel rescuer was given instructions on how to care for Opi at home – continue hydrating the dog with fluids SQ, medicate for the vomiting and the diarrhea and entice her to eat foods she likes, and keep her isolated from the family’s other two dogs.

With diligent and consistent treatment, Opi began to recover from this life-threatening disease and is slowly regaining her strength and zest for life. If emergency medical treatment is initiated in a timely manner, the chances are good that most dogs will survive. And those dogs that recover from CPV infection retain lifelong protective immunity against the strain that infected them, but vaccinations are still of utmost importance. On a happy note, Opi’s brother also recovered from this deadly infection and is also a healthy puppy once again!

Opi has since been adopted by a forever family. Her rescuer visits her in her new home on occasion and Opi is always most happy to see her. The latest news on the mother dog and son is that they are both doing well too.

Three homeless dogs saved! It came at a substantial cost. To help more sick, injured and innocent dogs that require emergency care, please make a contribution to Animals Abused & Abandoned here. Your kindness and generosity are deeply appreciated. This rescue had a happy ending, many do not.

Muchacho’s Eye

Richard Voelker — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 19:00:00 +0000

Two little girls nine and ten years old banged on a rescuer’s door asking for help for their dog who was injured. His right eye was bulging (prolapsed) from its orbital socket. They had found him at home suffering from this injury. They were unable to give further details, except that their little pet had been left at home with an older sibling.

Due to some unfortunate circumstances the rescuer was not in a position to help the little chihuahua. A call was made to Animals Abused & Abandoned asking for our emergency assistance.

Little Muchacho was taken immediately to the veterinary clinic. After assessing the young pup, he was deemed a good candidate for surgery. That very same evening, under general anesthesia, he had the eyeball placed back in the orbit and sutured in place.

Severe prolapse of the eye, as in Muchacho’s case, was probably due to trauma to the head. Being been seen by a veterinarian quickly improved his chances for saving his eyeball. Return of eyesight occurs in about half the dogs with this type of injury depending what damage was sustained around the eye and how long it was displaced. Speed at which a pet is seen by a veterinarian is of utmost importance in retaining vision.

The little dog stayed at the clinic two nights for observation and pain control. His sutures were removed on the third day and released to a foster home with antibiotic drops, eye ointment, a cone to keep him from injuring his eye from scratching, and re-check appointments.

His foster mom reports that he is the best and sweetest little dog she has ever had in her home. If he could talk we would love to hear how he was injured so badly. His family relinquished him immediately upon hearing they would not be responsible for the medical bill, which they could not afford to pay. They never inquired about him. Innocent and abused, he deserved better!

Muchacho is one of so many pets turned in to rescues or shelters. They are the fortunate ones, because, helpless to help themselves, many are simply abandoned on city streets or out on a country lane.

Food and veterinary care are expensive, but there are financial and emotional responsibilities attached to adopting an animal. One does not “get rid of it” because it has become an inconvenience or has become a financial burden. There are solutions available in the community to help animals and low-income owners who cannot afford emergency care. An animal is a lifetime commitment. It is a family member. Please treat them with respect.

We depend on your donations to continue our work. So please click on our website animals-abused.org. Your generous donation will help save the next sick, injured, suffering dog, unable to help itself.

Lucky Hopes for Love

Richard Voelker — Tue, 03 May 2022 19:40:00 +0000

There are several different versions on how this puppy sustained those injuries to his left eye. Witnesses had various narratives regarding the mistreatment this animal experienced daily, but not one person stepped forward to confirm who the pet belonged to. The Sheriff’s Department and Animal Control were notified, but because of the Easter Holiday weekend, no one was available to investigate the circumstances. Since it was after hours and many rescue groups were already closed, there was a mention of shooting the animal. A local rescuer, due to her persistence, was allowed to take responsibility for the dog.

The next morning Lucky (such irony!) was driven to a local veterinary clinic. The diagnosis was blunt force trauma to the eye. What brute does things like this to a young, innocent creature? The veterinarian ruled out the injuries to be caused by an impact with a car. The trauma being a few days old, unfortunately, the eye could not be saved. So this puppy at the young age of 4-5 months underwent an enucleation. According to the medical staff, Lucky already experienced less pain right after the surgery than the days leading up to the operation. He spent the night at the clinic and was picked up the next day by the rescue group where he will rest and recover from this ordeal. When fully healed and vetted, he will be placed for adoption.

Lucky lived in squalid conditions, in an environment of neglect, and starvation. He was severely abused during his young life, but he is resilient and ready to give his unconditional love to the person who will adopt him and give him a new beginning.

See Lucky Video here

To continue providing lifesaving care to wounded animals, please make a donation to Animals Abused & Abandoned in Lucky’s honor. Your gift will ensure other pets are given a second chance for a well deserved brighter future.

Xena’s Good Samaritans

Richard Voelker — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 13:29:58 +0000

What a story! And one with a good ending. Had it not been for the help of several Good Samaritans, this account would have had the tragic conclusion we very often hear about.

Xena, a beautiful 9 year old pitbull/greyhound mix and a younger dog, were let into the backyard for a few minutes, as they were every night, while their family prepared for bed. Shortly thereafter, barking was heard from the younger pup. The lady of the house went outside to investigate the noise and quickly realized both dogs had escaped from the yard. Panicking, she called her husband, and both began searching for them in the neighborhood park, the dogs favorite place to play. The younger dog returned home with them, but Xena was nowhere to be found.

That same evening, the owner quickly got on several social media sites asking for help in finding Xena. The next morning, she called animal control and was told they did not have a dog of Xena’s breed. The waiting game started. The hours passed and still no Xena sighting. At last, 48 hours later, a stranger contacted the owner to say that a dog fitting Xena’s description had been brought to a local veterinary clinic the day before!

Our runaway, rather than enjoy some free time in the park, made the poor decision to investigate in a different direction which led her to a major thoroughfare. And yes, the inevitable happened. Our escapee, running across a busy intersection was hit by a car traveling 40/50 miles an hour, per a witness. It was a hit and run as the vehicle never stopped. The loud collision noise was heard by a lady in the adjacent parking lot. That first Good Samaritan ran to the sight of the accident to pull Xena out of the street and render any type of first aid possible to this poor animal. In a matter of seconds, a police car appeared with our second Good Samaritan. The policeman picked up the Pitbull, placed her in the back seat of this squad car and rushed her to the nearest emergency vet clinic.

Xena was stabilized and given pain medication. Her X-rays revealed a shattered left hind leg. Even if the leg could be saved, it would require plates, pins, and several months of continuing care and rehabilitation. The alternatives were amputation or putting her down. Since amputation is not done without an owner’s consent, and no one had stepped forward to claim the dog, (Xena did not have her tags and was not microchipped) the emergency clinic’s management saw no other option than to euthanize her.

At this point, the third Good Samaritan stepped forward. A volunteer for a local rescue group happened to be in the emergency veterinary clinic when Xena was brought in by the policeman. The volunteer overheard the decision to put Xena down and said “no”. Her rescue group would take responsibility for the dog. The next morning that group transported Xena to the veterinary clinic they normally work with while they intensified their efforts to find her owner.

Fortunately, Xena’s owner had posted a description and photos of her missing dog on several social media sites and neighborhood newsletters. The rescue group finally saw one of those postings and called the owner saying “I believe we have your dog”. Hurrying to the vet hospital and listening to the new vet’s recommendation to amputate, she consented to the surgery, but with the qualification that she did not have the funds to pay the estimated cost of the full procedure.

So, the same rescue group stepped up and guaranteed payment so that the surgery would be performed, and Xena saved. Animals Abused & Abandoned then paid the hospital in full, and the rescue group was reimbursed.

Xena is now home recovering slowly, but steadily. The family is relieved and happy to have her home. She was adopted at six weeks of age and has been a family member for almost 10 years. The hole under the gate the younger dog had dug has since been filled and reinforced. Xena has been microchipped and wears her collar and tags at all times. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of microchipping your pet and a collar with tags to be worn at all times. It is literally a matter of life and death.

So that we may continue to help save another animal’s life, please make a contribution to Animals Abused & Abandoned for Xena’s surgery here. Your generous gift will help a furry friend look forward to a better tomorrow. We thank you.

Five Short Stories of Hope

Richard Voelker — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 18:52:21 +0000

The stories listed below, illustrate what goes on in all municipal animal control “shelters” across America. They also represent, in a small way, the degree of severity of the cases seen every day. The good news is that the little dogs mentioned here were saved by one rescue group on the same day.

Skylar – a Beagle chained up in a backyard. She had never known the comforts of living indoors. When asked by a rescue volunteer if her owners wanted to keep her or give her up if another home could be found for her, they were delighted to “get rid” of the dog. She has now had her vaccinations, heartworm test and preventative, and has been spayed. She awaits a family to love and cherish her.

Casper – a mixed breed, had been living on the streets for months. Not able to endure watching this dog become thinner and sicker, a couple living in that neighborhood took him to animal control in horrible physical condition. He had a raging skin infection. His skin was bright red with bare patches of fur from all the itching and scratching. He was infested with fleas and smelled beyond belief. He is now on antibiotics and ivermectin injections. He was neutered. Casper is hoping to be adopted to a loving, forever home soon.

Maggie – 11 years old surrendered by owners who “did not want her anymore”. She was groomed, vaccinations updated, tested and placed on heartworm preventative. She had a dental, with several teeth extractions. Emotionally she was quite distraught at being left in a strange place by her family. Luckily, she has since been adopted.

Shorty – was also at a municipal shelter with no adoption interest for quite awhile. Luckily, he was transferred to this rescue group that placed him in their program. He has been vaccinated. He will be neutered, but for now, he is being treated for heartworms. Given his size and good health now, his prospects for adoption are significantly improved.

Zimmer – also was brought to animal control due to a “family emergency”. He is a 10-year-old “wreck”, as you can see in the picture on the right. This rescue group took him immediately to their vet for a complete medical checkup, vaccinations, and an eye exam. He was diagnosed with glaucoma and, as a result, is visually impaired. He also has cataracts bilaterally and an ulcer in one of his eyes that is being treated now. He was promptly bathed and groomed. He desperately needs a dental for inflamed gums and decayed teeth, which he will be scheduled for shortly, but first he must have the pressure in his eyes gotten under control. A kind- hearted lady gave Zimmer a wonderful home, fully aware of his medical problems. She just fell in love with him! This elderly dog will get healthy much faster living with a devoted adopter.

Sentient beings deserve better than being neglected and then thrown away. They are not detritus in any form. They need our love and responsible care for their very survival and wellbeing. They are family. They give us unconditional love and companionship. They understand our feelings better than anyone. They are our best friends forever. They always “have our back”, and we are their world!

We can save more innocent, helpless and abandoned dogs with your continuing and generous support to Animals Abused & Abandoned here. Your donations make a real and timely difference in their lives, always helping them to reach for a brighter tomorrow.