Big Luck Club’s ‘Mommy Makeover’
This sweet Mamma was relinquished from a very rural area of the Navajo reservation. We don’t know a lot about her but believe she was used to help keep livestock safe from predators. There’s no reason to believe she’d ever seen a veterinarian, been vaccinated, and likely never brushed, bathed, or had her nails trimmed. She likely had spent her entire life outdoors and perennially pregnant.
In fact, she came to us very pregnant, giving birth to nine puppies just five days after arriving. It was mid-August and the temps were soaring, but she was happy to have her private space in the air conditioned house. She was bony, full of ticks, and could hardly keep her eyes open from the infections in them.
She was so perpetually hungry that she had the habit of immediately consuming her parasite-ridden feces. And although she arrived unafraid of people, she showed no sign that she had ever been directly touched, petted, or handled, or ever had a collar, harness, or leash on her.
Initially, and not surprisingly, she was food aggressive and wanted to get at every morsel she possibly could, including the meals fed to the house dogs.
She was fed small nutritious meals multiple times a day, given a vitamin and electrolyte supplement, probiotics, and daily salmon oil. In time, some raw food was introduced into her diet in the form of beef and eggs. She quickly ended the habit of eating her own feces. Eventually, in addition to her regular meals, she also was given a small bowl of Victor Yukon River Canine kibble throughout the day that she could choose to eat or allow it to sit there untouched, helping to ingrain in her mind that she would never have to worry again about her next meal.
Mamma has raised her nine beautiful babies, and they are off starting their own lives. She has been bathed, her nails trimmed, and is now walking like a pro on a leash. She recently made her first visit to the veterinarian where she was spayed, microchipped, and received her rabies vaccine.
Because she likely spent much of her life in a malnourished state, she had a CBC panel completed to look for any liver or kidney issues, and thankfully nothing showed up of concern. She also was tested for heartworm and the notorious tick-borne diseases of Lyme, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma – all of which returned negative.
Today, she is no longer focused on eating, can go all day dismissing her kibble, and is unconcerned about what the other dogs are eating. She has gone from behaving like an old dog that struggles to move, to a youngster that loves to play. Her eyes now have a sparkle instead of infection, she is a healthy weight, and has an incredible wag in her tail. She easily loads herself in and out of the car for what used to be scary car rides. She is house trained and uses a doggy door.
She’s come a long way in 10 weeks, and with some additional time to focus on exercise, socialization, great nutrition, and learning basic commands, Mamma will be shined-up appropriately to move on to the life, family, and continued great care she always wanted.
Thankfully, the forecast is calling for lots of blue skies for this pretty girl. When she’s ready for adoption, she will be listed with PetFinder, AdoptAPet, and the Big Luck Club Facebook page. Interested parties can email us at bigluckclub@gmail.com to describe why they would make a great forever family for her.
Frosted Face, Heart of Gold
Our pets accompany us through happy times and tough times, but they count on us to provide what they most need—food, shelter, and love. In return they add an extra dimension to our lives that words can’t really capture.
The toughest thing for a pet owner is, of course, outliving their animals, but the second most difficult would have to be relinquishing their furry best friends when they can no longer care for them.
Sheba and Suey arrived at the Humane Society of Sedona in August, and their surrender was a tear-jerker. As senior dogs go, they were an odd couple: a terrier mix who was towered over by his “sister”–a Lab and possibly Staffie mix.
Having been together for 10 years, they were inseparable but in need of a lot of medical care. They did not deserve to be overlooked because they were older and might have further health challenges; all they wanted to do was give love and receive it.
In their minds, everyone that walked past, every car they saw gave them a glimmer of hope, but almost three months passed and you could tell they were starting to wonder when someone would make a commitment to them.
Fortunately, they finally got the opportunity to live out their Golden Years with a loving family who is appreciating the lack of effort they have to put into their new family members, and celebrating their frosted faces and hearts of gold.
Daphne’s Happily Ever After
Some of you may remember the horrific crash that occurred Wednesday, May 27, 2020 at 3:51 am on Highway 169 near Dewey. The driver, tragically, was killed instantly. What was not reported is that she had a beautiful Welsh Terrier with her in the front seat that was ejected on impact.
Meet Daphne. Daphne miraculously survived the crash in the actual Jeep pictured here. Animal Control Officers brought her to us in shock and with a badly broken leg. The Yavapai Humane Society clinic staff immediately took her in and, when she was stable enough, Dr. Leo Egar from our Spay/Neuter & Wellness Clinic performed surgery to repair her broken right rear leg.
She recovered from surgery and started on her rehabilitation with daily exercises to help her strengthen her leg. Three months later she was fully recovered and was once again happily running around, playing, and ready to go home.
Gabe and Paul, two members of the YHS clinic staff, hit the road in our New Hope van with Daphne heading for Arkansas to return her to Casey, the daughter of the woman killed in the crash.
The reunion was absolutely beautiful, and Daphne is now living happily ever after with Casey and her family! Moments like this are made possible because of people like you who support Yavapai Humane Society and believe in our mission to promote and protect the health, safety, and welfare of companion animals.
