Post by michele5611 on Sept 21, 2010 13:20:04 GMT -5
www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20100921/NEIGHBORHOODS01/9210323
The pain was the first thing to stop. The endless throbbing stopped next, but the bleeding continued. Each lick brought with it the metallic taste of his own blood. Scavenging for whatever he could to silence his growling stomach, he rummaged through garbage cans and trash left along the curb. The limp was getting worse; he could no longer feel his foot and it was becoming incredibly difficult to walk. He was running out of time. Even worse than that, he was running out of hope. He knew all too well what people thought of his kind; that's why he ran whenever someone got too close to him. But then one day he let his guard down and they caught him......and his life changed forever.
Jesse, a one and a half year old Pit Bull Terrier, was brought in by Calhoun County Animal Control one hot morning in July. The collection record read simply, “Injured foot.” I looked closely at his back paw and noticed that something had been wrapped tightly around his leg immediately above the hock. Whatever it was, it had been removed by the veterinarians at Irwin Avenue Animal Hospital prior to his arrival. Even though by law this stray dog was not yet ours, I made the decision to take him to Dickman Road Veterinary Clinic. The veterinarian was hopeful; he thought the paw could be saved and reconstructed once it healed. Once I brought Jesse back to the shelter, we started him on antibiotics and put an e-collar on him to keep him from chewing his paw. Unfortunately, the crafty little guy managed to chew on his paw during the wee hours of the morning when staff wasn't present to observe him, resulting in yet another trip to the vet. This time I was told to wrap the foot daily and continue the series of antibiotics. In the meantime, Jesse caught and recovered from kennel cough, was treated for demodectic mange, and revealed that he is one of the sweetest Pit Bulls I've ever known.
Always ready with a kiss and a friendly, wagging tail, Jesse seemed to flourish in an environment where many animals tend to decline. His injury prevented him from running with other dogs in the large play yard, but Jesse didn't seem to mind. As a matter of fact, he greatly enjoyed his time in the smaller play yard with the many humans who would stop to pet him. Any dog who came up to him through the fence was met with only licks and curiosity; never with aggression. The daily “wrap” sessions Jesse and I shared were the only time I ever noticed him resist anything. He would express his displeasure by jerking his paw away, then immediately lick my hand. I took him with me to adoption events so that he could receive as much socialization as possible. As a Pit Bull, I knew he needed to be an ambassador to his breed in order for us to place him up for adoption.
The pain was the first thing to stop. The endless throbbing stopped next, but the bleeding continued. Each lick brought with it the metallic taste of his own blood. Scavenging for whatever he could to silence his growling stomach, he rummaged through garbage cans and trash left along the curb. The limp was getting worse; he could no longer feel his foot and it was becoming incredibly difficult to walk. He was running out of time. Even worse than that, he was running out of hope. He knew all too well what people thought of his kind; that's why he ran whenever someone got too close to him. But then one day he let his guard down and they caught him......and his life changed forever.
Jesse, a one and a half year old Pit Bull Terrier, was brought in by Calhoun County Animal Control one hot morning in July. The collection record read simply, “Injured foot.” I looked closely at his back paw and noticed that something had been wrapped tightly around his leg immediately above the hock. Whatever it was, it had been removed by the veterinarians at Irwin Avenue Animal Hospital prior to his arrival. Even though by law this stray dog was not yet ours, I made the decision to take him to Dickman Road Veterinary Clinic. The veterinarian was hopeful; he thought the paw could be saved and reconstructed once it healed. Once I brought Jesse back to the shelter, we started him on antibiotics and put an e-collar on him to keep him from chewing his paw. Unfortunately, the crafty little guy managed to chew on his paw during the wee hours of the morning when staff wasn't present to observe him, resulting in yet another trip to the vet. This time I was told to wrap the foot daily and continue the series of antibiotics. In the meantime, Jesse caught and recovered from kennel cough, was treated for demodectic mange, and revealed that he is one of the sweetest Pit Bulls I've ever known.
Always ready with a kiss and a friendly, wagging tail, Jesse seemed to flourish in an environment where many animals tend to decline. His injury prevented him from running with other dogs in the large play yard, but Jesse didn't seem to mind. As a matter of fact, he greatly enjoyed his time in the smaller play yard with the many humans who would stop to pet him. Any dog who came up to him through the fence was met with only licks and curiosity; never with aggression. The daily “wrap” sessions Jesse and I shared were the only time I ever noticed him resist anything. He would express his displeasure by jerking his paw away, then immediately lick my hand. I took him with me to adoption events so that he could receive as much socialization as possible. As a Pit Bull, I knew he needed to be an ambassador to his breed in order for us to place him up for adoption.
Unfortunately, the little guy's troubles weren't over yet. He continued to chew on his paw at night and on the weekends. I ordered a cervical collar for him, but he still managed to reach that paw. His condition took a turn for the worse over Labor Day Weekend. The wrap caused swelling and Jesse's demeanor was clearly affected. He laid in his kennel and would not come to the front, although his tail still wagged at the sound of his name. Once again, Jesse and I took the short drive to Dickman Road Vet. This time, the only solution was amputation.
I visited Jesse after his surgery. Even with all he'd been through (he was neutered immediately following the amputation), he still managed to give me kisses. When I got up to leave, he stood up and tried to follow me out. I promised him I'd be back the next day, and that he could recover with me in my own home. In only a day he was zipping around the backyard with my Boxers like nothing ever happened. Better yet, he wasn't licking the surgery site, so there was no need for an e-collar. He spent each night in my home with his head on my pillow; he loved being loved. However, by the end of that first week, Jesse began to vomit and had stopped eating. I took him back to the vet on Sunday. All his bloodwork was normal, but because he was so dehydrated, he stayed at the vet to receive IV fluids. Monday morning I called to check on him and was told that an x-ray showed that his stomach was enlarged. A laparotomy would be necessary to discover the cause. At around lunchtime we had our answer: a corn cob was lodged in his intestines. After one more night at the vet, Jesse should be able to come home again.
As the Operations Manager at the Calhoun County Animal Center, I am exposed to the dark side of humanity and must make tough decisions about homeless animals on an almost daily basis. The most difficult part of this decision making process is determining which animals we can actually afford to help. Thankfully, the Spirit Fund enables us to help sick and injured animals. The Spirit Fund is funded solely through donations from the public; not by grants or contracts. The fund was started for animals like Jesse; dogs and cats whose spirits are so uplifting and inspirational that one cannot imagine NOT helping them. These animals cannot speak for themselves; they cannot tell us what happened to them, who did this to them, or even where it hurts. All they can do is show us through their body language and through their eyes that they are worth it. Jesse is worth it. Even after all he has been through, he still wagged his tail and licked my face when I went to visit him after his latest surgery. This 33 pound Pit Bull has almost single pawedly depleted our Spirit Fund, but we have faith that people will read his story, or hear about him from a friend, and want to donate just a little bit of what they have to help those who cannot help themselves. Please consider helping Jesse and others like him. You won't regret it
The pain was the first thing to stop. The endless throbbing stopped next, but the bleeding continued. Each lick brought with it the metallic taste of his own blood. Scavenging for whatever he could to silence his growling stomach, he rummaged through garbage cans and trash left along the curb. The limp was getting worse; he could no longer feel his foot and it was becoming incredibly difficult to walk. He was running out of time. Even worse than that, he was running out of hope. He knew all too well what people thought of his kind; that's why he ran whenever someone got too close to him. But then one day he let his guard down and they caught him......and his life changed forever.
Jesse, a one and a half year old Pit Bull Terrier, was brought in by Calhoun County Animal Control one hot morning in July. The collection record read simply, “Injured foot.” I looked closely at his back paw and noticed that something had been wrapped tightly around his leg immediately above the hock. Whatever it was, it had been removed by the veterinarians at Irwin Avenue Animal Hospital prior to his arrival. Even though by law this stray dog was not yet ours, I made the decision to take him to Dickman Road Veterinary Clinic. The veterinarian was hopeful; he thought the paw could be saved and reconstructed once it healed. Once I brought Jesse back to the shelter, we started him on antibiotics and put an e-collar on him to keep him from chewing his paw. Unfortunately, the crafty little guy managed to chew on his paw during the wee hours of the morning when staff wasn't present to observe him, resulting in yet another trip to the vet. This time I was told to wrap the foot daily and continue the series of antibiotics. In the meantime, Jesse caught and recovered from kennel cough, was treated for demodectic mange, and revealed that he is one of the sweetest Pit Bulls I've ever known.
Always ready with a kiss and a friendly, wagging tail, Jesse seemed to flourish in an environment where many animals tend to decline. His injury prevented him from running with other dogs in the large play yard, but Jesse didn't seem to mind. As a matter of fact, he greatly enjoyed his time in the smaller play yard with the many humans who would stop to pet him. Any dog who came up to him through the fence was met with only licks and curiosity; never with aggression. The daily “wrap” sessions Jesse and I shared were the only time I ever noticed him resist anything. He would express his displeasure by jerking his paw away, then immediately lick my hand. I took him with me to adoption events so that he could receive as much socialization as possible. As a Pit Bull, I knew he needed to be an ambassador to his breed in order for us to place him up for adoption.
The pain was the first thing to stop. The endless throbbing stopped next, but the bleeding continued. Each lick brought with it the metallic taste of his own blood. Scavenging for whatever he could to silence his growling stomach, he rummaged through garbage cans and trash left along the curb. The limp was getting worse; he could no longer feel his foot and it was becoming incredibly difficult to walk. He was running out of time. Even worse than that, he was running out of hope. He knew all too well what people thought of his kind; that's why he ran whenever someone got too close to him. But then one day he let his guard down and they caught him......and his life changed forever.
Jesse, a one and a half year old Pit Bull Terrier, was brought in by Calhoun County Animal Control one hot morning in July. The collection record read simply, “Injured foot.” I looked closely at his back paw and noticed that something had been wrapped tightly around his leg immediately above the hock. Whatever it was, it had been removed by the veterinarians at Irwin Avenue Animal Hospital prior to his arrival. Even though by law this stray dog was not yet ours, I made the decision to take him to Dickman Road Veterinary Clinic. The veterinarian was hopeful; he thought the paw could be saved and reconstructed once it healed. Once I brought Jesse back to the shelter, we started him on antibiotics and put an e-collar on him to keep him from chewing his paw. Unfortunately, the crafty little guy managed to chew on his paw during the wee hours of the morning when staff wasn't present to observe him, resulting in yet another trip to the vet. This time I was told to wrap the foot daily and continue the series of antibiotics. In the meantime, Jesse caught and recovered from kennel cough, was treated for demodectic mange, and revealed that he is one of the sweetest Pit Bulls I've ever known.
Always ready with a kiss and a friendly, wagging tail, Jesse seemed to flourish in an environment where many animals tend to decline. His injury prevented him from running with other dogs in the large play yard, but Jesse didn't seem to mind. As a matter of fact, he greatly enjoyed his time in the smaller play yard with the many humans who would stop to pet him. Any dog who came up to him through the fence was met with only licks and curiosity; never with aggression. The daily “wrap” sessions Jesse and I shared were the only time I ever noticed him resist anything. He would express his displeasure by jerking his paw away, then immediately lick my hand. I took him with me to adoption events so that he could receive as much socialization as possible. As a Pit Bull, I knew he needed to be an ambassador to his breed in order for us to place him up for adoption.
Unfortunately, the little guy's troubles weren't over yet. He continued to chew on his paw at night and on the weekends. I ordered a cervical collar for him, but he still managed to reach that paw. His condition took a turn for the worse over Labor Day Weekend. The wrap caused swelling and Jesse's demeanor was clearly affected. He laid in his kennel and would not come to the front, although his tail still wagged at the sound of his name. Once again, Jesse and I took the short drive to Dickman Road Vet. This time, the only solution was amputation.
I visited Jesse after his surgery. Even with all he'd been through (he was neutered immediately following the amputation), he still managed to give me kisses. When I got up to leave, he stood up and tried to follow me out. I promised him I'd be back the next day, and that he could recover with me in my own home. In only a day he was zipping around the backyard with my Boxers like nothing ever happened. Better yet, he wasn't licking the surgery site, so there was no need for an e-collar. He spent each night in my home with his head on my pillow; he loved being loved. However, by the end of that first week, Jesse began to vomit and had stopped eating. I took him back to the vet on Sunday. All his bloodwork was normal, but because he was so dehydrated, he stayed at the vet to receive IV fluids. Monday morning I called to check on him and was told that an x-ray showed that his stomach was enlarged. A laparotomy would be necessary to discover the cause. At around lunchtime we had our answer: a corn cob was lodged in his intestines. After one more night at the vet, Jesse should be able to come home again.
As the Operations Manager at the Calhoun County Animal Center, I am exposed to the dark side of humanity and must make tough decisions about homeless animals on an almost daily basis. The most difficult part of this decision making process is determining which animals we can actually afford to help. Thankfully, the Spirit Fund enables us to help sick and injured animals. The Spirit Fund is funded solely through donations from the public; not by grants or contracts. The fund was started for animals like Jesse; dogs and cats whose spirits are so uplifting and inspirational that one cannot imagine NOT helping them. These animals cannot speak for themselves; they cannot tell us what happened to them, who did this to them, or even where it hurts. All they can do is show us through their body language and through their eyes that they are worth it. Jesse is worth it. Even after all he has been through, he still wagged his tail and licked my face when I went to visit him after his latest surgery. This 33 pound Pit Bull has almost single pawedly depleted our Spirit Fund, but we have faith that people will read his story, or hear about him from a friend, and want to donate just a little bit of what they have to help those who cannot help themselves. Please consider helping Jesse and others like him. You won't regret it
I look forward to learning much here