GREENVILLE, SC......You know in your Heart when you read a story about a particular dog and look at their picture, this pup will not make it out alive. He is going to be skipped over for a healthier dog or one in much worse shape. Everyone sees skin issues and thinks someone else will save this one since he isn't as bad as the others. Hundreds of thousands of dogs are euthanized each year in this Country for this very reason. They are in the middle of horrible abuse and no issues at all.
When I saw Sawyer, a five-year-old Shepherd Mix and read his information, I knew no one was going to step up for him. He came in with a lot of other dogs in a hoarding case, and they were each sick with skin issues and emaciated. The rescue I contacted to help with transport was even confused why I was helping this one since I normally do the worst of the worse. Animal Abuse and Neglect is horrible no matter how you look at it for the dog that has been tortured. The rest is just the Story we tell ourselves, so we DO NOT have to feel Quilty about not stepping up for an animal.
My Gut instinct won out because I knew this was not a dog with just one issue, he had a lot. I knew all the bad things that skin issues carry because I had spent thousands of dollars doing everything possible to save dogs with them. Some I was able to save and some I could not because they were too far gone when I rescued them. No amount of money could bring them back from what they had endured.
Sweet Sawyer was picked up and taken to Carolina Veterinary Specialists in Matthews, NC where he immediately was taken to the ER. In the course of one day of tests and thorough evaluations, we discovered an entire sheet of serious medical conditions Sawyer had. The first and most concerning was that his skin problem was an infection called MRSP (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius) which is the canine version of MRSA. This is highly contagious to DOGS that are immune compromised or have skin issues such as Demodex. Every dog that came in with him probably had the same thing. The other Medical problem he had that is highly contagious to animals, and people is Ringworm.
Our sweet boy had two highly contagious and dangerous Diseases. On top of everything else, he was emaciated, immune compromised, and anemic because of intestinal parasites. The list went on and on for pages. Sawyer was immediately placed in Quarantine in ICU. That was over a month ago. There was no point in posting for this sweet pup because he was going to be with us in Isolation in ICU for a very long time.
Thousands of dollars later, our dear boy is still in isolation. We have finally gotten our first bit of good news. Sawyer is finally clear of MRSP. He still has Ringworm and will not be clear of that for almost four more weeks. We have to have two clear scrapings to say he is no longer contagious.
The other issue we have is that Sawyer is Cryptorchid which means one of his testicles did not descend. His neuter surgery is now more complicated because it requires going into the abdomen to do the procedure. Sawyer is not a candidate for the surgery until his Ringworm is resolved because he would put everyone at risk that would be working on him.
The list of complications for this amazing dog goes on and on, but one thing has not changed during the entire time we have had him, Sawyer is beyond SWEET. He is going to make the best Family Pet for one lucky Family. He is shy at first and then is pure LOVE. Sawyer is one of the lucky ones that made it out. So many of those that came in with him were not as lucky. I did let Greenville County know of the contagious diseases he had so they could take precautions with the other dogs that came in with him.
We have had our hands full with pups in Quarantine in ICU. The Parvo Pups are still needing intensive care, but the worst is over. I will be doing an update on them soon once I get their new test results back but they are beginning to act like normal puppies which puts a smile on each of our faces.
We need funds now more than ever. We are getting hit with bills from all directions from three different Speciality Hospitals. PLEASE, Donate whatever you can because the Abuse Cases just keep coming in. There has never been a worse time in this Country for the Animals being Neglected and Abused. Whatever you can spare is greatly appreciated so we can keep doing what we do. We are a RESCUE, and that is what we DO every single day. Thanks for caring.
