RESCUE ME:
It started with a phone call from Chris Maduri during the Christmas season of 2011. Chris received a call from Mary at Giant Schnauzer rescue in the Chicago area, seems she identified a BRT at the Animal Control in Joliet IL. Chris called my wife Patty to see if we were interested in “doing” a rescue, could we handle it. When I got home from work we discussed and made the decision to go and try to save the misplaced soul.
Patty hooked up with Mary the beginning January 2012 at the Animal Control in Joliet. When the BRT was let loose from the crate there was an exuberance that could only be interpreted as “Thank You”. The BRT had a name that she did not know, so we called her Silly. Patty signed the papers and we were officially her guardians. She was covered in what Patty thought was mud even her beard was caked with it (a big deterrent for a dog that wants to play kissy face with you) especially when you find out it is feces, yep she was pretty STINKY! The Animal Control thought she had shots but the veterinarian that we contacted had no record of her! So Patty could not take her to Pet Co. for a bath since they require proof of vaccinations!
Well it’s off to our veterinarian for a full array of shots and tests to make sure she was OK. Our vet found out why even her beard was matted with poop, when trying to get a stool specimen they had to shave her anus, it was so over grown and matted she had to chew the poop out of her but to get rid of it!
She was extremely thing weighting in at 40 pounds (the last time I corresponded with her new owners Mike and Glennis she was pushing 90 pounds) Now that she was up to date on her health checks Patty took her to PSP (Pet Supplies Plus) for a do it yourself dog wash.
I was home from work when the gruesome twosome returned home, and Silly was still pretty gruesome! We kept her confined to our dog room and introduced her to our girls. The K-9 consensus was she’s (Silly) OK but is she stinky, she needed more than a bath to get rid of all that caked in poop! and Silly was OK with our girls. I got out the clippers and the scissors and went to work….. 3 hours later I had her cleaned up but bald, from her beard to her butt! There were tuffs of hair here and there that I could save but she looked like she went through a paper shredder. Then you could really tell how malnourished she really was, I thought she was going to die. All the while I was grooming her she was a doll, licking my hand and giving me access to all the spots that needed trimming, even the tender ones! She was truly enjoying the attention (I was pretty gentle with her, I figured she had been through enough).
LET THE FEEDING BEGIN….. We did not know what to expect. While she was respectful of our girls it was apparent she did not get much in the way of food so we were prepared for anything. Everybody got their bowls of food in the kitchen just like normal, only now with a guest. She was hungry and very protective of her food bowl. We do not allow “bowl swapping” so that was not the issue, however we demand respect from the dogs, the biped giveth and the biped CAN take it away. Poor Silly, she did not want to be aggressive, but if we even walked toward her when she was eating she would try and growl, but would wolf down her food ever
faster, she was really more driven to eat her food than protect it. We did not push the issue as we were concerned she would get ill since she was eating so fast. Over the course of the 7 ~ 8 weeks we were blessed with her the food issues subsided. She would no longer frantically eat if someone approached her, we were gaining her trust, and she was gaining weight. When she left she was gaining weight nicely, and had put on about 10 pounds.
TIME TO WALK THE DOGS…. We do not have a fenced yard for the most part our girls are walked off leash on our dead end street. Silly was on leash for very few days. When I would let them out they would play with Silly in the mix, good dog. The most rewarding thing was the first time I had her out off leash and the girls were romping when I called Silly was the first one to come!
In the time we had her she made quite an impression on us. She fit in our house hold like she had been there forever. No stay at our house would be complete without a trip to our 4-H dog training (Patty and I were the instructors) and Silly really enjoyed the kids and the other dogs. Her attitude seemed to say thank you for saving me, it was uncanny, if it is possible for a dog to show gratitude she did. Over the last year I have kept in touch with the new owners. She is doing well and happily living with another rescue BRT in Oregon.
I would highly recommend fostering a rescue if the situation arises. There are a few things you will need, a BRT sized crate, access to grooming equipment, a place to bathe a stinky dog (a yard and hose will do, but prepare for a shower) some patience and a willingness to have your heart lightened or perhaps saddened. You see, you must be honest for the good of the animal and the safety of new owners. There are some animals that are ruined forever and the kindest thing is to euthanize them.
Wayne and Pat
It started with a phone call from Chris Maduri during the Christmas season of 2011. Chris received a call from Mary at Giant Schnauzer rescue in the Chicago area, seems she identified a BRT at the Animal Control in Joliet IL. Chris called my wife Patty to see if we were interested in “doing” a rescue, could we handle it. When I got home from work we discussed and made the decision to go and try to save the misplaced soul.
Patty hooked up with Mary the beginning January 2012 at the Animal Control in Joliet. When the BRT was let loose from the crate there was an exuberance that could only be interpreted as “Thank You”. The BRT had a name that she did not know, so we called her Silly. Patty signed the papers and we were officially her guardians. She was covered in what Patty thought was mud even her beard was caked with it (a big deterrent for a dog that wants to play kissy face with you) especially when you find out it is feces, yep she was pretty STINKY! The Animal Control thought she had shots but the veterinarian that we contacted had no record of her! So Patty could not take her to Pet Co. for a bath since they require proof of vaccinations!
Well it’s off to our veterinarian for a full array of shots and tests to make sure she was OK. Our vet found out why even her beard was matted with poop, when trying to get a stool specimen they had to shave her anus, it was so over grown and matted she had to chew the poop out of her but to get rid of it!
She was extremely thing weighting in at 40 pounds (the last time I corresponded with her new owners Mike and Glennis she was pushing 90 pounds) Now that she was up to date on her health checks Patty took her to PSP (Pet Supplies Plus) for a do it yourself dog wash.
I was home from work when the gruesome twosome returned home, and Silly was still pretty gruesome! We kept her confined to our dog room and introduced her to our girls. The K-9 consensus was she’s (Silly) OK but is she stinky, she needed more than a bath to get rid of all that caked in poop! and Silly was OK with our girls. I got out the clippers and the scissors and went to work….. 3 hours later I had her cleaned up but bald, from her beard to her butt! There were tuffs of hair here and there that I could save but she looked like she went through a paper shredder. Then you could really tell how malnourished she really was, I thought she was going to die. All the while I was grooming her she was a doll, licking my hand and giving me access to all the spots that needed trimming, even the tender ones! She was truly enjoying the attention (I was pretty gentle with her, I figured she had been through enough).
LET THE FEEDING BEGIN….. We did not know what to expect. While she was respectful of our girls it was apparent she did not get much in the way of food so we were prepared for anything. Everybody got their bowls of food in the kitchen just like normal, only now with a guest. She was hungry and very protective of her food bowl. We do not allow “bowl swapping” so that was not the issue, however we demand respect from the dogs, the biped giveth and the biped CAN take it away. Poor Silly, she did not want to be aggressive, but if we even walked toward her when she was eating she would try and growl, but would wolf down her food ever
faster, she was really more driven to eat her food than protect it. We did not push the issue as we were concerned she would get ill since she was eating so fast. Over the course of the 7 ~ 8 weeks we were blessed with her the food issues subsided. She would no longer frantically eat if someone approached her, we were gaining her trust, and she was gaining weight. When she left she was gaining weight nicely, and had put on about 10 pounds.
TIME TO WALK THE DOGS…. We do not have a fenced yard for the most part our girls are walked off leash on our dead end street. Silly was on leash for very few days. When I would let them out they would play with Silly in the mix, good dog. The most rewarding thing was the first time I had her out off leash and the girls were romping when I called Silly was the first one to come!
In the time we had her she made quite an impression on us. She fit in our house hold like she had been there forever. No stay at our house would be complete without a trip to our 4-H dog training (Patty and I were the instructors) and Silly really enjoyed the kids and the other dogs. Her attitude seemed to say thank you for saving me, it was uncanny, if it is possible for a dog to show gratitude she did. Over the last year I have kept in touch with the new owners. She is doing well and happily living with another rescue BRT in Oregon.
I would highly recommend fostering a rescue if the situation arises. There are a few things you will need, a BRT sized crate, access to grooming equipment, a place to bathe a stinky dog (a yard and hose will do, but prepare for a shower) some patience and a willingness to have your heart lightened or perhaps saddened. You see, you must be honest for the good of the animal and the safety of new owners. There are some animals that are ruined forever and the kindest thing is to euthanize them.
Wayne and Pat
