Look at this sweet lhasa face – look how unbelievably happy this girl looks.  I’m moving this story up to the top of the blog.  To date, this trio has only raised $975 of the approx $1450 they need to be “repaired.”  This includes THREE SLOW KILL heartworm treatments, an eye enucleation and the repair to Claude’s torn eye lid.  Please take pity on these three, read the story from the shelter person who took them in and how they looked after we got them.  Think of how horribly they were treated in the past.  I want to get these babies whole and get them on the way to a new, happy, cherished forever home!!!

Thanks to Laura Radler, in memory of Cooper, Sassy Kathy, Jim Rosen, Natty Products, Debbie Styron, Wow Me Now, LLC, Pam Glass, Kathy Kurbis, mom to one of our other “broken” kids, Gracie with a broken neck, Cathryn Brown, Fur Kids, Rose Cody, Driscilla Storrs, Pam Glass, Odean Cusak in honor of Sunny Sunshire, Melissa Lombard, Barbara Grabell in memory of Kimmie, Randee Goldman, Lhasa Happy Homes in Los Angeles, Ginger and Doug Warnick, Johanna Charette, Gay and Bruce Yancey, Marty Howard, Traci Tran, Cheryl McDonald and Wyatt Edenfield for their generous donations.  But they need a lot more!

Please go HERE if you’d like to send them a check.  Be sure to note “Claude, Myrtle and Hiram Galvez” on the form.  Or, if you want to donate by credit card, you can do it through PAYPAL HERE.

It takes about two months after we start heartworm treatment before we can list these puppers for adoption so please help us get their funding soon!

These three unbelievably sweet lhasa fluffs (ok, Hiram’s mom is another that got into the terrier woodpile at some time) need to go in for heartworm treatment.  They are all HEAVY heartworm positive – that means a LOT of worms clogging their tiny little hearts.  If you don’t know what heartworms do to the dog’s heart, take a look at this picture….

This heart was from a smaller dog, about 8 pounds, but it shows how in small dogs, even a few heartworms can totally clog the pulmonary artery and restrict blood flow.  Sadly, we lost a little guy last week to vena cava syndrome.  We did not even get a chance to start helping this little guy, his heart was so clogged with worms, the blood could not flow and he just died of massive heart failure.  I would LOVE to meet up with his prior owner in a dark alley.  This disease is so darn unnecessary – just $3-$5 a month prevents the infestation.

So, we really need to get these guys in for treatment!  We do the SLOW kill method of heartworm treatment as recommended by the American Heartworm Society.  This involves administering 1/2 the normal dose first then the full dose a month later if the dog is doing well.  This is the most conservative method, particularly for small dogs with tiny hearts, and the only downside is that it costs double the normal treatment and the dog has to stay in our program for a month longer.  Each treatment, including the intial work up, hospitalization for both the initial and subsequent injections, and any necessary bloodwork tests and meds runs around $350.  Additionally, we need to repair Claude’s torn eyelid (see pictures below) and remove Myrtle’s horrible, painful glaucmoa-ridden eye.  Claude, Myrtle and Hiram would very much appreciate it if you could help them with their fundraising.

Please go HERE if you’d like to send them a check.  Be sure to note “Claude, Myrtle and Hiram Galvez” on the form.  Or, if you want to donate by credit card, you can do it through PAYPAL HERE.

Thanks for your generousity.

Ok, I did a really, really dumb thing.  I was off on Friday so decided to take a drive down to Galveston to visit the three seniors who are waiting at the shelter for a foster home.  Thanks to all of you great supporters, we already raised the funds for their routine vetting, but they’ve been waiting at the shelter for several weeks for us to find a place for them to go. 

The shelter people love these dogs and had been keeping them away from the other dogs in their office.  Not too bad an arrangement but still they needed a HOME, not an office.

I thought if I could get down there and get some better pictures, perhaps one of you kind hearted dog lovers would feel those heart strings pulled and offer to take one in.

Well, when I got to the shelter, I found out that the little senior fluffs had been moved back into the main shelter – a dog with a broken leg needed the office  – so here they were, three pitiful, neglected lhasa babies, looking out from inside the run.

Now, I know you know what suckers we are for these old dogs.  How anyone cannot provide for an older dog is beyond me.  I have three personal dogs that are 13 and I just could not fathom the idea that those three would be in a situation like this! 

So, guess what, these three came home with me.  I have no idea where I’ll put them on Monday, our boarding spots are already full and our foster homes are just OVERFLOWING.  THESE THREE DESPERATELY NEED A FOSTER HOME!!

Say hello to Hiram Galvez – this little guy IS NOT A SENIOR.  That’s right, he’s probably 4-5 years old, chubby and a happy, happy boy.  He’s already trying to play with the other dogs.  No crate accidents, no marking, already neutered, this poor baby has definitely been a pet – he tried to jump in my front seat!!  He will need a foster home by July 1, so APPLY NOW TO BE HIS FOSTER HOME.  OR ADOPT!

This is sweet little Myrtle Galvez – at least 8 years old, totally deaf and blind.  She is very frightened with all the change.  She flinches at even a soft touch right now.  But, thankfully totally non-aggressive.  The other dogs are sniffing all over her, bumping into her, and she has not even thought about snapping or biting.  Absolutely adorable.  Horrible dry eye, but already responding to BNP and cyclosporine.  Horrible, bristle-like coat – hopefully soon will be soft as bunny fur with good food and supplements.  Did I say precious? 

This is Claude Galvez – he is in the WORST shape.  Although very, very nice, loves affection, loves attention, came and sat in my lap while I was trying to get these pictures.  But, notice that his right ear is shorter than the left?  Half of it  is gone.  The inside is all scarred up like he has had numerous hematomas.  No infected, though.  And, take a look at the HUGE rip in his left lower eye lid….

His eyelid is split open about 3/4″.  And, it looks like he has entropian eye lids.  He, too, is practically blind but hears well and will follow you around just by listening for your footsteps.  His front top teeth are also totally ground down.  Guess he’s around 10 or so.  Great little dog – another totally non-aggressive lhasa boy. Perfect.  Already neutered, so he was a pet sometime in his life!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE someone offer to take in these two older ones.  They really, really need a great home.  I’d like to place the girl and boy together (Claude and Myrtle) since she seems to rely on him right now for security.  I’m taking them in tomorrow for their exam, bloodwork, heartworm test, etc. and am hopeful they just need a loving home!! 

APPLY NOW TO BE THEIR FOSTER HOME.  OR ADOPT!

If you have adopted from us and have a nurturing nature, please sign up for these puppers NOW.  I really want to go get them before the weekend and let them know the love of a real home.  If you’ve forgotten the story, here it is….

Please allow me to relate a sad story.  Yesterday animal control picked up two horribly matted and filthy Lhasas on a remote road where they had obviously been dumped.  Upon arrival at the shelter the terrified dogs cowered in the corner of the kennel.  It was hard to tell what they were and the smell from their wet filthy bodies was gagging.  I came to work this morning and decided my first task would be to shave down the two dogs so they could be assessed.   To my horror, the underside of the matted fur was crawling with hundreds of maggots.  The fur over the rear of the dogs was so hard that neither dog could defecate. As I released the mats, they began to pass huge amounts of feces, also laden with maggots.  I almost decided at that point to just put these poor creatures out of the misery they were enduring, but did not want them to die in that condition, so I continued.  In addition to the maggots, thousands of fleas covered their poor bodies.  After they were shaved and bathed I found two older, neutered males who were as sweet as can be.  One is blind, or nearly so, and the other has severely inflamed skin and lesions from the mats/maggots.  They both have infected ears and are going to need major care.  We have a local vet who has generously donated services to our shelter and I am going to call him tomorrow and have them evaluated.  These dogs are well fed and someone loved them at some time in their life.  I am now determined that unless the vet says there is no hope, they will not be euthanized.  I know it is very hard to place older dogs, but if your rescue has any fosters who can help these boys recover, I think they would be adoptable.

Then a few days later….

I have an update, the day after the two males came in, a female was found dumped in the same area, in the same condition.  She also had twine wrapped tightly around a leg and has an infected paw.  All three went to the vet and are on antibiotics, as well as medication for the eyes and ears.  The female and one male have ulcers on their corneas, but the other male’s eyes are OK.  All three are sweet dogs and obviously came from the same owner.  The female was thrilled to see (or smell) the other two.  They are safe in my office waiting for an “angel.” 

Here are the pictures sent to us by the shelter…

These three desperately need to get out and into a foster home or FOREVER HOME.  If you’ve ever cared for an older dog, you know how unbelievably special they are.  Ask very little, and give so much love.  PLEASE consider letting one of these live their life out at your house not in the shelter!  They deserve you. 

If you’ve adopted from us YOU ARE APPROVED and can take one home as soon as the vet checks them over. 

Email SHERRY@pawpawpatch.net, our foster home and intake coordinator asap.

Teresa