BCSP Report – Week 42

Written by Marilyn Neville

Bollinger County Stray Project Report October 7-13

He was dumped in the Briarwood area, south of Marble Hill, east of Zalma, west of Advance and north of Sturdivent.  He could have been born in any of those communities, unwanted from birth.  How do I know that?  Because his body showed the tell-tale signs of neglect for most, if not all, of his life.

He had very little muscle to hold his small frame. His 19 pound frame stuck out from under his dirty, dull, yellow coat, bone points showing every line, every curve of his deprived frame.  His frame lacked muscle mass because he had grown to the age of about 8 months without the nutrition to build muscle.

He was so starved that when he laid on the truck floorboard he looked to me like a dog ready to die.  His eyes full of fear and wonder, probably thinking, “What was this stranger going to do to me?  Why was she staring at me?”

I knelt over this starved pup and picked him up.  He struggled and cried but then submitted as I carried him to the back of our truck end-gate where I put him in a crate as I prepared a Parvo test.

He was so pathetic looking that I was sure he would test positive, but he did not.

So I thanked the family who had brought the dirty, little dog who was so scared. They backed around and out of the yard to drive home.

A few days later they would call to see how he was doing. They may have been the first family who ever cared about his well-being.

I dewormed him and studied him.  His terrified eyes started to warm towards me when I fed him a cup of high fat and high protein food.  I fed him again before I went to bed around midnight.  He was becoming comfortable and walked up to me.  I decided to call him HENRY, after my great uncle who had meant a lot to me.

Henry was very excited to see me the next morning.  He had already considered me his cook.

I watched him and realized that his movement was very poor, looking like he had a serious hip deformity.  Next trip to the vet he would come along and likely have to be euthanized.  Suddenly I wished I had not named him.  I would try to feed him and work on not becoming attached.  However, this dog’s terrified eyes had turned into eyes of love and thanks, so deep and friendly that as hard as I tried, I could not stop worrying about him.

Two days after his arrival we were called to help another very starved black Lab.  There was no open pen, but this was a serious emergency, so he was also Parvo tested and negative.  They were kenneled together.  Normally this could be a dangerous situation: both weak, both starved.  Often such dogs will fight over food.  These two boys were separated while they vacuumed their ProPlan meals and when done, they licked each other, laid with each other and showed me how very special they both were.

After de-worming the black dog he became deathly ill, requiring an emergency visit the next morning.  This was my chance to get both dogs to the vet and have Henry’s hips checked.

We had him radiographed and his x-ray proved that he had beautiful hip balls and sockets.  The cause of his poor stride was a lack of muscle due to a lack of nutrition and basic care, such as de-worming.

Henry’s eyes showed two extremes of emotion: excitement over food and me, and very happy at all other times.

He was never again to be the scared little dog that I had first met on the truck floorboard.

Henry became my side kick.  He was always close to where I was in the yard.  He came on a run when I called “HENRY!”.  He rode beside me on the Gator while doing chores.  He slept in the house in a crate as soon as the isolation period was over. I secretly wanted to keep Henry because he was PERFECT.

Crystal Higgins made a YouTube of Henry and we posted him on Facebook, our website, and Petfinder.  Last Thursday a call came to adopt Henry.  He was adopted by a Perryville family who wanted a loyal, medium sized pooch who would enjoy hikes, riding a Gator, camping, fishing and a couch.

Henry is in heaven on earth, right where he belongs, and is in a home he deserves.  His muscles have been developing, and even though he is still somewhat awkward, he is constantly improving with exercise.

Henry is a treasure.  He is a dog I shall never forget.  All he needed was time and a good cook.

All pets listed on our Face Book site will show the following Icon [*FB]

Accepted strays and relinquished dogs and kittens:

… Yellow with white, Boxer type puppy, abandoned: loaded with worms, thin and needy dude. CUTE and likes to be with other dogs or humans.  Good natured, age 8-10 weeks. [*FB]

Adoptions, return to owner or placed in other rescues (5):  

… Great GABBY was adopted to a Cape/Jackson area family with small kids.

… Paul Newman: white male kitten with orange tabby tail and blue eyes adopted by Jackson couple with two dogs.

… Fabulous Francine aka Glimmer Fairy: adopted at Buchheits by a young St. Louis couple.

… My Name Is Henry: Yellow male pup, subject of today’s story.

… Cream Harwood Kitty: male, age 9 wks, adopted by area Healthcare worker.

… Chocolate Lab from FB site, about age 6-7, heartworm positive: owner came to pick him up after boyfriend abandoned him. [*FB]

Cat calls:

… FREE, ten cats: age 1 year, all spayed or neutered house cats, litter trained. Well cared for, call 573-495-2033

… FREE, Baker’s Store in Glenn Allen, black momma cat and her young kittens.

Dogs with Heartworm, Erlichia, special needs, or that were euthanized:

… None  LINDA you can take this out if you want this week.

Calls requesting assistance for dogs we did not admit:

… FOUND near Arbor, church road, open farm country: 5 Beagle and spaniel/beagle type small mixes found near ditch.  Two miniature male Beagles, tri red and tri with black, weigh about 14 to 17 pounds.  Two females white with red patches.  One grayish female, wearing breast’s full of milk, dangerously thin-to-the-bone.  As of Monday, we were able to capture one male and the two white with red females.  The red on red tri male: shy.  Grey colored lactating female no-where to be found: could be trying to feed pups or worse.  Then again, what could be worse: dumped with no food in rainy weather at a drainage ditch in the middle of no-where?  Do you know whose dogs they are?

… FOUND 10/04/13: purebred black Great Dane, rural Advance area put in foster care.

… FOUND 10/1/13 near Hwy’s 51 / 91: male Walker Coonhound, about 2 yr of age. [*FB]

… FOUND 10/5/13, Hwy 51 and W area: older Chocolate Lab male, wearing a tan web collar, either neutered or cryptorchid, cherry-eye right side.  [*FB]

… LOST 10/6/13, near Patton: older Chocolate Lab male, wearing a collar with red. He could be anywhere, possibly stolen.  This child’s pet never leaves home.

… FOUND 10/4/13 Millersville/Scopus, Co Rd 226/Hwy 72: Heeler mix male intact. [*FB]

… LOST 10/4/13 south 51 near Co Rd 400: purebred red/white Boxer female. [*FB]

Miscellaneous and contact info: 

We had 50 dogs on our property Monday.

If you suspect an animal is being neglected or abused, call the Humane Society of Missouri Animal Cruelty Hotline, 314-647-4400 or 800-383-9835 or you can make a confidential report on line at Humane Society of Missouri.

To understand when an animal is being abused or neglected in the state of Missouri read the following link:http://asci.uvm.edu/equine/law/cruelty/mo_cruel.htm

Please report animal abuse and discourage anyone from dumping dogs or puppies.

Offer any pregnant dog small-breed-puppy-food the final 1-2 weeks before delivery and while the pups are nursing.  Cats need kitten food.  Free feed the higher calorie food during the nursing stage to help mom make milk and maintain her own body mass.  Babies need to be dewormed as young as 1-2 weeks, then every 7-10 days until age 10-weeks or older if in a confined environment with re-infestation concerns.

Offer strays water on day one, food day two or three. Call if missing a dog or have a stray.

We LOVE Buchheits!  Donate a buck or more at the Jackson store for dog food and supplies when you shop. Also, Second Time Around in Marble Hill is taking donations for the Stray Project. Monetary donations are accepted at the Bollinger County Veterinary Service, Marble Hill Coop, Buchheits, and the MH Town and Country.

Thank you to the County Residents who have continued to support the Bollinger County Stray Project. 

Check out our available pets at Petfinder.  Call 573-722-3035 about our adoptable pets.