October 2 Collie who had NO food since Katrina
Montgomery County Humane Society Page, See Dog Oct 2-2
One of my most rewarding rescue was on October 2nd, with my partner Jason. We had our list of requests of owners to break into their houses and remove their animal. The first house that we hit on the list that morning didn't look promising. Many of the houses we entered the day before had already been entered, and there were no animals to be found. This one hadn't been entered, but my hopes dropped when I saw the muddy furniture and floor with no paw prints around. We continued to enter, and then he heard us! Woof, woof. It wasn't a strong woof, but it was clear. We saw this once beautiful Collie with a very dirty coat. We approached and he retreated to a corner and blocked himself in with a couch. The catch was fairly easy with a leash. We loaded him into a crate and picked it up to take to the car. Jason and I looked at each other, "Is he in there?" His long fur hid how thin he was. It didn't feel like we were picking up anything but the weight of the crate. We searched the house for the occupants name on a piece of mail. Everything was muddy. I could see no food or trash that this dog might have eaten. He must have drunk the flood water. We found the name and headed out immediately to the triage center at the parking lot on City Park, at Delgado College. There the vets immedately gave him and IV to rehydrate him! Thank you vets! I can't imagine where he would have been today with out you. Today I see on the Montgomery County - Maryland website that his owner has been found! I hope she/he will have a place to live, so that they will be able to care for thier wonderful sweet dog again.
posted by Rachel H. McKay | 10:06 PM
3 Comments:
This particular rescue is the one that I tell most people about and am most proud of. What blew my mind about this collie was that it was silent until we whistled (you taught me to always whistle before you leave the house). I remember that it only wanted to get out and we had to bust out the "friskies" canned cat food for it to actually come to us. I remember us hauling ass down that main boulevard to get the dog back to triage. I also remember that dog being so thirsty that it stuck it's entire snout into the water and sucked rather than lap it up like a normal dog. Very satisfying rescue.
Thanks so much! The dog you rescued is Lassie, a five year old pure bred collie. I know him because I fostered him for 10 months. I was at Lamar Dixon when they brought him in. he looked painfully thin and he was very docile--more like shell shocked. I thought he was about 10 and a female. A woman asked me if I would be around because she had to go home. I said yes and she asked me to try and call the phone numbers they found in the house with the dog. I said I would. Most of the numbers were New Orleans numbers so no one was home. I finally reached someone who knew the owners, but didn't know where they were--but said she'd try to find them. Several hours later, the owners called. they were exstatic that Lassie was alive--their other dog hadn't been so lucky. They had had to leave the dogs when a boat came to get them in 5 feet of water. They were told someone would be coming back for the animals--little did they know it wouldn't be for 3 weeks! They said they were in an apartment and couldn't have a dog, but wanted to go back "home" to New Orleans. I told them not to worry because the Montgomery County Humane Society was taking him back to Maryland, where I lived, and I would foster him until they could get back to New Orleans. He was flown to Maryland in October, treated for heartworms, and then came home to my house. It was rough going in the beginning--he'd been through so much and needed time to get over being scared and sick. After a short while though, he got comfortable being part of our household and things went smoothly. He stayed for 10 months until his family got a house and jobs in New Orleans. Then, one of my co-workers and I drove all night to take him back. I wasn't sure I was doing the right thing--you can't have a dog like Lassie for 10 months without falling for him. But I had made a promise so I had to take him back. Once I saw his reaction to his family, I knew I had done the right thing. He was joyous and so were they. Since then, Lassie has been the subject of a Good morning America spot and the "star" of a Comic relief special a year ago Novemeber in Las Vegas to raise money to rebuild New Orleans. I was lucky to get to accompany Lassie and his family to the show. The crowd went wild when he came out on stage and his appearance was the biggest contribution raiser of the evening. I keep in touch with his owners. We talk once a month when I call to remind them to give him his heartworm pill. They are doing OK, but like everyone in New Orleans, have had their share of difficulty. Last summer Lassie came up to visit for a couple months--partially thanks to a Shelly, a wonderful woman who continues to make trips down there to bring homeless animals back this way. It was great to see him again. He is a gorgous, healthy dog. Everywhere we went people would stop me to tell me how beautiful he was. So, thanks so much for saving Lassie and enabling his family to get back some of what they lost the day f that horrible storm.
Tobomatic - WOW!!! So cool to hear from you! I just emailed Jason, who was my partner when we rescued "Lassie". I would love to know more about what Shelley is doing. Maybe we could network some and help out. Also if Jason and I could help with any fundraising with Lassie I would love too, and I am pretty sure I could twist Jason's arm! He is in Michigan, and I am here in Collegeville, PA. My sister is in Catonsville, md. So I get down there now and then and would love to meet you. As a rescuer I didn't get much resolution on what happened to the animals I rescued, so it is great to hear Lassie has gone on to to great things!!! Please email me. griffinsgallery@verizon.net
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