Pearl’s Tale

In September 2008, Pearl—an American Pit Bull/Lab mix-- was found in a ditch with her throat cut from almost ear to ear by what appeared to be a cable embedded in her neck. It was also clear that Pearl had been used for breeding and had been horribly abused. To make matters worse she tested positive for Heartworm.
Now 5 years old, she has long since undergone the heartworm treatment required to save her life and is spayed. She’s a very healthy, strong girl now! She will always bear the scars that tell her tale, but we won’t let her story end there.

Pearl now holds the record for dog who has waited the longest for a home. She has been waiting 2 years with only a short break in foster care. It’s hard for us all to understand since she has long since forgiven us humans for the way she was treated. She absolutely ADORES people even though they’ve not always been kind to her. Due to her size and strength, she should be with kids ages 13 and up who can handle her energy. She will stop anywhere, and I mean anywhere, for a belly rub and would chew for hours on her favorite toy.

Due to the abuse she endured for so long, Pearl does need to be the only pet in the home. She would be thrilled to be the only animal in her new home so that she can receive the love and support she deserves after having very little in the first 3 years of her life.

Pearl will need an owner who can be a leader but never make her feel inferior! She needs someone who she can respect and admire, but who will also makes her feel loved.
Pearl is a survivor. She is something quite special. And she is still waiting.

You must be 21 to adopt Pearl and it helps if you have a good fashion sense.

Apollo and his "sister" Athena were found locked in a windowless storage unit with no food, water or ventilation on May 17. Their crates were filled with feces and urine. It is likely that they had been in there for up to 3 or 4 days. The police seized the dogs and brought them to HSHC for safekeeping. Athena has already found her forever home.

Understandably, Apollo is fearful of all the new people, noises and attention. But he is so grateful to be in a safe and caring place with food, water and an air-conditioned kennel! Apollo is a friendly, loving dog who is always waiting for the next bad thing to happen. He is unsure of himself, but once he trusts that he is not going to be hurt, he loves being petted and given belly rubs. He takes treats gently and ignores the plastic test hand when it is put inside his food bowl; he just goes on gobbling down the food.

We are estimating him to be about 4 years old, an American Pit Bull mix who we had neutered. When he came in he only weighed 45 pounds and you could see every bone in his body. Apollo is light tan with white socks and some white on his face and chin. He has a perpetually worried brow, but we are seeing improvement everyday in his level of relaxation.

As you might expect, his medical exam showed him to be emaciated, dirty, dehydrated, his tail was broken and bleeding, his ears were infected and his tooth was broken. Who knows if Apollo has ever had any veterinary care in the past? Right now Apollo is spending his nights in a relatively quiet visitation room and his days in the kennel. Even though he is startled by sudden movements and noises, we think he is beginning to get used to the shelter.

Apollo needs a loving and patient home with plenty of encouragement and positive experiences. His owner's cruelty has not destroyed Apollo's love & need of humans; he is a very resilient boy. We are recommending a home with kids 13 and up who can be gentle and supportive of Apollo. You must be 21 to adopt our sweet Greek god!

Flannigan is an Irish name & the Flannigan family motto is Certavi et vici, which means I have fought and conquered.

I think I have proved that I am a fighter; when illness or misfortune tries to take me down, I fight to gain control of the game. I was a stray dog in dire need of help when I arrived at the HSHC on March 31. I was painfully thin as the last photo testifies. I had an ear infection, an upper respiratory infection and to top it all off, I was Heartworm positive. Good grief, I was a wreck. But the kind people here took me to the vet and got me the treatment I needed to begin my recovery.

I am a pure breed Bluetick Coonhound, which means I am a passionate hunting dog. We blueticks are intelligent, devoted to family and have an amazing sense of smell. We don't have good road sense, which is probably why I ended up as a stray. We need plenty of exercise and are not cut out for apartment living. Never let us off leash during walks because we are likely to follow our nose after the scent of a raccoon! I am pretty typical of my breed.

I had just successfully completed my heartworm treatment when I developed a condition called "bloat" which is when the stomach twists on itself and can be fatal if not caught early enough. Fortunately, the humans here know their stuff and noticed right away something was terribly wrong. I was rushed to the vet for emergency surgery which saved my life…once again.

I want you to know that I am a real laid back, affectionate dog with no shortage of conversation. I only want to be part of a loving family who will give me plenty of love and exercise. I am easy going when it comes to meeting people, even strangers. I don't guard my food bowl (even though food is very important to me!). I need an active family with kids over 5 who will make sure that I am never a stray dog again!

If you would like to help contribute to my medical costs to the shelter, you can make a tax-deductable donation here or contact the Animal Programs Team at 774-1263.

It is hard to keep a good woman (or dog in this case) down. On May 25, Hope was a stray with a serious problem. This 9 year old Lab-Shepherd mix had a massive, exposed tumor growing out of her back. However, after the horror of seeing such a painful condition, the next thing that struck us was her irrepressible spirit. We knew we just had to help this sassy senior. We found a wonderful foster home where Hope could recover and enjoy a more peaceful environment than the noisy kennel. Her foster mom reports the following:

Now that the mass has been removed, Hope is doing all she can to live life to the fullest. While her favorite activity is going for long car rides where she can bark "Hello, hello" to everyone she passes, she also likes taking short walks, annoying her canine foster-brother, Milo, and polo matches (yes, that's right, she likes polo matches). She is already spayed, is housebroken, good with kids and other dogs. She is playful and needs to be supervised when playing with smaller dogs.

Hope is very vocal, and her foster mom is working with her on learning to use her inside-voice. It’s as if she has had a long drink from the fountain of youth and is feeling like a puppy again! Hope has a small internal tumor which will be removed at the end of July. The best situation for Hope would be a foster-to-adopt situation until the second tumor is removed, with a family that enjoys a dog who refuses to age willingly. Because Hope will bond quickly and completely to her new owner, her next home should be her forever home.

Hope qualifies for the PAWS program, if you are 55 or older.

We do need your help to cover the cost incurred to remove the cancerous mass from Hope’s back. Your tax deductible donations are greatly appreciated.

Stacia passes the time with Emma who reads to her at the shelter.

Saving Stacia

Have you ever been homesick? So much that you can’t think of anything else? Then you probably know just how I feel. I was brought to the shelter on March 14, 2010 because my owner could no longer afford to keep me. I had lived with my family for 3 of my 4 years on this earth. The thing I miss the most are my kids. I love children and I miss the way they way they smelled and would pet me.

I am a white and rusty red Pit Bull, both spayed and housetrained. I really don’t like the shelter; it makes me nervous and even sadder than being homesick. A very nice lady gave me something called a temperament test. Here is what she said about me: Stacia is a very sweet girl. She was very gentle and wanted to give me kisses throughout the test. She is submissive and simply wants someone to show her attention and affection. She was still shy enough to refuse taking a treat or eating from the food bowl. In her previous home she was known to be good with children as young as 1 year old! She is happy to be with other dogs; however she does not like cats!

I have suffered yet another devastating blow. On November 27th, a disk ruptured in my spine causing internal bleeding. This injury left me paralyzed from the waist down and in need of emergency back surgery. Although I’m very scared, I am also lucky that the people at the Humane Society for Hamilton County didn’t just euthanize me. I have so much life to live and love to give…and even if I never walk again…I will do just that. Many disabled dogs live quality lives, and I am a fighter.

The Humane Society needs help though paying for my expensive care. The cost of my surgery, rehabilitation and potentially a wheel chair will be approximately $3,500. I am already improving and showing signs of feeling and movement in my back legs! I have faith I’ll get back on my feet again.

Stacia is in URGENT need of a foster home where she can recover. If you are interested in fostering Stacia, please email ayrebell34@yahoo.com

Ray--“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ray is a 1 year old American Pit Bull Terrier who has been completely blind since birth. He came to us at just 6 months old when we also discovered he has a rare form of diabetes. Completely treatable with an oral medication, neither blindness nor diabetes has dimmed the light in this very special dog’s heart. In the face of adversity, Ray has overcome. He knows nothing different than the darkness he was born with, but in his eyes there is hope and celebration of life. If only we could all have such a positive outlook.

Ray is currently in a foster home but does need to be re-homed. He is very affectionate and loves people of all ages, but as you can imagine, new places and strangers are frightening for him until he has a chance to acclimate. Ray would ideally be the only dog in your home as he is selective about the dogs he is comfortable with. He does, however, currently live with other dogs. It just needs to be the right chemistry as will all things in life.

Ray has diabetes insipidus. Unlike the diabetes most of us are familiar with, this condition is easily managed with oral medication, not insulin injections, and requires no special diet. His medication completely controls the symptoms of this condition (primarily frequent urination and excessive thirst). He is like any other dog on his meds and totally house broken! Ray's medication has been sponsored, so there is no cost to a foster.

His foster family has told us Ray is incredibly loyal and wants nothing more than to be a part of a family. He loves going to the park and is very playful! Don’t underestimate this guy, his zest for life is unequalled. Ray is already neutered and current on all vaccines.

If you’re interested in fostering or adopting Ray, please email hamiltonhumane@yahoo.com for more information.

Jiffy—Can you imagine someone cutting your ears without any anesthesia?

Jiffy is a 2 to 3 yr. old male Pit mix who was brought by animal control to a rural shelter in Madison, IN this past January. His previous owners cropped his ears “in house” without any anesthetic, and because of his skin issue (called Demodex which is very common, treatable and not contagious), they SHAVED his fur on the affected areas leaving him without hair over much of his body and then decided to dump him on the side of the road.

Luckily for Jiffy, some wonderful rescue people in Lafayette and Noblesville saw Jiffy’s plea on the Internet and decided to help nurse him back to health. Jiffy thrived in his foster home for several months while he recovered.

He is now at the shelter, full of life and loves playing with his stuffed animals and his Kong. He is very good on a leash, and also travels well in the car. He is both house-trained and crate-trained. He does well with other dogs (females in particular), but he does need to be in a feline free home. Jiffy is also best suited in a home with older children—10 and up—due to his size, strength and over-zealous kisses!

He has such an amazing temperament and would love nothing more than to have a family of his own and a place where he’ll never be hurt again. You must be 21 to adopt Jiffy.

Butters Injuries may be forgiven, but not forgotten.
Aesop

This sweet boy has had such a sad turn of events in his life.

If you would like to donate to Butters surgery fund, please go to the HSHC website & click the Donate button.

Dodge--Nearly beaten to death at his owner's hands.

I will warn you now that this is very upsetting and you will be infuriated. The call came in on Sunday that a man was just arrested for nearly beating his dog, a Pit Bull/Lab mix named Dodge, to death with a frying pan. Apparently, he slipped out of his collar which angered the owner so he began beating Dodge in the head with the heavy pan. Dodge tried to get away and eventually hid between a bed and the wall until the man’s wife called one of our employees, a friend of hers, for help. With blood covering the wall where he was hiding, our employee pulled Dodge out to assess his injuries. His face was swollen and bleeding, but he managed to gently kiss her face anyway.

A trip to the emergency vet revealed a fractured skull and jaw, an ear hematoma and several broken teeth. The left side of his face was horribly swollen with injuries to his left eye. We took Dodge in because we knew that here he would receive his best chance for a second chance. He is now recovering in a foster home awaiting surgery to remove his broken teeth. His jaw must heal before the teeth are removed.

With our Survivor Funds totally depleted for the year due to the influx of hit by car cases and medical emergencies, we need your help to fund Dodge's care. We estimate his bill to be approximately $1,000. We hope that someone out there might decide to be Dodge's angel. Your tax deductible donations can be made here or mailed to the shelter.

*

“Dodge is such a good dog - some family is going to fall head over heels for him! :)
He has some separation anxiety, but I think it's dramatically improved already, as he's gotten used to our routine. Still, I know he'd prefer to NOT have to be crated in his forever home! I think he would be fine without being crated. I would definitely recommend he go to a home with no cats or other small animals. He's now doing awesome on leash (except when we see squirrels! We're running every morning, and usually taking a long walk in the evening. He is entirely housetrained - no accidents at all. And no chewing either! :) I think he'll enjoy playing with other dogs after he's neutered.

His personality to me is much more lab than pittie. He loves to run around and is just a happy guy... he likes to be nearby, but not glued to my side like my pit bulls are. When I'm on the couch, he is content on the floor or on the other chair... in contrast to our pitties, who seem to all think they are lap dogs! ;) He also loves to swim and chase birds.

As far as his injuries go, his swelling is totally gone. He'll let me rub his head and his jaw (gently of course!), and doesn't react at all. The only thing that seems to still bother him are the teeth... it takes a lot of coaxing and mixing his food with yummy Three Dog Bakery soft food to get him to eat. What breaks my heart though, is when he runs after a ball and gets it, but drops it suddenly as if it hurt him. He'll be happy to get those painful teeth out!”