ROLE MODEL: PASSION
Sa fe a nd H appy at L as t !
Re s c u e d F i n a l l y !
Sh a n n on G e t t i ng a Kiss
dogs - he was just happy to finally be able to bask in the sun all day and go on long, slow walks.
for him all day, every day. He laid by my side as I worked and I syringe-fed him every hour. He would always look at me as if to say, "thank you," after every meal, every snuggle, and every kiss. While I had Ebbie, I had also rescued a pit bull mother who had 10 puppies that were all going to be killed. When everyone had been adopted except for two of them, I allowed the pups in the house with all of us. Ebbie was the best pup-sitter in town! The puppies would nibble on his ears and sleep on top of him and he loved every second of it.
Photos by Cyndee Arroyo
a half, but also having to fight with laboratories to release the animals to us. We immediately get our rescues into foster homes so that they can begin their rehabilitation immediately. When they have been medically cleared and they are psychologically ready, they are then adopted into their forever homes. Is there a favorite rescue that really stands out for you? There are so many, but I would have to say that Ebbie really touched my heart. Ebbie was one of the 40 dogs we rescued from a laboratory in Spain. He arrived with the others on November 23, 2011. Of all the beagles, he appeared to be one of the weakest and oldest. Ebbie was like a loving, sometimes cranky, old man. We immediately got him into a great foster home with another of his lab mates. However, Ebbie wasn't ever interested in other
Unfortunately, Ebbie did have some serious medical conditions, and, much like the others, our best veterinarians could not tell us exactly what was going on because there had been things done to them in the lab we could never know. Ebbie was adopted into a home we thought seemed perfect: an older lady who never left the house and who wanted a companion to care for. However, a few weeks after his adoption, on New Year's Eve 2012, she called me to say she no longer wanted him. I drove two hours to get him. When I saw him, he was so weak that she had to carry him to the car. His head was completely sunken in and he was emaciated. I was mortified. I took Ebbie to several vets in the coming days and there was no real explanation. Since there was nothing that we could do, I simply cared
Miraculously, Ebbie began to gain weight and get more energy. Our walks became longer each day and he started to eat on his own. One day, he walked over to the toy basket, took out a stuffed animal, and brought it to his bed to play with. I started to cry. Weeks later, I came home from a long day and saw Ebbie in his usual place on his special bed. He had taken all of the
American Dog Media | Summer 2012 55