Dog Fights for Life at Portage Animal Shelter
PAPL needs help to save "Lucky"
Photos
The Portage Animal Protective League is asking nearby residents to help save the life of a neglected Husky dog found this past weekend.
PAPL Executive Director Chalan Lowry shared the following statement about the dog they've affectionately named "Lucky" with hope that she'll survive:
On Saturday, Humane Officer Steve Chapman got a call regarding a dog in distress. The caller reported that the owner hadn’t been there for some time and that the dog needed help. Officer Chapman arrived in Hiram around 30 minutes later to check on the dog. What he found was something out of a nightmare.
At first he worried that he was too late because the dog looked dead. But as he approached, he realized that she was in fact alive, but just barely. A Husky type dog was lying in front of him, in the dirt by a doghouse, gasping for air. Upon
further examination, the gravity of the situation became clear. It was obvious that she had been lying there for quite a while. She was severely matted, extremely under weight, had open sores and feces on her and had debris in her mouth. She could not stand. Steve immediately called the veterinarian to advise that he would be rushing her there, if she didn’t die first.
Just as he thought that she didn’t have the strength to fight anymore, he began to hear a faint bark coming from the back of the van so he drove faster. He arrived at the veterinarian where a team of people quickly began working on her. They shaved her matted fur, began giving her IV fluids to hydrate her emaciated body. Her body temperature was 105.5 and could not support her body weight. Once shaved the neglect was hard to look at. She had maggots eating away at her flesh and infected sores.
“As of today her prognosis is poor. We don’t know if she’ll make it through from day to day. She is receiving almost round the clock care and the doctor said she finally took a few steps (with help) this morning.” said Chalan Lowry, Executive Director. “Portage APL will do all that we can to save her. We think she is about 10 years old and it looks like she has been in a horrible way for a long time. We’ve named her Lucky and we certainly hope that she is! She deserves a chance. Her care and recovery will be long and expensive and we’ll need the community’s support to help her and others like her.”
The APL continues to rescue animals every day and the need continues to increase each year. Portage APL is a private, nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity and kindness of individuals and businesses to help thousands of
animals who have no voice.
To make a donation or for more information, please call the Portage Animal Protective League at 330-296-4022, follow them on Facebook or visit their website at http://portageapl.org/Donate_Online
Erin Michael
2:42 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
I've never understood why people who don't want to care for animals decide to take them. Obviously, we don't know the circumstances behind this, but ultimately, the owner could have surrendered the dog to PAPL or another shelter if he/she knew the dog could no longer be cared for. This dog is "Lucky" to have been rescued, and I really hope she makes it and finds a caring owner who can give her a better life.
Matt Fredmonsky
2:48 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Agreed. If need be, surrender the animal before it gets to this point please people.
Paxton Crenshaw
3:00 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
i just wonder why the apl is going to such lengths to keep this poor, long-suffering dog alive when they euthanize healthy dogs day after day. this story, of course, makes me want to help financially, which i fear is ultimate motive behind their heroic efforts and subsequent release of this unfortunate story. godspeed to this sweet animal.
Mindy Davis
3:33 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
WHY have a dog if you're just going to chain it up and ignore it? I am praying for dear Lucky-thank God she was rescued. Even if she doesn't make it, and least she got a taste of what love and compassion really is. God bless the APL, the officers and the aids and all others who work so tirelessly for animals
Sally
10:27 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
There is a special place in hell reserved for those who abuse innocent and helpless animals. May Lucky pull through and find a loving home where she will be treated with the dignity and care that she deserves. Prayers for her recovery, and bless the saintly souls at the PAPL who do the good work that needs to be done. Thank you to all of the staff and volunteers who give so much to innocent animals who have suffered abuse at the hands of people who do not deserve to have them. Lucky, you have so many people pulling for you, sweetie. Hang in there! ♥
Kasha Legeza
2:33 pm on Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Well said, Sally! My heart aches for this poor baby. Here's hoping the abuser is found and punished to the fullest extent of the law (which probably isn't enough).
Wilburforce
7:31 am on Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Dogs Rock !
Even Dick Nixons dog was glad to see him, they don't ask for much but their life is in your hands and your treatment of them reflects who you are.
Put those people in jail !
Amy Rogers
4:23 am on Thursday, June 14, 2012
@ Paxton, the PAPL is a no-kill shelter, so it is not glorifying anything. They are simply attempting to give this dog a shot at a healthy life like any other pet that comes their way because of people with no sense of responsibility and/or a moral compass.
Jessica Johnson Salamon
1:25 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
The APL is a no kill shelter unless the dog is a bully breed.
Paxton Crenshaw
2:22 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
JJS - bully breed? i've known some pretty sweet pit bulls (and their owners) who'd consider that statement pretty ignorant. Stereotyping a dog because of it's breed makes you sound kind of bully-ish yourself...
Jessica Johnson Salamon
3:13 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
Paxton, firstly it's not my designation, nor my policy. If you knew anything about me or about pitt bulls, which are actually several different breeds that get lumped together, you could possibly make a judgement on my opinions on the matter. I did no stereotyping, I simply pointed out that there are certain breeds of dogs that the APL does indeed kill and I was told that by the dog warden himself, (when I was there about a American Staffordshire Terrier that I dearly love) so I imagine he knows what he is speaking about. From a single sentence you not only extrapolated things I never said but made a character judgement on me. Bravo.
Mars
8:28 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
Bully breeds are the best!! No respectable owner of a bully breed would take offense at such a label, myself included!
http://animal.discovery.com/petsource/bully-breeds/
http://bullybreedrescueinc.org/
Plus, you gotta give it up to Sgt. Stubby! http://www.digitaldog.com/stubby.html
Stubby (1917-1926)
Sgt. Stubby served in 17 battles during his stay in Europe. This Pit Bull of unknown descent became America’s first decorated war dog. Stubby lived in a time when American Pit Bull Terriers were loved and respected by everyone. They were the nation’s most popular dog, an icon, a symbol of American pride.
Listen to the name, American Pitt Bull Terrier! Like apple pies and baseball. Bully breeds rule!!
http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-magazines/popular-dogs/articlebullybreeds.aspx
Ted Moore
12:08 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
Portage APL is fulfilling its mission by doing its best to save Lucky, by publicizing its efforts to do so, and by soliciting donations to support those efforts.
If one believes Lucky is a unique and irreplaceable individual, this shelter's extraordinary work on her behalf makes sense to you, and you can support it as best you can. If you don't believe that, then it doesn't, and you can have another beer.
Simple as that.
Pad Womack
3:21 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
@Paxton
Did you actually read the comment from JJS or were you just in such a hurry to be an idealistic crusader for good that the only thing you could see in that sentence was "bully breed"
What she said was absolutely accurate. In the past the APL has had a policy of euthanasia regarding any dog that is a bully breed or even looks like a bully breed to the point that vets in the area have started to refuse to identify breeds that they suspect to be bully breeds for fear of causing the animals death.
The only person here being an ignorant is yourself. Save the profanity and insult and try reading coupled with thinking before you run off at the mouth because in the end the only person here that looks like an ignorant asshole is Paxton Crenshaw.
Paxton Crenshaw
3:53 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
@pad - no, i was able to get through the entire sentence, myself, without much difficulty. but hey, when you say "the APL has had a policy of euthanasia regarding any dog that is a bully breed or even looks like a bully breed to the point that vets in the area have started to refuse to identify breeds that they suspect to be bully breeds for fear of causing the animals death." how does this help the APL's image - especially if vets don't want to see dogs put to death simply because of their suspect breed? please clarify. and p.s. - calling JJS "ignorant" isn't profanity, but the word you used towards me is. but i won't report it because i have no problem with profanity and realize that some people are unable to express themselves well without using it.
Paxton Crenshaw
3:57 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
@JJS - sorry to extrapolate. you might have been more clear if you wrote "The APL is a no kill shelter unless (THEY BELIEVE) the dog is a bully breed." then i could have called their policy ignorant. which i believe it to be.
Matt Fredmonsky
6:05 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
The PAPL posted this update on their facebook page June 15: "We spoke with the vet today and they say Lucky is doing well. Eveidentally she has even figured out which food has her medicine inside and refuses it! So, they will have to be creative about how to sneak her medicine to her. Next week will will begin planning for her future once we know she's out of the woods. This girl has a special place in many of our hearts and we are excited to see what the future brings for her. For now, we watch her progress and keep our fingers crossed. We know you will keep the support coming!"