From Admin Sam Our lovely Lisa the Founder of GSDs In Need ask that all the team do a reflection of the dogs that had impacted our lives on a personal level and therefore Justyn has completed his and I have now added mine. I have used pictures of the dogs as we got them, its important to remember what we deal with on a daily basis and theses are my personal favourites. I would like to wish each and every follower a Merry Christmas, keep you fur babies safe and may that all be spoilt.. xxx ABBY – when I first saw Abby I was met by a dog half her body weight, ribs and spine showing with so little hair on her back and tail, who skin was red and inflamed from the infestation of fleas and her eyes carried the look of a broken soul. Abby would not make eye contact with you, the fear in her eyes was so strong, he head would be down and she would pace the floor and keep as far away from a human as possible. Her lifestyle was to live in the back yard and be something the kids could pat if they wanted and flea treatment was something the owners didn’t want to pay for as the dog was never allowed in doors. It was a slow start for Abby and I, working with her for a short time to gain her confidence; patience was the key and giving her space to work me out and to see that I only had the best intentions for her. We bonded after a short space of time, I would hand feed Abby, and give her additional food to help put on weight and ensure she took her medication, slowly her fur started to grow back and Abby decided that I was trust worthy enough to be allowed to pat her, even though she was still a little sore and still not 100% positive of me, we worked slowly together and one day she decided that she felt comfortable enough with me that she would curve her body into me and sit at the side of me. From there we worked on basic commands and knowing full well treats were involved it didn’t take long for this gorgeous girl to understand the sit and wait command. This girl was very close to being my dog, I needed to soul repair this beautiful fur and if I didn’t already have a female GSD she would have come home with me the day I met her, I fell head over heels for Abby and I have yet to come across dog that could reduce me to tears in split seconds. Abby now lives in a beautiful home with very loving parents and she has shown nothing but love to them. In return Roy and Sue have put Abby on a pedestal and she will never want for anything every again. The transformation in Abby is something I will never be able to explain in words. BEAR – This beautiful boy, who was a sight for sore eyes, bad hips, ear infection, skin infection, underweight and was booked into the shelter to be PTS, he had always lived outside and never know the comfort of indoor living. His previous owners had decided to give up on this boy, but the minute he sat and gave his paw was enough for Cathy at the RSPCA to ask the owner to surrender Bear and to give him a chance rather the be PTS. I received a call from Cathy at RSPCA, she said I have an urgent case can you come and view this boy and make sure I have made the right decision. So I travelled to Wacol to see this beautiful boy. The first thing I noticed was the stench of rotting flesh from all the skin infections, this poor boy had the worst ear infection and skin infection I have ever seen, his fur had not been brushed in years and I doubt he had ever seen a bath in his life time. I took Bear out into a secure yard and watched him walk in pain, and despite his extreme body condition there was still hope in his eyes, he still wanted to interact and be loved. An ex-team member and I viewed Bear without words, we both had the same instinct, this was a dog that needed help and although the RSPCA had already started him on a course of strong anti biotic and anti flamatories. It was a given that this gentle giant was coming into our rescue. Over the months on daily medication and a good diet Bear began to improve, but this was not the only improvement in his life, his foster mum Pauline was all that Bear needed, she gave him love and attention, he had his own specially made bed by Henry Hottie and he was allowed on the settee and Pauline’s bed. Bear loved Pauline’s children and you would often find him snuggled up with them. I had the pleasure of seeing Bear again a few months ago at the photo shoot with Zoo Studios, no longer was Bear a skinny, infested dog but what stood before me was this amazing, glossy glamour coated boy with all the charm a senior boy has to offer. That memory will stay with me forever and its one that will never fade. RIP Bear loving you always xxx DESTINY – Very much loved by her previous owners but they had not owned a GSD before and they knew they were not going to be able to manage and rehabilitate Destiny, knowing she had Elbow Dysplasia that required surgery and due to personal circumstances the challenge was just all too much but they very gracefully contribute to half of the cost for the surgery. My first meeting with Destiny brought about a lot of emotions, seeing this gorgeous young puppy that was so full of life but in so much pain was something I cannot put into words. Destiny was larger than life and wanted to play and run around and chase things, but her front legs were so splayed and her growth plates were weak, she got very tired and mouthy quickly, but oh my what a beautiful, highly intelligent young puppy. Once I got Destiny home and I watched her legs and how she played, it was apparent that her elbows were extremely splayed to the point she actually waddled like a duck on her front legs. The day finally came for the surgery and she was being so stubborn that morning and I am sure she knew that she was going to the vets, she refused to get in the car and started digging up plants and running off with shoes, It took awhile but I finally managed to get her in the car and off we went. I had an anxious 5 hour wait for the surgeon to call me, when he did the news was not good, Destiny’s right elbow was far worse than they expected and they had cleaned and removed as much as they could but she had little or no cartilage left in the right leg. Destiny was heavy sedated for 2 days whilst in the vets to help with the pain. The morning I collected Destiny she was ready to get out of the vets and she made sure I was aware of this, for a dog that had just had major surgery she was dragging me out of the doors at the vets and she sat nicely by the car to be lifted in on the back seat. Destiny was a brave girl, who endured so much pain after surgery and we started a slow process of physio 3 times a day and gentle walks with lots if down time in her crate. As she was not allowed to run and play so we became good at inventing games we could do together on the floor. The bond between Destiny and I got stronger each day. She was happy and vibrant and just loved meeting people. Despite everything she was so loving, 4 months had passed and it was time for Destiny to find her new forever home. Destiny was a little whirlwind and now that her legs were straight and she was in no more pain, this gorgeous girl stood every chance of a full and normal life. Destiny has now found her forever home and not a day goes by that I don’t think about her and what mischief she is getting into. I know that Greg is the perfect father for Destiny as she needed to be someone’s one and only and Greg had all the time in the world for Destiny and she has learnt so much in such a short space of time. This gorgeous girl will have a piece of my heart for as long as I live. CASSIE – this poor girl had only ever known an outside life, her nails were over grown and her fur condition was poor and she has never been walked or received any training, very dog reactive. Her previous owners had little or no time and had purchased Cassie as a deterrent so people didn’t enter the property. Meeting Cassie for the first time all I saw was a highly intelligent young girl, with so much potential and a mischievous personality. The willing and eagerness to learn was almost screaming from this lovely girl. Cassie was weary of people at first but I guess never being socialised or introduced to new things would do this to a dog, but once she had realised you were there for her, the love just flowed. Before leaving for the UK on an urgent trip, I went to see Cassie, we played ball and she had an amazing time at the dog park and it was amazing to see the playful nature she was allowed to exhibited. Cassie was adopted by a lovely family whilst I was overseas and she was enrolled straight into obedience classes, to which she excelled.. this came as no surprise to any of us here are GSDs in Need as we new the potential this young girl had, she just needed the opportunity to shine.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 23:24:26 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015