C.A.R.E.
specializes in rescuing sick, injured and abused animals who,
otherwise, would have no other chance. Here are a few of the stories of
some our most memorable rescues.
Dover: Surviving the Fall
The
Tragic Incident: On the afternoon of Saturday, September 12,
2009, Animal Control Officer Nicole Fowler and Park Ranger Jody Smith
arrived on location where two injured dogs had been found. They
received a call at around 2 PM from a hiker passing through the remote
South Creek Walking Trail near West Bypass and James River Freeway in
Springfield.
At the base of the James River Overpass, as it crosses the trail about
a quarter of a mile in from Kauffman Rd.,
they found the two dogs laying among
the boulders. One seemed
to be a Staffordshire Terrier and the other a Newfoundland/Retriever
mix.
Evidence suggests that they were both tossed over the three foot
concrete guard rail of the freeway, an estimated 80 feet above where
they were found. Sadly, the Staffordshire Terrier died on impact from a
traumatic head injury. The retriever mix, though wounded, seemed
cautiously alert. His face was swollen and bleeding from several
abrasions; his right rear leg was obviously broken.
Officer Fowler was able to approach him andattach a leash to his collar and
the dog began to wag his tail. It was a difficult task to move both
dogs down from the rocky terrain.
Dover's
Recovery: Melissa Sartin, C.A.R.E. Director, took over
management of the retriever mix's medical and physical needs; she named
him "Dover". His injuries were treated at Animal Health Center by Dr.
R. Michael Reid, DVM. The broken leg, fractured just above the knee,
was surgically set on September 15, 2009 with pins and plates. His
facial abrasions were cleaned and attended to. It was also discovered
that he'd bitten through his tongue during the fall.
Also, Dover had several cracked and
damaged teeth, further confirming the manner in which the dogs had been
injured. Dover was slow to heal, needing supplements added to his diet,
weekly trips to see Dr. Reid, and laser treatments to accelerate bone
knitting. He had to wear a leg brace for several weeks, in fact much
longer than expected. All the while, he was lavished with love and
attention. Although suffered so greatly at the hands of a human(s),
never once did he show signs of aggression. Dover put his trust in his
caregivers, loving them right back.
The
Investigation: The Greene County Sheriff's Dept. and the Humane
Society of Missouri Statewide Investigation became involved in the case
shortly after C.A.R.E. released information to the media. They became a
great resource in the case.
C.A.R.E. offered a $1,000 reward for
information leading to the prosecution of the individual(s)
responsible. The Humane Society of the United States, Pet Warehouse,
and anonymous donors added to the reward, raising it to a total of
$5,500. We asked the community members to contact the Sheriff's
Dept. with any information
about this case. The investigation is still open and every lead is
followed up on.
Update:
Thanks to a dedicated set of caregivers, a generous foster home filled
with TLC, and a whole lot of love, Dover has now fully recovered from
his injuries. C.A.R.E. is so grateful to the community for the
outpouring of support for Dover. Countless applications to adopt him
came into C.A.R.E. and the decision on who would get to be Dover's new
forever family was not an easy one.
However, we are thrilled to say that
Dover is now the treasured member of a loving family. If you didn't
know his story, you'd never know he'd been wronged or mistreated. He
runs and plays and adores absolutely everyone he meets! These days, we
don't know if we've seen Dover when his tail wasn't wagging. He is such a happy
guy!
We are still looking for the person(s) responsible for this horrible
act. Please contact us or or the Sheriff's Dept. with any information
you may have on the case. We truly believe that Dover deserves justice.
In
the fall of 2008, C.A.R.E.
received a special request to rescue an English Bulldog who was in
danger of euthanasia at
Springfield Animal Control. The request was made by Marilyn Williams,
who wanted another dog as a companion to the Old-English Bulldog she
already had. Unfortunately, this particular dog had been extremely
neglected and was in very poor health. Besides being emaciated, he was suffering from parasites, a
severe staph infection, and an upper respiratory infection that turned
into secondary pneumonia. He weighed only 32 pounds.
C.A.R.E. doesn’t
turn away from sick and injured animals, and this dog (Marilyn
named him “Max”) was rescued and taken to our shelter/sanctuary to begin
his long road to recovery. He was a frequent visitor to the vet and at
one point we were told that it would be a miracle if he survived. No
one gave up on Max. He had to be hand-fed, as he’d lost all
interest in
food, and we ran IV fluids to keep him hydrated. Gradually, the
excellent care he received paid off and Max began to put on weight and
get stronger. With the improvement of health, Max’s personality
started
to surface, too. Marilyn
had waited anxiously
for Max during his lengthy rehabilitation and was thrilled when he was
finally able to go to his forever home! We hear he fits in well with
his new family and is being spoiled rotten. He loves to go for car
rides and really enjoys his food, but most of all loves all the
attention he is getting. He now weighs nearly 70 pounds! Marilyn says
that “Max” is short for “Max-A-Million” because
his recuperation was so
expensive. We like to think it’s because he’s “one in
a million!”
C.A.R.E. has a long list of miracle dogs – and we’re glad
that max has
now joined that list.
Trucker: "Because he
just keeps on trucking"
At
just 8 months old, Trucker suffered extreme head trauma through the
actions of a Humansville man. On March 5, 2005 after receiving an
emergency call, the Humansville Police Dept. found that a man had
severely injured a dog. The man admitted to hitting the dog
in the head with a hammer and then using a nail gun to drive nails into
his skull in an attempt to kill him. The
reason? The dog was "aggressive".
Conscious
though dazed, the heeler/hound mix was taken to the
Emergency Vet Clinic where Dr. Bonnie Toner, DMV performed surgery to
remove two 3" nails, one driven deep into the skull and the other in
his cheekbone, then surgery to clean up and suture multiple lacerations
on his head and neck. Later, he would have additional surgery
to
remove a shattered tooth. Dr. Toner commented that it was
probably one
of the worst cases of animal cruelty she had ever seen. She
named the
dog Trucker, "because he just keeps on trucking".
The next
five days
were extremely painful for Trucker and required critical care and pain
relievers. Through it, Trucker never showed signs of aggression.
Dr/
Toner even remarked, "He's been the best dog, I'm just amazed at his
temperament."
Once stable, Trucker was released to C.A.R.E. He was kept at the
Adoption Center for rehabilitation due to its close proximity to Dr.
Toner who provided continuous care and support. We want to extend
a
huge thank you to Dr. Toner; without her expertise and support, Trucker
probably would not have survived. Fortunately, Trucker continued to do
well, only losing his sight in one eye and although initially deemed
deaf, later began responding to sound. He also learned many hand
signals.
Through the whole process, Trucker was full of kisses and love for
all his visitors and care-givers. Not once has he demonstrated
the aggression for which his abuser claimed his treatment was
warranted. Due to this claim, the Polk County Prosecutor's Office
filed only one count of misdemeanor abuse. Letters of outrage
poured into the prosecutor's office pleading for a more severe charge
and punishment. They denied the letters saying that they could
not prove the man's were sadistic or caused mutilation, one of which is
required for the animal abuse charge.
On April 11, the case was brought to trial. Many animal rights
activists, Trucker supporters, and C.A.R.E. volunteers waited outside
the Polk County courthouse with Trucker. All wore "Trucker
t-shirts" to show their support. The defendant pled guilty to
misdemeanor animal abuse. The maximum 6 month sentence was
reduced to 15 days "shock-time" in the Polk County Jail, two years
unsupervised probation, during which time he cannot own or care for an
animal, and about $650.00 in court fees.
Was justice served? We think not. It does not seem like
animal abuse is taken seriously enough in the court system. How
were Trucker's injuries not mutilation? Why did it take over a
week for the police report to be filed? Until the court system views
this matter earnestly with harsher punishments, we will witness many
more terrible animal abuse cases like Trucker's.
We can all be grateful for one thing in this case, Trucker is now
living happily in a home with a family that loves him dearly. He has
been a cherished member of his forever family since November of 2005
and we still hear from him on a regular basis. We are so thankful that
Trucker will never know abuse, neglect, or fear again.
What's Trucker up to these days? His family has discovered a few things
about him:
He loves snow more than anything
else. He is incredibly friendly and loves everyone (honestly, he's too
friendly sometimes).
He literally sleeps under the
covers in the bed at night and the only complaint about Trucker is that
he is a total bed hog.
Besides losing eye sight in his
left eye and some brain damage, he has completely healed from his
injuries. For example of the brain damage, I opened the back door to
let them out and Trucker casually walked into the grill.
He likes to steal tomatoes
and hide them around the house. He doesn't eat them and has a soft
mouth so they are rarely bruised.
He has an ongoing feud with
a deranged squirrel in our backyard who will urinate on Trucker from a
tree.
It is safe to say, Trucker is one
of a kind; we wish him and his family all the best!
Trucker sleeping on his quilt at
home
Molly
Molly
was rescued after C.A.R.E. received a call concerning a
stray cat living in someone's outbuilding. After talking with the
owners, we learned they didn't want the cat and were planning to kill
her. When we arrived to pick her up, to our surprise, she had five
babies hidden under junk in the building. We
rounded up mama and all babies and brought them to the
shelter. Molly
was very loving and seemed to be calm and content living
at the shelter.
She
greeted us every morning with purrs and leg rubs.
When her babies were old enough, they were spayed and neutered and each
of them a found loving home of their very own. Molly herself was also
spayed and found a wonderful, indoor home with plenty of affection cozy
places to lounge.
"Special Ed"
All
animals at C.A.R.E
are special, but many are not as lucky as “Special
Ed”. Ed, a lab pit-bull mix, was brought to C.A.R.E. by Lynn
at the Buffalo, MO pound. Lynn had found Ed after he’d been
shot, under his right eye, with a 38 Special (hence the name). The
Buffalo pound had already started to treat his swollen and painful
wound when C.A.R.E. volunteers arrived. In fact, the pound even gave
C.A.R.E medication for him. Luckily for Ed, the bullet did not damage
any brain or eye tissue. After a couple weeks of healing, rest, and
rehabilitation, Ed was really looking good. He only had a small scar
and indentation under is right eye. Ed’s story
doesn’t end there, though. At a local PetsMart mobile
adoption, Ed found a loving new forever home.
A Case of Cruelty
Sheltie on the day of rescue
Sheltie weeks after rescue, after some
TLC
The
Missouri Department of Agriculture served a search warrant and raided a
property in West Plains on July 11, 2001. They found
over 200 animals in horrific conditions, some of the animals were even
found dead. The woman responsible for the neglect had already been
found guilty of animal abuse in Arkansas in 1993. She was now being
prosecuted for this animal neglect in Missouri. The
C.A.R.E. Shelter was called by state officials to help with the rescue
and care of these animals. We housed several of the dogs who
desperately needed medical attention or long term care. Each of
the animals brought to C.A.R.E. as a result of this case have since
recovered and found their forever homes.
36
Happy Endings
C.A.R.E received a
disturbing phone call from a division of family services case worker. A
family, living deep in a local rural area, had moved leaving behind a
number of badly neglected animals. C.A.R.E contacted local law
enforcement and requested that they meet C.A.R.E volunteers at the
site. “As I drove up the driveway,” C.A.R.E.
Director Melissa Sartin said, “I could see cats and very
young kittens running to hide in and out of buildings. Two, thin hound
mixes ran to the van in hopes of food or affection. One, hanging with
milk, obviously had puppies nearby. The other was limping from an old
hip injury. Three more pups around 4-months old, ran to me from behind
the house as two older puppies, around 6-months old, joined them. By
now several of the cats, realizing we weren’t there to hurt
them came out to greet us.” Once the police report had been
filed, C.A.R.E. had permission to help the animals inside the house.
Locked inside the house, with no food or water, were a mother dog with
newborn puppies, many kittens of all ages and sizes and a large Lab
mix. The Lab mix seemed quite aggressive, but at a closer look,
volunteers realized she was injured. She had a large abscess that
covered part of her head and neck.
It took five trips to rescue all 36 animals. The weak and injured were
rushed back to the shelter first. The others were given food and fresh
water at the site, while waiting for their trip to C.A.R.E .
“Several of the dogs had mange and were infested with
ticks,” Sartin said. “The kittens were anemic from
flea infestation and a lack of food. Most were badly dehydrated,
malnourished and riddled with internal parasites. The injured Lab mix,
with the abscess on her neck and head had been shot. The bullet was
still lodged deep in her jaw.” After being rescued, all 36
animals were treated and cared for at C.A.R.E. Even the
injured Lab mix made a full recovery and all 36 pets found lifelong,
forever homes with all the love and kindness each one deserved.
Cody: Cut from the Chain
One
of the most important jobs C.A.R.E. does is rescue neglected and abused
animals. An outstanding example of this is the story of Cody. Poor Cody
lived with a family where he received very little, if any, attention
and care. He spent over a year chained in the same spot. Seldom fed,
sometimes his family would remember to bring him water or throw some
scraps on the ground, but most often, Cody fell asleep at night hungry.
With this happening day after day,
the story could end here with Cody dying at the end of that chain.
Lucky for Cody, a C.A.R.E. volunteer was informed of his
situation.
Volunteer Heather spoke with the owner who thought Cody was just fine
and claimed she was taking proper care of him. Heather explained that
Cody was being neglected and if she was not able to provide a healthy,
happy environment for an animal, she shouldn't have one. The
woman finally agreed to turn Cody over to Heather. After a thorough
examination at a local clinic, it was determined that other than
malnourishment and dehydration, Cody was healthy and only needed some
love and nourishing food. Sadly, many people, like the woman who had
Cody, grow up thinking this is an acceptable way to keep a dog. That is
why it is up to us to teach them that this environment and way of life
is not acceptable for any animal. As you can see in the after photo,
Cody recovered well at the shelter. He gained self-confidence, new
friends, and enough weight to be healthy for adoption. Cody found his
new home and enjoys a life of love, tasty meals, and lots of treats!
C.A.R.E
is a nonprofit
501(c)(3), no-kill
animal shelter and sanctuary that specializes in helping injured,
abused and neglected animals in the Ozarks. Unfortunately, the
associated medical costs, along with the cost of spaying or neutering,
vaccinations, and deworming, are expensive. We do not charge enough in
adoption fees to offset these costs. C.A.R.E. relies entirely on
donations. You can save a life. Make a difference!
