Myra with her first pile of toys |
When we first met Myra, she was chained to a fence behind
someone's house with no dog house or shelter. She frequently had no food
or water, even on days where it was over 90 degrees in the shade. She
was the scary neighborhood dog that kids would come by to tease so they
could watch her bark and go nuts trying to get at them.
When we got her, she had never been to a vet. She had so many ticks
on her that my hand would bump along down her back. She had flies biting
her ears so badly that they had nearly chewed through the folds in her
ears and her fur was thin and prickly. She was also so thin that you
could see her bones through the fur.
We immediately took her to the vet where we discovered that she had
such a severe case of heartworm that I was warned that she might not
live through the treatment. However, with time, nutritious dog food, and
a VERY large bill at the vet's office, we were able to get her healthy.
She got a new coat of fur that is shiny and soft and it filled in all
the thin places. Much to our amazement, the fur grew back on her ears
where the flies had bitten her. She filled out and now she's a beautiful
dog.
Daddy's girl |
Her temperament changed as well as her physical condition. With love
and gentleness, we worked with her and she is now a very patient dog who
is gentle and safe with babies and young children. She understands what
we do here and is also gentle with all the animals in the house, whether
it is Ginger, the raccoon, (who is the boss of the critters), the skunks
who frequently run over her feet, or the wild babies of all species that
come in for rehabilitation. While she is not allowed to be near the
rehabs as they prepare to go out into the wild (since it would not be
good for them to think that dogs are OK), the tiny ones (who are
unaware) are often with me where Myra can see them. She worries when
they cry and is relieved when they are being cared for. She is nothing
like the dog she was when we first met her. She is loving and caring and
gentle. Those are not the terms anyone would have used to describe her
before. She proves the point that the behavior of the dog is directly
related to the treatment they receive from their owners. |
