I received a message from a good Samaritan who is trying to do the right thing, help three rescues who need rescue. Unfortunately everyone she has contacted has looked the other way.

I realize times are hard, but that’s when help is needed the most. I know there must be someone looking to adopt an adorable dog (look at those faces) or a rescue group that can step in and help this person.

Hello rescue friends-

This is a plea to help 3 stray dogs in my neighborhood in Decatur, GA. They need rescue or adoption. So far, Canela (left) is in a temporary foster home, but Ossa (middle) and Beethoven (bottom) are still in their respective yards.

The brief story is that these are dogs taken in off the street by one of my neighbors, who has a big heart but not the best situation to be taking in animals. Her husband is not an animal lover to say the least and would not allow her to keep them on their property. She has been keeping them in the back yards of 2 separate houses that have been vacant for some time. She feeds and visits with them daily, and they all at least have a rabies shot. Canela is spayed but due to my neighbor’s lack of transportation, the other 2 are still intact (they stay in separate yards).

My neighbor has limited resources to place the dogs – no car, no computer, limited command of English – and she also has a turbulent home life. I want to help place the dogs for their own sake, but also so that she can focus on her own problems. She was assaulted and ended up in jail about 2 weeks ago, which is when I was asked to feed the dogs. She was bailed out a few days later, but has a court date coming up and could be incarcerated again. Hopefully together we can find these dogs a better situation. I can help with vetting / transport for anyone who can take them.

Ossa (my neighbor says this means “little bird” in Spanish) is a fluffy black border collie mix (my best guess). She is about 2 years old and is playful and friendly. She is maybe 30 pounds.

Beethoven is a shepherd mix puppy who is just under a year old. I thought he would be bigger than he has turned out to be (a thick but compact 35 pounds or so), so maybe he is mixed with a smaller breed as well. He is extremely playful and enjoys belly rubs and lots of affection.

Canela (”cinnamon” in Spanish) is a beagle mix and her tail is cropped because something was wrong with it when she was found, like the others, tied to a tree or a building. She is learning manners in her foster home and is getting along with both dogs and cats. She is also about 30 pounds.

I would take these dogs myself but I already have 7 animals in my house. I appreciate your concern and thank you for your efforts. Any interested parties may contact me at this email address.

Please feel free to post and crosspost this message, time is of the essence.

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If ever there was a story of survival it’s this one.  A  young German Shepard, now called Gideon, was hit and dragged by a car and left for dead.  However, little Gideon had other ideas and wasn’t about to give up the fight.

The details of this story are horrific, not for the squeamish, but the strength the rescue community showed in coming together to help a needy dog is a story worthy of being told.

When an anonymous caller reported a stray dog at Santa Ana’s Birch Park, animal control officers weren’t prepared for what they’d find.

The white German shepherd was propped up against a trash bin. The skin along the left side of his body was gone, leaving a large, gaping wound that made muscles and bulging ribs visible. But at the sight of people, he wagged his tail happily.

It appears that a car hit the dog and dragged him a considerable distance, said veterinarian Matthew Wheaton, leaving him with injuries “like something from a horror show.” When animal control officers discovered him on Nov. 17, the wound was 3 to 4 days old, judging by the maggots that were infesting it.

The Orange County, CA Animal Control tried to treat the injured dog but realized they were not going to be able to do this on their own. They started calling area shelters and pet rescue groups, Coastal German Shepherd Rescue responded.

“Within 30 minutes, we received 20 emails from other rescue groups and individuals willing to donate and do whatever possible to save him,” said Tiffany Norton, co-founder of the Irvine-based Coastal German Shepherd Rescue. “He has so many people pulling for him.”

It won’t be an easy road to recovery, but if any dog is up for the challenge, it’s Gideon the miracle dog.

Norton named him Gideon because it means “strength,” which the pooch has in spades, she said.

“When they found him, he actually walked to the animal control truck,” Norton said. “He has an amazing temperament. He gives kisses and wags his tail, even when they’re changing his bandages.”

The pooch, who looks to be between 12 and 18 months old, is being treated by Wheaton at the Alicia Pet Care Center in Mission Viejo. He has received plasma transfusions, fluids, antibiotics and pain medication. His bandages are changed twice a day and his wound is healing slowly but surely, Wheaton said. The staff packs his wound with table sugar, which acts as an antibacterial and encourages granulation of new tissue.

“He has worked his way into the hearts of my staff,” said Wheaton, with some worried nurses leaving their homes at 1 a.m. jut to go check on Gideon and change his bandages. He even responds to nicknames, including Sugar and Skinner.

Gideon is expected to make a full recovery and eventually will be adopted out to a loving forever home. In the meantime, he is going to require extensive medical care that could top $12,000. The non-profit Coastal German Shepherd Rescue is seeking donations to pay for the treatment.

HOW TO HELP

To make a tax-deductible donation towards treatment or to inquire about providing a “forever” home for Gideon, visit:

www.coastalgsr.org or call 949-768-1313.

Donations can also be mailed to Coastal German Shepherd Rescue, P.O. Box 50726, Irvine, CA, 92619. The organization’s taxpayer ID # is EIN 77-0645853.

* PICTURE POSTED BY ERIKA CHAVEZ OF THE OC REGISTER, COURTESY DR. MATTHEW WHEATO

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