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I adopted my first canine, Sparky, 12 years in the past. He wasn’t a canine with particular wants however he was from a shelter and he is the love of my life. He additionally modified my life as a result of he received me into working with rescue canines. I volunteered with one other rescue middle after which I made a decision to start out my very own rescue, which I deliberately stored small so we might pay extra consideration to particular person canines.
Within a few months of opening in 2015, one among our volunteers discovered Maverick in any person’s yard. He had been hit by a automobile twice—weeks aside we have been finally instructed—and was paralysed and could not transfer. The thought of him coming in scared me. I questioned how I used to be going to deal with it and whether or not we’d be capable of assist this canine. And then I met him and fell in love. He grew to become such part of our life, and we have been in a position to see his progress and the gratitude in his eyes. It’s superb how simple it truly is to care for a paralyzed canine.
Maverick actually modified the entire trajectory of our rescue. We realized that canines like him have been those we wanted to assist and that ended up defining us as a rescue. We’ve rescued six paralyzed canines and lots of different particular wants canines, together with those that have accidents like a fractured pelvis or damaged legs, or are heartworm optimistic. Lots of our canines are particular wants, seniors, sick or virtually feral and want a whole lot of work to get socialized.
We’re a non-profit and our adoptions value between $200 and $500 however that by no means covers medical payments, so we largely run on donations. In 2020 we spent over $100,000 in medical payments.We are primarily volunteer primarily based with three part-time paid staff, and I personally spend round 50 hours every week working with rescue canines.
At this level we now have had greater than 1,000 adoptions and our one thousandth occurred to be a paralyzed canine. I might guess that 30 to 40 % of the canines we now have rescued have one thing happening, whether or not they have behavioral points or particular wants by way of having a damaged pelvis or legs, or they’re heartworm optimistic or sick with all types of illnesses, a few of which we had by no means heard of. We are totally conscious once we rescue them that they will break the bank!
Heidi Hardman
I’ve a canine referred to as Wish who has simply been launched from a specialty hospital after every week, he has had anemia attributable to his heartworm. So we’re actually adamant about elevating consciousness round heartworm, as a result of Wish has been in an oxygen chamber and we virtually misplaced him—his payments are greater than $6,000 proper now.
When Maverick got here to us we needed to get MRI scans and X-rays completed, he went to a few specialists and had acupuncture and laser remedy. His largest problem is that he has no management over his bladder or bowels so that you do have to precise him. I’ve taken him all around the state of Florida to totally different vets. One even instructed us to euthanize Maverick as a result of he must put on diapers, however 5 years on and he controls his bladder, is transferring his legs now and standing up. He has made a miraculous restoration.
I’ve fostered Maverick as a result of with particular wants canines it is simpler to have one particular person taking care of them after which practice volunteers to work with them. We have an amazing group. We’re very small however we now have individuals who foster, an amazing kennel supervisor and operations supervisor and different volunteer employees. We’re small, however I perceive that the massive county shelters have to absorb all canines. We attempt to preserve it small so we are able to focus extra time on every canine’s restoration.
Heidi Hardman
There are numerous folks on the market with actually good hearts, and naturally a few of these folks need the younger, fluffy puppies. But a whole lot of actually superb folks additionally undertake particular wants canines. They’re usually individuals who aren’t simply seeking to get a canine for his or her wants, they actually need to assist. The final canine I formally adopted was 13-years-old, blind and diabetic.
We get seniors and particular wants canines adopted so much, and most of our paralyzed canines have been adopted. We keep in contact and I nonetheless babysit them. There are a whole lot of good folks on the market who need to do one thing good and so they know they are going to get that love again, even when they solely have the canine for 3 months and it is a senior, they’d quite have the canine with them and be liked, than die in a shelter. When you search for a canine, you do not say, “I want a dog with four legs,” you say, “I want a dog that’s playful and loving.”
Our rescue has change into extra than simply rescuing canines, it is also now about educating the general public and getting the phrase out about overcoming obstacles. We inform folks {that a} paralyzed or particular wants canine is just not that totally different, and we additionally go to a whole lot of elementary colleges and do shows to show the children. We clarify that this particular wants canine has one thing on the skin that makes them a bit of totally different however we inform the children to take a look at what this canine can do. If it is Maverick, they are going to see he runs and jumps curbs and does all the pieces a traditional canine does, he simply does it in a wheelchair. He actually does assist train children.
We actually need to assist extra canines like Maverick, educate folks on heartworm prevention and actually get extra folks involved in rescuing. Dogs aren’t going to remain puppies perpetually so our objective is to assist the canines that want us. That’s actually the most important factor for us, and make their setting as calm and nurturing as potential whereas they’re with us.
Heidi Hardman is president of Polka Dogz Pet Rescue primarily based in Oakland, Florida. You can comply with them on Instagram @polkadogzpetrescue.
All views expressed on this article are the creator’s personal.
As instructed to Jenny Haward.
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