Family Dog Rescue: Orvis Dog Enrichment Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
The money was used to pay medical expenses related to some of our dogs with medical problems.
The grant was very important to help fund medical care for our dogs in need.
How many pets did this grant help?
2
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Tim (first two photos) is a true survivor! This sweet 6- to 7-year-old cattle dog mix was found in Mexico having been hit by a car and left to die in the streets. He was luckily picked up by rescuers and brought to San Francisco via Operation Santa Paws, an intake that required a strenuous drive from San Francisco to Chula Vista and back up again to save the lives of 16 dogs. Upon Tim’s arrival at Family Dog Rescue, we quickly found that his right hind leg had not healed properly. He was limping, and in clear pain from the leg. Working with the vets, we found that the leg ultimately would need to be amputated, an expensive but necessary surgery to greatly improve Tim’s quality of life. Soon after surgery, Tim was taken into foster by some of our great volunteers. After a few weeks of vet rechecks and therapy, they made it official, and Tim now lives happily in his forever home in San Francisco.
Miss Marshmallow’s life has been full of challenges, but she still manages to be one of the best pups you’ll ever meet! In November of 2016, Marshmallow (third and fourth photos) came to Family Dog Rescue along with her 4-week-old puppy Nutella from the Porterville shelter in California. She is a very sweet girl, but we quickly realized how special she really was. Her pup was quickly adopted, but Marshmallow is still fighting and looking for her forever home. Marshmallow is (mostly) deaf, and may have some slight vision impairment too. This is fairly common given her being an all-white dog with blue eyes, but it didn’t seem to explain all the other things she had that were a little off. Her tongue sticks out a tiny bit at all times, and she seemed to have a persistent cough that was not responding to normal kennel-cough protocols.
After numerous vet exams, we found that she had some past head trauma that broke her jaw, as well as having coccidioidmycosis, or Valley fever, a fungal infection that colonizes the lungs and which claimed the life of another Family Dog puppy early this year. Luckily, the vets believe they caught Marshmallow’s case early enough, and she was started on a course of antifungal medication. Unfortunately, the treatment for Valley fever is extremely intense and can last for months, if not the rest of the dog’s life. It requires strong antifungal medication given daily, as well as regular blood panels to make sure no damage is being done to the liver as a side effect of the medication. Despite her troubles and obstacles, Marshmallow is still a very happy girl! She loves to run and play, and is still waiting for her forever home. Meet Marshmallow: www.petfinder.com/petdetail/36948374
