by Kathy Armstrong
On a crisp autumn afternoon, pet rescue volunteer Sharleen Smith
got a call from the animal shelter in Buhl, Idaho.
The staff person at the shelter said they had a five-year-old
Springer Spaniel and she'd never seen one in such bad shape before.
He was covered in bumps and lumps, and had a growth the size of a
lemon hanging off of his leg. He was scared of being touched and
cowered easily.
Sharleen didn't hesitate. In her experience with pet rescue,
dogs were capable of amazing transformations with a little help. She
drove to Buhl to get him and took him immediately to Treasure Valley
Vet in Boise.
There were many foreign objects matted in his fur and embedded
in his skin, including rocks, twigs, feces, thorns, and
unrecognizable decaying things. Sharleen decided to name him "Champ"
because she was confident he would succeed in getting through his
recovery process.
The veterinarian, Dr. Shackelford, determined that Champ's
medical problems were severe. He estimated that Champ had been
fending for himself for years, without adequate nutrition, baths,
grooming, preventative health care, etc. Champ went under anesthesia
and they shaved him down. Seven benign masses were removed.
"I haven't seen a dog this bad in years," Dr. Shackelford told
Sharleen. "This dog's condition is due to 100% neglect."
Medical treatment, whether for dogs or people, is expensive. To
provide the care that Champ needed, English Springer Rescue America,
Inc. (ESRA) made Champ a "Special Needs" dog. He even had his own
web page on springerrescue.org, with more than thirty sponsors.
Supporters from all over the United States and Canada rooted for
Champ and helped defray the costs of his treatment.
Sharleen and her husband Phil cared for Champ and tended to his
multiple incisions, held together by 67 staples throughout his body.
Two of the incisions had drainage tubes. They administered pain
medication injections, and antibiotics, but nothing seemed to make
the dog comfortable. For several days, Champ cried for hours.
Sharleen wished Champ could tell her his story. Whenever she
approached him with the leash, he cowered. He was totally hand-shy
and had to smell her hand and examine it carefully before she could
touch him.
Champ was terrified of trucks. When he would see a big semi
truck, he shook and cried and sounded like he was screaming. Champ
was definitely not an indoor dog. It had taken a lot of coaxing just
to convince him to come inside the house. He had not had much
training, but he learned quickly. Sharleen took her time with Champ,
helping him slowly come out of his shell.
Psychologically, Champ had made wonderful progress as he healed.
He was no longer afraid of strangers, and he had conquered his fear
of the freeway.
Over the course of the next two months, Sharleen corresponded
with a family in Arizona about Champ's progress. During the holiday
season, they traveled to Boise, Idaho, to meet Champ. Sharleen
believed this family had the patience and dedication to continue
working with him, and had unlimited love to give him.
Five months after the adoption, Champ's family wrote, "We love
him and he loves us! He is one happy-go-lucky pooch. He hikes
nearly every day on the trail system near our Phoenix home. His fur
has grown out and he has filled out some. He is one very handsome
Springer. Once he's out on the trail, he is all bird dog -- his nose
to the ground smelling for wild game. He has flushed up lots of
quail, rabbits, coyotes, and lizards!"
Champ's story was a triumphant journey of an abused, scared, dog
who became a happy, healthy family member.
ESRA's mission is to Rescue, Rehabilitate and Re-home English
Springer Spaniels.
Champ's rehabilitation, both physical and psychological, was a
good example of what a dedicated volunteer, a caring vet, and a solid
organization can do to help one dog at a time.
-- Kathy Armstrong <lawkathy at hotmail.com>
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Kathy says, "I'm a huge fan of dogs. I volunteer with a pet rescue
group, English Springer Rescue America, Inc. (ESRA). I live in Post
Falls, ID, with my husband and two dogs."
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