Henry was left for dead by the
relative of a dying man who trusted the relative to
take care of his dogs. Unbelievably, the relative
never went to the dying man's home, stating later
that he didn't care if the dogs died. One did die,
and two were in an emaciated condition by the time
Animal Control was alerted and arrived. Henry and
his daughter, Baby Cakes, were so weak that they
couldn't stand. Animal Control rushed them to an
emergency veterinarian until they were stabilized.
Then they were taken to the shelter, where they
reunited with the other dogs from the home. All
awaited their fates, probably too weak and sad to
care.
The pathetic condition
and sweet personality of Henry prompted us to select
him. He was taken directly to DAWG's veterinarian
because of labored breathing, and to see if anything
could be done for his twisted leg. Henry's blood
test determined he was severely anemic, probably due
to a parasite infestation. He also had a high fever.
Henry's first night in DAWG's care found him
resting, receiving IV fluids, and awaiting further
tests by the veterinarian in the morning.
Henry has a long way
to go, starting with gaining at least 20 lbs. We
will explore options for his leg, but for now we are
letting him recover and gain weight.
June update:
Henry is doing well at his foster
mom's home and has gained two
pounds. Still terribly shy, he looks
interested when watching other dogs
play, but Henry doesn't have the
spirit to romp yet. He will
regain his trust along with his
health, but both will take a long
time. Here are pictures of Henry two
weeks after we took him in. He's a
dear boy who wants to lean on you
for assurance. His eyes tell you
that he has been through the worst.
One day they'll smile.
July update:
Henry's eyes are smiling now. Loving
adopters took Henry into their home
on July 3, 2005. Enjoy your new
life, darling boy.
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