Todd’s Happy Tale ending
Todd was found on the streets in Kansas and was labeled as rescue only. He was not an aggressive dog, but he was vocal and anxious in his new surroundings. The rescue arranged transport to my home a few weeks later and after a vet visit it was determined that he had about a 15-20% chance of survival due to an extreme case of heartworms. The parasites were living in both his heart and his lungs. Next was a seven month journey in his recovery. The treatment was not cut and dry, but he was determined to make it and the rescue made that happen. There were trips to see a specialist when it was determined he had a heart murmur that possibly meant surgical removal of the worms as well as trips to the chiropractor when his muscle and nerves had just had enough from the parasites moving out of his body.
Luckily, he did not require the surgery and was able to go home with us. I will not go into the details of those seven months, but there were days that he could not stand up to relieve himself. My husband and I had to make a sling to help hold him up while he was outside. It was horrible for him and my heart ached watching him try to understand what was going on.
The anxiousness he felt was part fear and partly neurological because the vet believed him to be autistic. This is not common in dogs, but can happen. The assumption is that Todd came from a breeding facility or back yard breeder and never had the proper attention or medical care. That all changed when he arrived in rescue and was “temporarily” placed with my family. He got the care that he needed to be cleared for adoption and we got the most precious gift through him.
I have always been a pet owner, but have never had a dog love as deeply as Todd. He loves with everything he has and is loved that much in return. It is the work of rescues and companies such as yours that allows dogs to have a chance at a better life. I attached a picture of Todd from the day of his intake evaluation and one several months later when he was closer to healthy.
There a many success stories like Todd’s. I wanted to share some of his journey and highlight the wonderful world of fostering and rescue.
