Saving Bailey

Yes, I get up early. I live with 4 dogs ranging from a Great Dane to a Yorkie. Anytime after 4 am, they are allowed to wake me up to go out.

This particular Friday morning, they waited until 4:15 to wake me up. I got to sleep in! Will wonders never cease.

But, early mornings are fine. I get a chance to spend time on the computer, catching up on emails, adding to and reading facebook comments, updating Petfinders, Adopt-A-Pet, etc., and, of course, working on Squidoo lenses. Friday was no different.

Around 8, I checked phone messages and there it was. The message that would change my world.

The call was from a woman named Carolyn. She sounded desperate. A dog, she thought a Coonhound, had wandered into their property and looked like he was in bad need of medical attention. She didn't have the money to get him to a vet. Could we please, please, please help?

As an animal rescuer, I had no option but to call her back. I didn't think twice. I just dialed her number.

Carolyn was relieved to get my call. She told me she thought his testicles had frozen and he must have licked at them enough to open up the skin. He was bleeding some from his scotum.

OK. First thing, I had to call the vet to see if I could take this dog in right away.

The heavens must have been smiling on that dog. I don't know what else to say - but you'll see why as this story unfolds.

The vet's office answered immediately. That's great in itself. Usually, they are checking messages, returning phone calls, etc when they first open, so usually when I try to call that early, it takes several tries to get through. But not this Friday morning.

"Well, we are pretty busy today, I don't know." was the response I received from the young woman who answered. Then "let me ask" and what I heard in the background was perfect.

The Vet: That's the BuckHawk lady, right?
Assistant: Yes, she said she's from Buck something.
The Vet: It's one of her dogs?
Assistant: No, the dog is someplace else, she has to pick it up.
The Vet: Tell her to come on in. When ever she gets here, we'll take her.

I want you to know, that is the response I get everytime I call them with a rescue - Come on in. We'll take you.

OK there goes my relaxing Friday. My day which was to be just routine, maybe a chance for a nap, actually getting a nice breakfast for a change, some time to work with some of the dogs at the rescue for a little more training, playtime, petting, whatever.

I called Carolyn back. Yes, I would come get the Coonhound and get him to the vet. She agreed to meet me half way, in about an hour.

An hour, hmmmm..... It would take me nearly half an hour to get there (rural America, you know). No time for a shower, just a quick clean up. What would I need to take with me? What was this dog like? A hurt dog can be scared and therefore a bit dangerous to work with. Bring a muzzle, need a leash for him. Treats? But, of course. Camera! Pictures are always important in a rescue situation. Don't forget my cell phone. Checkbook, too.

Oh, another cup of coffee - to go. I was ready, I hoped. Settle all the inside dogs - I'll be back, you guys stay here. And off I went for my next adventure in animal rescue.

The half hour drive to our meeting place went by in a blur, but I do remember thoughts of hoping this wasn't going to be too expensive. Our reserve fund wasn't very big. How quickly emergency treatment can deplete that reserve.

Where would I put him? We are full, always full it seems. No matter how many animals get adopted, there are hundreds waiting to take that opening. Could he go in with the Yellow Lab and the Shepherd puppy? 3 males together, could it work? Maybe Carolyn could foster him while we searched for a home.

Maybe, maybe, maybe. It's amazing how many unknowns whirl around animal rescues. Questions, maybes, hopefullys, with little to no certainties.

One certainty is the heatache that goes with the job. And my heart went out to this dog the second I met him.

Here was a gentle friendly soul, a tall, yet very, very thin dark red wonder of a dog. He first happily accepted some petting, then proceeded to sniff me up and down.

Hmmm...this human smells like dog - lots of dog. Many different dog scents. Who was this lady and who are these dogs? Well, she seems friendly, time to smell the tires on this old truck.

And off he went to check out the tires on my old Ford pickup. That's when I got a chance to see just how skinny he really was!

Now, I've seen many thin dogs in person. And I watch the Animal Cop shows on TV, so I've seen the severe cases they handle. But, here, right in front of my own eyes, was a severe case like on TV! He had absolutely NO muscle mass on him anywhere. His need for food had used up every ounce of fat and had been working on his muscles. Even his leg muscles, which should have been evident, were nearly invisible. He had just enough left to be able to walk.

Then he walked right past me, and I smelled it. Infection.

Carolyn and I talked for only a few minutes, but he had peed three times during our conversation. And not just marking pee, but full, empty-the-bladder type of pee. Diabetes was my first thought.

We had to lift him into the truck, but the muzzle was never needed. This beautiful young man was that gentle, even in his condition.

The drive to the vet was just about an hour (rural America, remember) and all the while, this lovely dog laid next to me. He got up several times to check what was going on outside, but laid down again, fully pressed against me.

He happily took my petting. He happily listened to me ramble on about all things. He happily turned his head to me while I tried out names.

Carolyn and her son had called him Rex, but I didn't think Rex fit this sweet gentle guy. Since Carolyn couldn't foster him, he was to be part of the BuckHawk while he recovered, gained weight and awaited his own home. So he needed a new name for a new life.

As a Coonhound, he has long floppy ears and a big muzzle, plus he has deep brown adoring eyes. I started thinking of gentle, yet sweet names for him. His red coloring reminded me of an amber beer, but no beer name I thought of seemed right for a dog's name. Killian - no, he's the opposite of a "Kill"ian. Amber Bock - sounded too female. Leininkugel - too much of a mouthful. OK, skip beers.

Then it came to me: Bailey. Formally it's Bailey's Irish Cream. A sweet, gentle drink. It may be chocolate, but what hair color is associated with Irish? Red, of course. So Bailey got his name.

True to his word, the vet took Bailey right away. But not before he could pee right in the reception room.

I knew, or suspected some of Bailey's problems, not nearly all!

The diabetes test was the first thing. The vet agreed with me on that. But, turned out Bailey wasn't diabetic. His blood sugar level was only 128. OK, first thing down. Now on to the check of his testicles.

That gentle severely underweight dog had some strength afterall. He did NOT want anyone poking around down there. It took three of us to get him turned over and held down so the vet could find out what was going on.

As soon as I got a good look at him, I understood why.

Bailey's testicles were swollen and he had a clear cut, not tear, but cut on his scotum.

OK, I'll skip the gorey details - just give you the upshot. Bailey was neutered, or attempted, by his owner, clearly WITHOUT benefit of a vet!
With the intense swelling, it was hard for our vet to determine if the second testicle was taken, but the first one wasn't taken completely.

The vet removed the old dying tissue that was causing the infection and cleaned up the cut. But nothing more would happen until his swelling went down and the infection cleared up. At least for now, Bailey would be much more comfortable.

His tail - now that is another cruel story. Bailey's tail is broken in two places and badly nubbed that the end. The break closest to his tail makes a right angle to his body. Although these are old breaks, it sure looks like his cruel owner had tried to dock his tail - again failing - and leaving this beautiful young man with a deformity. Bailey may not be able to wag his tail, but he can sure show his happiness by wagging his whole back end!

Next came the test for heartworms. Here was another first in my world.

Yes, I'd heard about heartworm and I knew OF dogs with heartworms and I knew how dangerous it is. But when the doc told me Bailey was positive for heartworms, my heart sank.

We talked about the options and the costs. My heartache for all the suffering this poor guy had been through was growing by the minute. This is expensive treatment. Without it, Bailey would suffer and die. As if heartworms weren't enough, Bailey also tested positive for tick disease! Was it more humane to just put him out of his misery?

My answer came from Bailey. He nudged my hand to get petted. OMG! He was a young dog, possibly only a year. He deserved a good life. He deserved the chance to find his happy ending. Damn the cost. We would get the money somehow!

The treatment takes 2 separate injections and that meant Bailey would stay overnight. OK. So be it.

I drove home through anguish and tears.

How cruel can humans be? Clearly there were no bounds! How could anyone have done the kind of things they did to Bailey? How could Bailey still be such a sweet dog after all he had suffered? How could he still trust humans? Yet, he did.

How were we going to pay for all of this treatment? Where was I going to put Bailey when he came home? And the questions went on and on and completely without answers.

By the time I got home, the entire morning - and then some - was gone. I was starving myself. Rescuing Bailey had taken precedence over breakfast and it was now after lunch. At least I knew Bailey would be fed today, so I got my lunch and sat down at the computer to answer emails.

My dear wonderful sister had sent me an email. So I responded with the morning's news. Then I skipped all the others and went to lay down. Talk about a flood of emotion.

We all know this world of animal rescue is hard. But, taking a moment to rest caused a breakdown in me. The weight of it all came crashing in on me. That was also a first for me, at least in the rescue world.

The suffering of Bailey, the suffering of other dogs we had rescued, the suffering of puppy mill dogs, the suffering of all the animals in the world. The suffering that each had to endure at the hands of humans! I was ashamed to say I have turned my back on an animal in my life, I was ashamed to say I have been frustrated with my own animals at times, I was ashamed to be a human!

In the throws of this fit, my wonderful old Great Dane climbed up on the bed next to me and laid his head on my hand.

Talk about flood gates...mine opened with a fury. I cried into his shoulder. And he just lay there and let me hold him and soak his shoulder with my tears. When I was finished, he just lifted his head and kissed me. Then basically said to me: Time to get going. All of us animals need you.

And off we went to feed dogs and cats.

When that was over, and I felt better - being with all those animals always makes me feel better - I turned my attention back to a bigger question at hand. How to pay for Bailey's treatment?

I found a couple of emails waiting for me that made a difference.

First was my sister again. She had a great idea to raise the money for Bailey AND she would be the first to contribute! Bless her.

The second email was from a recent adopter. This woman had adopted a little Yorkie who had been a puppy mill Momma. The woman isn't just a dog owner, she is a loving, caring, willing-to-do-whatever-it-takes kind of person. She sent me an update on the little Yorkie's progress, how she is using hydotherapy to help the dog's joints and build strength in her legs.

I couldn't help it. The flood gates opened again.

I poured out Bailey's story and I told her I wished Bailey could have the happy ending that little Sophie had. I told her I wanted to clone her and give the clones to all the mistreated dogs in the world, so they could know a truly loving and giving human. Aside to Sophie's Mom - thanks for putting up with me!

The night turned into a truly knocked out sleep, the kind of exhaustive sleep that comes after such heavy emotions, puffy eyes and all.

Morning came way too early and with way too much to do.

One of the little German Shepherd mix puppies was due to be adopted that Saturday afternoon. I was waiting to hear when. And Bailey needed to be picked in the morning. My daughter and her family had arrived during the night. They were on their way to Chicago for Christmas and were only going to spend the night.

Feeding, attention time, dog treats, etc occured as soon as daylight arrived. Then a short visit with my daughter and family, before the call came. The puppy's new family were arriving around 10. My daughter spent a few minutes helping me with some dog nail clipping and brushing. A few of the dogs require 2 people to get this done. One to keep them occupied while the other attends the duties. Then she, her husband and my 1-year-old granddaughter took off.

On their heels came the adopters. A wonderful family who are looking to love a dog in their world. They brought along a brand new collar and matching leash, plus a new toy, just for the darling they were taking home. This was a very happy time. The puppy was thrilled to be with them and thrilled to go home with them and the feeling was mutual!

Then off I went to get Bailey.

When I arrived to pick up Bailey, he was ready and waiting for me. He had two new shaved patches on his back where his heartworm treatments were injected. He had eaten - very good news - and had been an ideal patient.

More heatwarming news came when I attempted to pay the bill. That would have to wait. The vet wanted to find a way to reduce the cost of the heartworm treatment.

Here, I want to let you know that this vet is incredibly generous. He donates all of his time and only charges us wholesale cost for medicines and treatments. And, now, here he was trying to reduce even that! The heavens were definitely watching out for Bailey.

The trip home was wonderful. Bailey spent most of it laying pressed up against me. He laid his head on my leg and rested.

He happily accepted petting. He happily accepted treats. He happily listened to my ramblings. He didn't seem to mind when I turned on the radio and sang (although off key) along with Christmas Carols. And he only partly reacted when I got a bit loud to a rendition of Frosty the Snowman.

When we finally arrived, I took Bailey into the yard with Fargo, the Yellow Lab and Basil, the German Shepherd pup. They all sniffed each other and tried to figure out who each other was - friend or foe. But, settled down to mutual ok-ness.

I tried feeding them together, but Bailey wasn't interested. Fargo and Basil, on the hand, were quite interested and ate well.

This was a cold day, just barely above freezing. I just couldn't see leaving Bailey, with no fat to keep him warm, outside that day. So I brought him inside. I did keep him separate from the inside dogs, just to be sure.

That night Bailey took his medicine like a champ, ate all of his food and waited patiently for me to take him for a walk.

A better dog, I couldn't have designed myself.

I'll keep this section updated for all of you wanting to know how he's doing.

Bailey is busy playing with his new friends, Fargo and Basil. And he met our old Great Dane, Montana - mostly they ignored each other after the initial Hello sniffs.

Bailey's taking his medicine like a champ, still. A total of 3 weeks of medicine! Sure hope he doesn't get tired of it!

Food - now that's an interesting story in itself. His appetite for his meals never wans. Bailey eats twice a day and needs to be slowed down at first. He acts like he has never had a real meal in his life! I can just about hear his mind working - food, food, food! Gotta get all I can, immediately! Oh, that's right - this is the human that never takes it away from me, even gives me more! OK, I can relax.

Then he settles down to a little attention, a little more food, a little more attention, a little more food, etc. This continues until he's had his fill. For the time being!

I know he must be gaining weight. Bailey eats more than Fargo and Basil combined! Yet, I still see the most outrageously skinny dog. Of course, maybe I can't see the change. After all, I see him multiple times a day. Hopefully, that's all it is. Not the fact that he is an active, playful dog, who uses up all the calories he's taking in.

And Bailey is a playful dog - at least according to Basil, the German Shepherd pup! What a treat to see them playing together. Then Bailey catches sight of me watching them, and play is over. Bailey comes running to get his well-deserved attention. Of course, Basil and Fargo think they deserve attention, too. My 2 hands are very busy giving 3 dogs loads of petting!

Next Update: I'm getting a little worried about Bailey - the swelling doesn't seem to be going down! He's still way too thin for surgery. But, I fear there is more problem with his testicles. I will keep you posted.

Next Update: OK, more to deal with! The swelling has finally gone down, but that just shows me that Bailey was not fully neutered. He still has one testicle. So the poor guy will have to go through neutering. But this time with a vet! He won't be able to have the surgery until he has put on some weight. I keep checking, watching for those ribs to disappear under some fat. I think I see a little more coverage, hoping it really is weight gain. With these really cold days, Bailey stays inside more. Mostly, he lays down on his cushy blanket. Hopefully, the reduction in activity will help him gain some weight. I just have to wait and see, and I am not long on patience.

Yes, the great news is here. Bailey has been adopted. He has his own home, his own family and his own new friends!

Bailey's new home is in Arkansas with a loving young couple who live on a large wooded property. They love working the land. This couple is experienced with Redbone Coonhounds and know how great these dogs are.

This story touched their hearts and they contacted me immediately.

Bailey is now happily learning the new rules of his home. He is their constant companion and enjoys long walks around the property with them. He is also learning to be his teammate while working the land.

We couldn't be happier for Bailey and his happily ever after story.