The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Dear Editor: Monday evening, the 19th of December brought a visitor to the door. The man who came has been here before, many times, in fact. And he always brings me a problem to fix. The problems are of the four footed variety and they arrive with a multitude of problems. All are starving, have lice and worms and just for a bit of variety the odd one comes with mange! Most are fixable, if you have the stomach for it, the patience and the time as well as the financial resources to pay for the medicine needed to fix the problems. Some of these unfortunate dogs have turned into the nicest pets and there are many of them situated in our community today. But the little girl who arrived on Monday was so sadly different. As I checked over her pathetic broken and starved little body my first thought was that she should be put to sleep. Her right front leg was kept tucked up tight against her chest. Robbie pulled it out to show it to me. See 'Dog' P.# Con't from P.# There was no protest from her. She seemed to accept whatever came her way, whether it hurt or not. The toes on the foot were missing, the side dew claw was still attached and the large pad on the bottom of the foot was still there. When I tried to straighten her foot, I could not, as it had fused to a solid 90 degree angle at the wrist. There were abrasions to the skin from her walking on her wrist. The leg must have pained her greatly and for a long time as the leg muscles had atrophied away so that her normal front left leg was twice the size. Since she is only about a year old, the front leg must have been injured when she was very young. Perhaps she got it caught in a trap or perhaps she had been run over as a pup. But the front leg was not the reason why Robbie had brought her to me. The reason was her rear left leg. The story that Robbie had been told was that she had been run over by a snow machine on Sunday. He had come across her floundering in a snow bank and just didn't have the heart to leave her there. He knew she would die a long slow death from starvation and cold. Unless, of course, someone ran over her for the third time and finished her off. Her rear left leg offered almost no support. It was wobbly at the joint and there appeared to be major problems above the joint. Only an x-ray could tell the extent of the damage for sure. This poor little girl had been left to fend for herself with only two legs in working order. See 'Brown' P.# Con't from P.# Tuesday was a long day. As I worked about the kennel a pair of soft brown eyes followed my every move. She is an attractive dog with a coat of solid rust. Maybe a cross between a retriever and collie, but not as big. I cooked up a bland meal of macaroni and chicken for her as I knew her starved stomach wouldn't tolerate regular dog food. Each feeding was woofed down in seconds and she spent another five minutes licking the bowl cleaner than clean. After a couple of good meals I went in to pat her head and was dismayed to find her mammary glands full of milk. She had left behind a litter of puppies! I made a few phone calls, trying to find a ride to The Pas for her but I was unable to find anyone travelling that day. All I could do was make her comfortable, give her some pain medication and keep her tummy full. She seemed content enough, even curious. Her tail still worked very well and I was greeted with a big wag if I even came anywhere close to her pen. If she thought I had food she would get up and hobble over to the front of the pen. I thought it strange that she didn't seem to be feeling much pain. Never a whimper, even when picked up. The dreaded day Wednesday arrived. At lunch time I bundled her up and took her in to see the vet. When I made the appointment it was with the intention of having her put to sleep. Now, I was having second thoughts. This little girl had gumption and a pleasant disposition. She had survived so much. Didn't she deserve to have the back leg examined to see if it could be fixed? So, that's what was done. After supper that night, Karen, the vet, stopped by and picked her up to take her back to the clinic in The Pas. As we loaded her up into the van I told Karen I had named her "Wish" and all I wanted for Christmas was for her to be made better. Thursday x-rays were taken and they showed a broken femur. It wasn't a new break, though, but one that was several weeks old. And that is why she doesn't have much pain now. Unfortunately, the break is such that the leg will never be any good without surgery. And, because the break happened so long ago it may not heal properly even with surgery. If the surgery on the back leg is successful, eventually the front leg will have to be amputated as it is just in her way. She's better off without it and dogs can live happily with three legs. I've been asked why I want to save this dog. It would be so much easier and convenient for all involved to "put her down." It's because she doesn't want to die. She has fought too hard to live for us to let her down. Perhaps it's to make up for all the cruelties and injustices she was handed that makes me want to show her that not all people are ruthless and uncaring. Maybe it's because I can't change the world but I can change the life of this one dog. Maybe it's because I hate giving up and I hate losing. The SPCA doesn't have funds to pay for emergency surgeries such as this. If you are able to donate towards the cost of the surgery "Wish" would certainly appreciate it. Cheques can be made payable to Flin Flon/Creighton & Area SPCA and mailed to Box 863, Flin Flon R8A 1N6. Please indicate on your cheque that it is for the "Wish" fund. You will receive a tax deductible receipt. Or, if more convenient, Canadian Tire is accepting donations on behalf of Wish. On behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves, Debbie Hiebert, President Flin Flon/Creighton & Area SPCA
