Griffin, a Dog story
Some of you may remember a dog we worked with a few months ago called Griffin, aka: Chance.
I had a few up dates on this site but this is from the lady that pulled him.
The work she has done for dogs is beyond my vocabulary but I have never known such a selfless person.
None of this would have happened without her efforts.
....................................................................
Last August I went down to the place that I work with to pull 4 large dogs for transport. I was almost there when I got a call on my cell from the ACO. He said they'd just had a dog surrendered that he thought I'd want to see.
When I got to the shelter I took one look and just groaned. I knew there was no way I could leave him but WHAT was I could to do with another dog?
I told him not even to bother taking him out of the crate, just load him up in my truck, I'd figure it out on the road. We were pretty sure he was a Giant Schnauzer, but in his condition it was kind of hard to tell. I was freaking out because I had no plan for this dog and was full, but what do you do? On the way home I called my husband and got him to look up Schnauzer rescue groups and started calling every phone number I could get my hands on.
I brought him back to Lexington with me and met my transport which was running late from an upstream car breakdown. He never made a sound.
I finally arrived home (now incredibly late for my son's birthday party - do we have a support group for the kids of people who do rescue? We probably need one; I always imagine what he'll someday be telling his shrink "and them my mom brought home ANOTHER dog!").
I got the pup installed in my quarantine area and took stock. He was in such bad shape I thought for sure I'd be syringing food into him and wondered if he'd even make it. But when I came downstairs with some AD, he came staggering right out of his crate and scarfed it down. That was good news but also profoundly disturbing because it was obvious that it wasn't that he had given up eating, it was just that he had had no access to food.
That was also when I got a really good look at him. He was the skinniest dog I think I've ever seen. The photos don't even show how bad he was because the flash blew out some of the shadows between his bones. He had a swollen front leg which was obviously broken in at least one place and hanging sideways. His back leg had what appeared to be a jump rope tied around it. It had obviously been on there a long time because it had grown somewhat into the flesh. He was nearly bald from mange and what hair he did have was severely matted and bleached from the sun. He had this giant tribble thing with bugs and debris in it on his back. His toenails were overgrown and his pads soft so that it was clear he'd been penned or tied, not roaming free. Frankly, I doubt a dog could get in that bad shape unless it was confined because it would have left seeking food and be hit by a car or something before ever getting that bad. He was much taller than any of my GSDs but fit easily into the blue large/medium Petmate which would be FAR too small for them. He was so light I was able to lift the crate by myself.
Sitting in filth
Still keeping my cool, I got some more food, water, and scissors. I had been avoiding touching him because of the mange, and other than going for the food, his affect had been totally flat, no eye contact, just dead seeming.
When I reached out and touched the foot with the rope to cut it off, the second my fingers touched him he started wagging his little stub tail. You know that foot had to be in excruciating pain, you know his previous treatment can't have been positive, and yet here he is acting like just being touched by a person is the best thing that's ever happened to him.
That was when I totally lost it. My husband came downstairs and I was just standing there bawling my eyes out sputtering some things not lawfully uttered here and a lot along the lines of "PEOPLE SUCK!!!!"
After a lot of emailing and exchanging of pictures, the next day the wonderful people of Schnauzer rescue drove over from Louisville and collected him. Even after a day and a half of feeding, during which he had visibly gained weight, his new foster dad still said that he'd seen dead dogs who looked healthier than him!
That's when the really heavy lifting began and they get all the credit. They had Griffin (as he was now named) to the vet immediately and got his leg splinted, antibiotics, mange treatment, full bloodwork, everything he needed. We initially thought he was an old old dog but he turned out to be a pup of only 10 months.
He had a long recovery because the infection meant they couldn't repair the break right away and his skin not only had sarcoptic mange but all manner of secondary infections and lesions. They kept me updated via his website which was so nice. During his rehab he grew only a tiny bit taller but went from 45 to 90lbs.
They completely fell in love with him and said that they have never known a nicer tempered dog.
This week they called to let me know that they'd finally found an adopter good enough for their boy. I was very happy for him but thought that was that. Then they surprised me by absolutely insisting that I needed to see him again before he went to his new home. Yesterday they drove him 2 hours just to meet me for 15 minutes, all so I could see him one last time! I cannot tell you how wonderful these folks are and what that meant to me!
It has been a rough fall and winter, full of angry people and sick dogs and heartbreak as I'm sure many of yours have been as well. But that visit will sustain me for a long time.
I find it pretty easy to get beaten down by all this and I wanted to share Griffin's story with the other folks in rescue who get beaten down too. I will remember him for the rest of my life and yet, I really did very little. I didn't foster him or rehab him, the Schnauzer folks really did all the hard work, I was just in the right place at the right time to do a little networking - but what a cool result!
Presenting -
Wait for it -
The new and improved GRIFFIN!!!!! Ta da!
Me and my buddy
It's hard to believe he's the same dog, and yet it's not because he's exactly the same Giant sweetheart that he was from that first day.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone who adopts an unwanted pup, crossposts a needy dog, or works in rescue!
From Hannah and Griffin
....................................................................
This is Griffin now in his new home
I LOVE a happy ending
sheepdip
I had a few up dates on this site but this is from the lady that pulled him.
The work she has done for dogs is beyond my vocabulary but I have never known such a selfless person.
None of this would have happened without her efforts.
....................................................................
Last August I went down to the place that I work with to pull 4 large dogs for transport. I was almost there when I got a call on my cell from the ACO. He said they'd just had a dog surrendered that he thought I'd want to see.
When I got to the shelter I took one look and just groaned. I knew there was no way I could leave him but WHAT was I could to do with another dog?
I told him not even to bother taking him out of the crate, just load him up in my truck, I'd figure it out on the road. We were pretty sure he was a Giant Schnauzer, but in his condition it was kind of hard to tell. I was freaking out because I had no plan for this dog and was full, but what do you do? On the way home I called my husband and got him to look up Schnauzer rescue groups and started calling every phone number I could get my hands on.
I brought him back to Lexington with me and met my transport which was running late from an upstream car breakdown. He never made a sound.
I finally arrived home (now incredibly late for my son's birthday party - do we have a support group for the kids of people who do rescue? We probably need one; I always imagine what he'll someday be telling his shrink "and them my mom brought home ANOTHER dog!").
I got the pup installed in my quarantine area and took stock. He was in such bad shape I thought for sure I'd be syringing food into him and wondered if he'd even make it. But when I came downstairs with some AD, he came staggering right out of his crate and scarfed it down. That was good news but also profoundly disturbing because it was obvious that it wasn't that he had given up eating, it was just that he had had no access to food.
That was also when I got a really good look at him. He was the skinniest dog I think I've ever seen. The photos don't even show how bad he was because the flash blew out some of the shadows between his bones. He had a swollen front leg which was obviously broken in at least one place and hanging sideways. His back leg had what appeared to be a jump rope tied around it. It had obviously been on there a long time because it had grown somewhat into the flesh. He was nearly bald from mange and what hair he did have was severely matted and bleached from the sun. He had this giant tribble thing with bugs and debris in it on his back. His toenails were overgrown and his pads soft so that it was clear he'd been penned or tied, not roaming free. Frankly, I doubt a dog could get in that bad shape unless it was confined because it would have left seeking food and be hit by a car or something before ever getting that bad. He was much taller than any of my GSDs but fit easily into the blue large/medium Petmate which would be FAR too small for them. He was so light I was able to lift the crate by myself.
Sitting in filth
Still keeping my cool, I got some more food, water, and scissors. I had been avoiding touching him because of the mange, and other than going for the food, his affect had been totally flat, no eye contact, just dead seeming.
When I reached out and touched the foot with the rope to cut it off, the second my fingers touched him he started wagging his little stub tail. You know that foot had to be in excruciating pain, you know his previous treatment can't have been positive, and yet here he is acting like just being touched by a person is the best thing that's ever happened to him.
That was when I totally lost it. My husband came downstairs and I was just standing there bawling my eyes out sputtering some things not lawfully uttered here and a lot along the lines of "PEOPLE SUCK!!!!"
After a lot of emailing and exchanging of pictures, the next day the wonderful people of Schnauzer rescue drove over from Louisville and collected him. Even after a day and a half of feeding, during which he had visibly gained weight, his new foster dad still said that he'd seen dead dogs who looked healthier than him!
That's when the really heavy lifting began and they get all the credit. They had Griffin (as he was now named) to the vet immediately and got his leg splinted, antibiotics, mange treatment, full bloodwork, everything he needed. We initially thought he was an old old dog but he turned out to be a pup of only 10 months.
He had a long recovery because the infection meant they couldn't repair the break right away and his skin not only had sarcoptic mange but all manner of secondary infections and lesions. They kept me updated via his website which was so nice. During his rehab he grew only a tiny bit taller but went from 45 to 90lbs.
They completely fell in love with him and said that they have never known a nicer tempered dog.
This week they called to let me know that they'd finally found an adopter good enough for their boy. I was very happy for him but thought that was that. Then they surprised me by absolutely insisting that I needed to see him again before he went to his new home. Yesterday they drove him 2 hours just to meet me for 15 minutes, all so I could see him one last time! I cannot tell you how wonderful these folks are and what that meant to me!
It has been a rough fall and winter, full of angry people and sick dogs and heartbreak as I'm sure many of yours have been as well. But that visit will sustain me for a long time.
I find it pretty easy to get beaten down by all this and I wanted to share Griffin's story with the other folks in rescue who get beaten down too. I will remember him for the rest of my life and yet, I really did very little. I didn't foster him or rehab him, the Schnauzer folks really did all the hard work, I was just in the right place at the right time to do a little networking - but what a cool result!
Presenting -
Wait for it -
The new and improved GRIFFIN!!!!! Ta da!
Me and my buddy
It's hard to believe he's the same dog, and yet it's not because he's exactly the same Giant sweetheart that he was from that first day.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone who adopts an unwanted pup, crossposts a needy dog, or works in rescue!
From Hannah and Griffin
....................................................................
This is Griffin now in his new home
I LOVE a happy ending
sheepdip
0
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Thanks. Don 0 -
God bless you[:)]
Don0 -
I'll echo Don. Could we insert a standing ovation for the kind and generous folks who deserve it? 0 -
Damn Dip,That makes my chest tight,You sure know how to hurt a guy.I'm gonna go mix a drink now and take comfort in knowing there's folks like you and her in the world.On behalf of this family and the "Old Man" pictured below;Thanks 0 -
Great read. People who do that to a dog should suffer the same treatment.
I wonder if someone can add more single spaced text and make the pictures even bigger. I love when it when everyone has to scroll the screen back and forth with every sentence, just LOVE it I tell ya!0 -
Happy ending for sure, and a remarkable recovery. Those folks perform miracles.
Just a side note, wouldn't you just love to find the idiots who abused this animal this way. It would be a pleasure to tie them up and starve them, let them go thirsty, and watch them get mange as well. They don't deserve nothing good God has given us.0 -
Sheepdip..
Viewing these pics has the same effect on me now as it did when I first seen Griffin/Chance...
I cant help but start crying...To see that dog in the crate and then to have the pleasure of watching what you and your wife did for him, watch the sparkle come into his eye, see him run to the door of your house, and the weight gain, and for him to have a home now after what he has been thru...
I have the video you emailed to me, tucked away along with the other one and the pics to be able to watch them when I need that boost in my spirits knowing there are ppl in the world such as you and your wife that give so much and ask so little....
You and your wife are very very special loving people who deserve only the best ...0 -
Wow, people like you make everyone of us proud. 0 -
i was looking through old eamils yesterday and was going to email you after i played on the board to check on chance /griff
he lookes great
so never mind you all ready repied [:D]0 -
I'm not one for Schnauzers, but that is one nice looking dog. 0 -
I remember the original post. It's great to see such a good ending to it. Thanks. 0 -
I've sat at the keyboard for over ten minutes reflecting on what I've just read. None of my usual witty prose comes forth. I wonder what kind of creature could allow that animal to desend into that state and still call himself a member of the human race?
Bless the people that rescued this, and other, dogs from a tortured existance.
I would gladly trade my soul to become an avenging angel.[:(!]0 -
A hero. 0 -
God Bless you and the work that you do. I'd still like to hunt down the people that did it and castrate them with a chainsaw though. Good work with the rescues. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by theboogeyman
I'd still like to hunt down the people that did it and castrate them with a chainsaw though.
kids can be cruel...
http://www.glumbert.com/media/iraqidog0 -
sheepdip : I really feel the same way you do , people (who abuse animals) SUCK !!! and you are a really great person for what you have done by saving this dog . I have also saved a few myself , latest is a female beagle "lil-bit" ...and by the way , great photo of the both of you , Nice Looking pair (You & Dog)...
Good Luck !!!
d.a.stearns
Gunsmith / LEO
Niota , Tn0 -
that picture is sheepdip?????
I dont think so. She IS kinda hot though[:p]
BTW, good job on the dog!! That's a complete 180!!0 -
No, that's not me.
That is the lady that pulled the dog.
Griffin and me0 -
I would have no problem beating the person who let that dog get into that condition, within an inch of his or her life. 0
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