photo and text submitted by Aggie Wood (shihtzu4u / Fuzzy Pawz Shih Tzu Rescue)
January 5, 2001: "For those of you who were wondering about the story behind this Shih Tzu who refused to die, here it is...It all started when we got a call on December 26 from a lady who was keeping a 4-year-old female Shih Tzu in her basement asking if we would take her. We were told she had injured her eye and was skin and bones. What we thought would be a routine rescue who needed a little treatment turned out to be much worse. It turned our rescue world upside down. Trixie had a loving home in Wausau, Wisconsin, but for reasons unclear to us, they decided to give her to a lady to give to her niece in Minnesota. The first day she was at this 'lady's' place (October 28), she slipped out the door and eventually was given up for dead. On December 18, some people found her and due to the rabies tag she had on, returned her. She was gone for 7 1/2 WEEKS and we had some sub-zero weather during this period. This 'lady' didn't seek any medical treatment for Trixie and left her in the basement, because she was going to die anyway. On December 26, she called the veterinarian to euthanize her; instead the vet suggested she call Shih Tzu Rescue. When Lois suggested she take her to the vet immediately to get the eye treated, her first comment was she wasn't spending any money on her. Lois then said we would take care of it. So, she was left in the basement for a total of 9 days. The vet technicians in Wausau were shocked when they saw Trixie. She was in worse shape than anticipated. It took them 45 minutes just to cut the hair from around her eyes to examine. She was less than 1/2 her normal weight. Lois then picked her up to be transported to Barb, a wonderful person who offered to foster her. My role in this was to pick her up in Waupaca, and bring her to Barb. I cried when I saw her. Her eye was bulging out so badly; it was almost out of the socket. Barb was equally shocked. She arranged for her vet to examine in the morning. In the evening, Trixie ate 5 bowls of doggie food. Barb was up all night checking on her as she feared the eye would rupture. Dr. Schatz, a wonderful vet at the Lakeside Animal Hospital, in Oshkosh, was also shocked and said her eye had to be removed ASAP. I hurried down there with my camera and took a photo of her. That was her before surgery picture. Dr. Schatz then removed the bad eye and put a flap over her other eye as it was badly ulcerated, and she stayed overnight at the vet hospital and is now recuperating at Barb's. It is uncertain whether she will regain sight in her other eye. In the week she has been with Barb, she has blossomed into a dog with personality plus. We had previously called her the Shih Tzu who refused to die. She is now called the Shih Tzu with an attitude. She is completely housebroken and after she finishes her business outside, she plants her feet and barks as if to say, 'I'm finished- now carry me in.' Barb changed her doggie food, and she spit it out all over the carpet. We think it wasn't her favorite brand. Her tail doesn't stop wagging when you talk or hold her and she gives you sweet kisses; holds her head up like a dignified Shih Tzu should. Since the after photo was taken, she has had all the mats removed which resulted in a short haircut; some of her coat came off in one big mat. She looks so much better now, but we can now see how underweight she is. You can feel all the bones even on her head, and the spine protrudes and her hips are very prominent. Her story and photos are in the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern [read story below after Aggie's contact information, being pasted here in case newspaper does not keep articles on file storage that long] newspaper. However, they had the wrong phone number and e-mail address but will be putting in a retraction tomorrow **. She now needs a loving forever home and deserves nothing but the best for all that she has been through. It is amazing how appreciative she is with just tender loving care. If you would be interested in adopting her or sending some badly needed donations, e-mail me and I will be glad to give you information. Thank-you to all who have already donated; you will get an acknowledgment from Trixie soon."
** (920) 722-3070 (Neenah, Wisconsin)
e-mail: AWood52140@aol.comFri 5-Jan-2001
The dog that wouldn't die
Local group helps abused, unwanted pets
By Karl Ebert
of the Northwestern
Trixie's friends call her the dog that wouldn't die.
Some details of the 4-year-old shih tzu's life prior to her arrival in Oshkosh last week are hazy, but this much is clear: as a result of neglect by Trixie's former owners in Wausau, the dog is a furry packet of skin and bones and may be permanently blind.
The saga that took Trixie from Wausau to an Oshkosh foster home affiliated with Shih Tzu Rescue, a national network of shih tzu lovers, began like most doggie hard luck stories - with a family that no longer wanted her.
From what Aggie Wood, Shih Tzu Rescues Neenah-based local representative has learned, Trixie's previous owner gave the dog to an employee in October who was going to give her to a niece in Minnesota.
Trixie ran away the same day and was wandering the Wausau area for nearly eight weeks, during which the new owner made no effort to find her. When she was returned her eyes were badly damaged, she was filthy and had lost considerable weight.
Then, because the man who gave Trixie away didn't want his wife to learn what had happened to the dog, Trixie was locked in the employee's basement "because they thought she would die soon," Wood said.
Nine days later, the woman called a Wausau veterinarian to have Trixie euthanized.
The veterinarian instead put her in touch with Shih Tzu Rescue.
"She's got the will to live. That much was proven by the 71/2 weeks," Wood said. "Even with everything she's been through, her tail doesn't stop wagging. She's a spunky little girl."
Last week, an Oshkosh veterinarian had to remove Trixie's left eye, which was on the verge of erupting from a long-standing infection, and temporarily sealed the lid on the other eye to allow it to heal.
"It's just incomprehensible to me that people can do these sorts of things," said Barbara Pressley, the Oshkosh woman who is caring for Trixie and covering her medical bills. "If it (Trixie's eye) had been taken care of when she was returned, or if the dog had been sent to us right away, the eye could have been saved."
Instead, Pressley spent the night of Dec. 27 staying up with Trixie, medicating her eye, feeding and comforting her before emergency surgery the next morning.
Trixie is one of the worst of nearly 70 shih tzu hard luck stories that Wood and local helpers have tried to set right since she started the local rescue effort in 1999.
Last year, the group found new homes for 55 shih tzus and shih tzu mixes, all of which had, in one way or another, come to the end of the line with their former owners.
Some were old and unwanted breeding dogs from Missouri puppy mills, brought north for a new lease on life. Others were simply no longer wanted by their owners.
Dog rescue organizations, often breed specific, have popped up across the country in recent years and work closely with area veterinarians and animal shelters to find foster homes for the dogs and eventually place them in a new, permanent home.
The organizations rely on networks of people with the energy and warm-heartedness of people like Wood and Pressley, to move unwanted dogs to new homes.
The networks include veterinarians, animal shelters, volunteer foster parents and even pilots who deliver dogs to rescue groups and new homes, Wood said.
Wood's involvement began with a new computer and a little free time searching the Internet, where she eventually hooked up with a number of shih tzu chat groups.
She eventually contacted Lois Kolpacki, a Wausau member of Shih Tzu rescue who got her involved in the organization.
Prospective adopters are run through an intensive screening process that includes reference checks and trial visits to make sure the family is compatible with the dog and any special needs it might have.
Dogs placed by the local Shih Tzu Rescue organization generally wind up in Wisconsin homes, but some have wound up as far away as South Carolina.
In Trixie's case, Wood and Pressley hope to find a local home that will allow them to keep tabs on Trixie and her adjustment to her new digs.
"We're hoping to keep her here because we're fussy - we don't just find them a home. We follow up on them," Woods said.
People interested in adopting Trixie or assisting with her medical bills may call wood at (920) 720-3070, or contact her by e-mail at AWood521@aol.com.
KARL EBERT MAY BE REACHED AT (920) 426-6688.
© Copyright 2000 The Northwestern. All Rights Reserved.Trixie and Barbara at her home
January 4, 2001
Photo by Andy White
Rescue in the UKBack to
"Others' Furbabies..."
photo and text by Aggie Wood
"Here is a photo of Trixie taken 6 days after the surgery. Saw her today and
she looks so much better; she spent time in Barb's beauty spa and got her
hair clipped very short; in fact, some came off in a solid mat. She is more
comfortable now."
photo submitted by Cindy Stoll and Denise Davis (shihtzu4u)I posted a reply to Cindy's post (on the shihtzu4u list) mentioning the before picture, that a branch probably poked Trixie's eye, as she wandered in the woods in the dark. Cindy replied back to me stating that they think her eyes were hurt because they "FROZE"!
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Note: Bravo to Aggie & Barb (& the rest of the Wisconsin Shih Tzu Rescue group) and the hospital for saving Trixie, especially since they spent the holidays dealing with her. I'll be following up on this story and post anything more once I get some...following Trixie's further progression. Thanks, Aggie, for your wonderfully detailed submission. Our hearts go out to you.~ Shihtzugirl, Site Publisher of The Shih Tzu Forum ~
January 15 update from Aggie:
"Perhaps you are wondering about Trixie, our badly-neglected rescue girl -- here is her update...Trixie's progress continues to be a roller coaster ride for her and us. Last Monday, she had the stitches removed and the flap taken off her other eye and SHE CAN SEE!! We were all so thrilled about that. Trixie was finally let around Barb's doggies, and she had a ball being a normal Shih Tzu. Tuesday, we took Trixie along on our home visit to her potential parents, Vicky and Pete Bloemer. She felt completely at ease and even took a nap there. Any misgivings on whether this would be the perfect home for her were erased when we arrived into the driveway. To backtrack a bit: the newspaper article was published in the Green Bay newspaper also, on Friday, Jan 5. Vicky Bloemer called me and told me her background and said that she would like to adopt Trixie. She sounded too good to be true; we in rescue get very skeptical when we hear of 'perfect' people. She immediately filled out an application. It was great; called the references and they were equally great. Humm, might this be the home for Trixie?? After that home visit, our search for Trixie's home ended. This was indeed the home for Trixie. On Wednesday, Trixie was the star of our presentation of rescue at the Oshkosh Kennel Club. Barb Pressley is the vice president of that organization, and she had previously asked me to speak about rescue at the November meeting; had to postpone it to January. Trixie was sitting on Barb's lap in the front row and whenever I would mention her name, she would look at me as if to say, 'Yes, that's my name, what do you want??' I almost lost my composure. This was my first venture in public speaking. Friday, Pete and Vicky Bloemer picked Trixie up and took her to her new home. She even slept with them that night. This couple has excellent qualifications. Vicky has shown STs and now is handling various breeds for the show ring. They have 3 STs and a mellow Black Lab. Two of her STs have serious eye problems, so she is aware of Trixie's needs. A better family could not be found. However, the next morning her remaining eye looked bad, so they took her to the eye specialist near them, and she needed immediate surgery to save that eye. She is now home but will not be able to see for a couple more weeks. In the meantime, she is being spoiled and pampered by her new family. Many many thanks to all of you who have sent in donations; however, we still need more due to the recent surgery which was costly as they had to try to reconstruct her eyeball. Let's continue to pray for this spunky girl we have now nicknamed Trixie-Tude and hope she regains her eyesight." January 22 update:
"Trixie craves human contact and attention. Vicky has people come over to puppy-sit her when she needs to go somewhere and does she ever love that. Trixie occasionally goes along; she selected a riding lawn mower for them last Monday, LOL. On Saturday, she went back to the veterinarian and after removing the flap, she could see!! She was acting like a puppy running and playing. However, several hours later, she lost her sight. So, Trixie needed to go back for additional surgery and had a corneal graft performed this time. Dr. Vainisi is optimistic that her eyesight can be restored. That is her third surgery in just a few weeks; hope she doesn't need any more; they are hard on the body. Yesterday, we went over there to visit them, and I held Trixie on my lap covered with a warm baby blanket. She did respond to the word 'Cheerios' and nibbled on a few from my hands. She is such a doll and it was sooo relaxing holding her and petting her. She slept so soundly; she was like a rag doll. She is learning how to navigate and follows voices very well. When she 'looks' at you and gives a low growl, that means she wants to be held. Yes, the nickname Trixie-Tude fits her very well. Trixie continues to lead a roller coaster life; at the moment, the roller coaster is slowly going uphill. Trixie still needs lots of prayers, and donations would be appreciated as the surgeries are far exceeding the donations we have received so far. Aggie"
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"Senioritis struck big time; here is Trixie [after her most recent eye surgery [January 13]. Awww, I'm misty-eyed!]."
Aggie Wood
Adoption Day! Trixie's new "parents" at Barb's house.
photo submitted by Vicky Bloemer (for shihtzu4u-Denise Davis)January 13, 2001 update from new 'parents':
"Hi, I just arrived home from taking Trixie to my eye specialist. The news is not good...however, I first want to tell everyone that Trixie slept in bed with Pete, myself, and our 3 Tzus. She never moved from my side. I do not know if she was scared or just really happy to be in our bed with us. Took her to her eye appointment just to get her established with my specialist. This morning her eye was watering...Barb said that she was quiet the last day or so and the eye looked red. WELL, the fluid coming from the eye was leaking out a hole in the center of her eye. At 11:00 this morning, she was having a corneal graft done to try to close the hole. If we would wait until Tuesday, the next day this veterinarian could do her surgery in Chicago, Illinois; he practices there during the week and near Green Bay, WI, on Saturdays. Tthere would be nothing to do surgery on. So, even though she has a full belly, we needed to try to save her only eye. She will probably have the third eyelid sewn shut for 2 - 3 weeks which means that Trixie will be completely blind again. I am really feeling sorry for this gal...but, Pete and I will do all we can to make her feel comfortable. At least, she had one night of some sight in our house to somewhat familiarize herself with us and our other 'kids'. I will let you know how things progress this afternoon. I promised that Trixie's life would be updated regularly since we have all become involved with her case. I am definitely going to follow-up on neglect and mixed stories on her treatment, care, etc. Monday morning. If I have to, Pete and I will drive to Wausau and camp out at the Police station or maybe the TV station. Trixie weighed at 8.5 pounds. This morning, she jumped up on the chair to sit by Pete. Was he ever happy since she seems to be bonding with me more than with him. Talk to you all soon..."
Vicky & Pete Bloemer
vbloemer@new.rr.comJanuary 14, 2001:
"Trixie's surgery had a slight change of plan. Originally, Dr. Vainisi was going to do a corneal graft to close the hole in her eye. What caused the hole was a bad ulcer. Once the ulcer started to heal, scar tissue started forming a small circle in the center of her eye. When I met Trixie on our home check, I noticed this bulls-eye type mark in the center of her eye. The eye will normally send out blood vessels to the damaged area to promote healing. This is very good. Some of you may have noticed blood vessels across your dogs eyes following an injury. This is wonderful because blood flow is happening and healing the area. Well, with Trixie, the scar tissue formed so thick in this circle on her eye that it prevented blood vessels from penetrating the circle, which therefore, prevented life from going into the center of the circle. The membranes eventually got so thin that they burst, causing fluid to leak from her eye. Pete and I did not notice this until Friday evening. Pete thought that maybe she has a runny nose because you could not see any tearing marks on her face. I noticed it was from her eye, but I thought that maybe it was just because she recently had the third eyelid opened up. Dr. Vainisi tried to graft some cornea material across her eye, but he could not. The fluid had leaked completely out, causing her eye to be like mush. So, he ended up grafting the white of her eye to fill in the hole. His concern now is that she will have retina detachment. Because the eye fluid had leaked out, causing the roundness of the eye to start collapsing; it was also causing the back of the eye before the retina to sink in. He said had we waited another day or 2, she would have lost the eye because he would not have had anything to work with. Around 11:15, her vet. came and gave her a pre-anesthetic shot. She was able to fall asleep in my arms...which allowed me to give her a complete go over. For a rescue / thrown-away dog, her teeth are quite clean. Always a concern with these short-nosed breeds. Yearly cleaning is truly a must. At 12:30, he came and took her from me. At 1:30, we had her back in our arms. She needs to wear an E collar for the next 2 weeks. Trixie slept most of the afternoon in a special pen. She needs one eye drops 3 times a day, antibiotics 2 times a day, and pain medicine 1 time per day. Nighttime came and she did not want to stay in her special pen. Since any bump to her eye can be serious, Pete and I wanted her to sleep in her pen. So, outside we go for our final bathroom trip. Well, from past experience with our Norman, he wore an E collar for 6 weeks this past spring, these short-nosed dogs have a hard time going to the bathroom and eating with the collar on. It is really hard to smell the ground, to find that perfect place to go the bathroom, when the collar extends inches out from the nose. Well, last night with our snow, Trixie looked like she was making snow cones. Off came the collar and she did her job right away. By now, Pete and I are exhausted. Off to bed with Trixie in her pen. That did not last too long. She was whimpering and finally barking telling us that she wanted something...but what. Outside I go, it's now 11:30 PM, thinking she wanted to do her duty again. A little pee to please me and we were back inside. I laid down in bed and put her next to me. She snuggled in as close as she could, with her collar on my face, and off she went to sleep. This morning, she had spent her entire day without the collar. Thank goodness Pete is somewhat of a couch potato... he has been letting her sleep next to him on the chair. We are letting her walk a little, and it is amazing how she follows you around by listening to our voices. She will then follow Pete's voice- put her front legs on the chair or couch as if to say PICK ME UP. So, after all this, Trixie is doing wonderfully. Our other 4 must sense that she is not feeling well for they are being really good at sitting next to her and letting her have the prime lap spot. Now I need to get some housework done...hope you all have a great day.January 18, 2001 update: "Good afternoon, everyone. Did you ever see the movie Mary Poppins? Isn't this phrase from that movie...'A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down...' This is what Pete and I are using to get Trixie to take her pills. I do not like pushing the pills down any dog's throat. My guys love braunschweiger...they don't even taste the pills. Well, Trixie must not be used to eating food from one's hand...unless, she can put it on the ground first. With her E collar on, this is hard. So, a few nights ago, Pete and I were eating pudding with whipped cream. I gave her some of the cream and she loved it. So now twice a day, she gets a spoonful of whipped cream out of the can with her 2 pills in it. She has no clue that she is taking medicine. This morning, she woke me up first which surprised me. She wiggled her way up to my pillow and tried to put her head by my head...of course, the E collar was in the way. Then, she rolled over on her back to have me rub her buddha belly. Trixie looks like a million bucks in her new coat, compliments of my mother-in-law. She does not like the vacuum cleaner. Probably because she can not see where the noise is coming from. So, I carried her today while I vacuumed. Now if I could only get her to vacuum...but, I am a poor teacher as far as house chores go. I have been working on Pete for years and he still does not get the hang of it. I talked with the Office Investigator at the District Attorney's office today. In order for him to do anything, he needs to get a report from the Police. The Police dropped their investigation because she had shelter with food and water. We cannot do anything to Sheila, the one who Trixie was given to, because there are no Wisconsin Statutes that say you must seek medical treatment if an animal is injured. I have been faxed a copy of the Statutes to read to see if I can find a hole in them allowing us to do something. The investigator said that the original owner, Amy Hansen, could sue Sheila for Breach of Agreement because she failed in providing good care to Trixie. I do not know this person nor do I feel she will do anything since Sheila, I believe, is her employee. The investigator told me I could call the Health Department to find out if a report of her bite was actually filed. If it was, then I could possibly go after Sheila, because she did not quarantine Trixie for the requested 10 days. I am putting a call into this Department this afternoon. My next concern is that Sheila owns a Shih Tzu right now. The investigator asked me if that dog is being abused in any way. I told him I did not know since I have never seen this person. He said if we could prove in anyway that her current Shih Tzu is in harm, a report should be filed with the Humane Society. Here is what I was told by Lois, the person who picked Trixie up from the Wausau veterinarian, to bring to Barb and Aggie...10/28- Sheila took Trixie to give to her niece in Minnesota. Trixie somehow gets out of the gate or house but is gone. Sheila calls the Wausau veterinarian to tell them that she is missing. She was wearing a collar with her rabies tag. At this time, she had ownership that the veterinary records changed to her name. She did not want the original owner, Amy Hansen, to know that Trixie was missing. 12/18- Trixie is found 4 miles from Sheila's house. The people who caught her said they saw her in the woods during hunting season. Sheila goes to pick Trixie up and Trixie bites Sheila on the finger. 12/19- Sheila calls the Wausau veterinarian to tell them that she was found yesterday; tells them that Trixie bit her on the finger. The veterinarian tells her to quarantine Trixie for 10 days. The veterinarian asked Sheila to do an exam on Trixie, and Sheila told them she was not going to put any money into the dog. Trixie is put in a basement for her quarantine. 12/20- Sheila reports the bite to the Health Department; hey tell her to quarantine Trixie for 10 days. 12/27- Lois picks up Trixie to put her in Shih Tzu Rescue. This is the first time the Wausau veterinarian saw Trixie. They treated the eyes the best that they could. Lois told them that Trixie would be seen by an eye specialist the next day. The reason she was put into the rescue program, per Lois, is that Sheila wanted the dog put to sleep. So, without seeing Trixie, the veterinarian recommended the rescue program. Now what I do not understand is that on 12/22, the Wausau veterinarian indicates that Trixie is doing much better. No place does it indicate that she was having a problem. I am not sure if there is much we can do. I will continue to try, but things are not looking good. I told the investigator that people across America are upset at her treatment and he said if there is no violation in State laws, nothing can be done. He needs to go by the books. So then I said if someone does not seek treatment for an injured animal that is ok, and he said yes. If you have any suggestions please let me know."
January 24, 2001 update: "Hi, everyone. Trixie is doing great. She is really getting spoiled...but, until she can see she will be the Queen of our house. I am taking her in for her weekly weigh-in tomorrow. She has to be putting on weight for her E [elizabethan] collar that had to go to a larger hook. :-) Yesterday, Trixie went to visit my grandmother while I ran some errands. Today, she was at my mother-in-law's house. Tomorrow, Pete will be home so he will sit with her. Until her eye is completely healed, she will have 24-hour guidance. Pete and I can tell Trixie is feeling better. She is maneuvering through the hallways quite well. She sleeps on a blanket while I shower and then sits close by while I dry my hair. I have tried to get Gloria to sit with her, but since Gloria's nose is out of joint right now, she will not even look at Trixie. Yesterday, we made some progress, for they slept in separate beds next to each other. Trixie is starting to lose the hair on the tips of her ears. I am thinking she had frostbite on them and this is why the hair is falling off. The tips of her ear feather is black. I will show this to my veterinarian tomorrow. Barb and Aggie told me that she had sores on her ear tips...now that the sores are healing the hair is falling out. Trixie is still a picky eater. Dog food is ok IF you put a few dabs of whipped cream on top. Once she is eating without reservation, probably once she can see, I will put her on the same vitamins that my show dogs and house dogs eat.
Trixie's investigation update...I have not heard anything from Trixie's original owner, Amy. I was hoping she would have called me this past weekend. I asked her to send me Trixie's registration papers and so far I have not received them. After my phone call to her last week, I thought she was convinced to press charges against Sheila. According to what I have read, Amy's husband Mark, knew of the situation with Trixie and chose not to tell Amy. Guess I ruined his secret. He may have told Amy not to press charges since he works with Sheila. I just tried her home and there was no answer. Aggie gave me some correspondence that happened prior to the veterinarian in Wausau seeing Trixie. Sheila, the person who Trixie was given to, told Lois, from Shih Tzu Rescue, that she could kick herself for not taking Trixie to a veterinarian. She figured she was going to die when Trixie was returned to her after wandering for 7 1/2 weeks. Her eyes were bad and she was a bag of bones. That is why she kept her in the basement for those 8 days. I have tried unsuccessfully to reach Dr. Diane, the veterinarian in Wausau, who treated Trixie just before Lois picked her up. Today, I was told she only works mornings and is off tomorrow. I have tried calling her everyday this week and last Friday in the later afternoon. Now that I know she works mornings I will call her Friday at 8:00 AM. Now that Trixie is doing better, I will also be calling the Health Department as well. I want to see if a true bite report was filed. If it was, then I want to find out why Sheila was not followed up on after the 10 days. My friend's Chow bit a boy this past fall. The owner had to quarantine the dog for 10 days and take him to the veterinarian 3 times within that 10 day period to have him checked for rabies symptoms. He then had to take a form to the Department following the 10 day quarantine to have the dog released. If Wausau has the same rules, then we can go after Sheila for this violation. If we cannot do anything to Sheila for animal cruelty/neglect, maybe we can at least try to get the Wausau Paper to run the story with her name as the violator. I am sure there is a law out there that will stop this from happening. Will check into it. I am open to suggestions if anyone has any."
January 26, update: "WOW!!! Trixie has really gained weight. She is a whopping 11.2 pounds. Her last weight taken was 1/13 and she weighed 8.7. I am so happy she is putting on the weight. Once she can move around and run she will get some muscle tone back. Her back legs can surely use it. Her knees are popping in and out all the time. Poor breeding has a lot to do with this. I just called Dr. Vainisi because I am able to see her eyeball right under where the third eyelid is sewn up. I am hoping this is nothing to be worried about. Since I am bringing Dr. Vainisi and Dr. Schmidt their Chicken Pot Pie tomorrow, I am hoping to sneak Trixie in for a quick look. I am not sure of what was up with Trixie last night. But she STARTLED Pete and myself by barking in the middle of the night. Upon waking, I thought I heard our guy Norman barking by the back door to go outside. So I sent Pete off to find him. Pete, being sleepy, runs into the bedroom door. I just about busted a gut laughing at him. He could not find Norman...but Norman saw Pete walk past him a few times. He too was probably laughing. There was Norman sitting in Papa's recliner. Pete came back to the bedroom and told me he thought Bubba, our Moluccan Cockatoo was barking. So I checked him and he was sleeping. Maybe I was hearing things. Anyhow, I called Trixie over to me; she has lots of wandering room in our king bed, she snuggled up next to me, and we all went back to sleep. Her life today has consisted of finding the water bowl on her own...2 times she did this. We need to take the E collar off so that she can drink, but she took it upon herself to walk through the living room to the kitchen, where her water dish is. I was very happy to see this.
TRIXIE INVESTIGATION: I talked with Dr. Diane today. This is what she told me...12/19- Sheila called to tell the clinic that Trixie had been found. She also stated that Trixie had bitten her on the finger. Dr. Diane explained the quarantine policy to Sheila. At this time, she asked Sheila to bring Trixie in for an evaluation since she was gone for so long. Sheila told her she was not putting money into the dog. The veterinarian records indicate that on 12/22, Sheila called to tell them that Trixie was doing much better. Since Dr. Diane had never met Sheila before, she did not pressure her to bring Trixie in for an evaluation. Sheila uses a different veterinary clinic for her other dog. On 12/27, Sheila brought Trixie into the clinic for Shih Tzu Rescue to pick her up. She was on her lunch hour. This was the first time Trixie had been to a veterinarian since she ran away. Dr. Diane did a quick exam (temp, heart, etc). Instead of keeping Sheila on her lunch hour, Dr. Diane had Sheila sign papers surrendering Trixie to Shih Tzu Rescue. Sheila then went back to work. It was not until after this, about 45 minutes, that Dr. Diane saw the severity of Trixie's eyes. By this time she said it was too late to do anything regarding Sheila. She spent 45 minutes cleaning the hair away from her eye and started treating the right eye. She basically did not do much to the left eye since she said Trixie could not see out of it, and she knew nothing could be done to save the eye. She spent her time trying to save the other eye. Within a short time after this, Lois picked up Trixie. I asked Dr. Diane, if maybe Trixie should have been PTS for all that she had gone through, especially since her left eye was beyond repair. She felt that Trixie had the will to live, surviving her 10-day in the basement. She thought she would have to sedate Trixie, but her quick exam did not give her enough assurance that Trixie could handle sedation. Trixie did not fuss at all while they were cleaning her eye. The clinic did not charge Sheila for the visit. Lois did pay for the meds and eye drops. I asked her why she did not call the Humane Society to report the abuse. She really did not answer me but said that if Trixie had been brought to the Humane Society, she never would have made it into the rescue program, and I would not have Trixie today. (Not sure if I liked her answer but then I did not want her to get defensive). Dr. Diane did call Sheila to tell her about Trixie and Sheila was defensive. She felt she did nothing wrong to Trixie. Dr. Diane asked me what I wanted from Sheila. MONEY TO START WITH...and maybe education on what to do with an injured animal. I asked her why she should get away with this abuse, and she somewhat defended Sheila. She feels we should not pursue anything, we should not take an ad out, we should not use Sheila's name. Although she did say she would put up Trixie's photo and a card for Shih Tzu rescue. She did ask for some current photos of Trixie. She did seem somewhat genuine when she asked me how Trixie was doing. I am now confused...I do not know what to do...anyone with more ideas..."
January 27, 2001 update: "Hi, I took Trixie to see Dr. Vainisi. He said everything looks great. I was worried because I was seeing some of her eyeball on each corner. Normally you would not see the dark of the eye with her third eyelid pulled up...but because Tzu's have such large eyes, this will happen. Normally, he puts a stitch in the outside corner of the eye to keep it from opening up all the way. He did not do this because he wanted to make sure that her eye drops covered the entire eye. So, since he could see the eyeball a little, he took a quick peek. Her pupil was dilated, WHICH IS GREAT. from what he could see, things were looking great. She also has great pressure on her eye. 2 weeks ago, her eyeball was like mush- a wet noodle. Next Saturday, he will release her third eyelid. We are counting the days...Trixie and I left the veterinary happy as 2 peas in a pod. My grandmother watched Trixie while I ran some errands. Guess she found the front door 2 times while I was gone. Oma, Dutch for grandmother, thinks Trixie was looking for me. She was so happy when I returned that she could not drink much. She just wanted to give me kisses, and she wanted lots of hugs. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SUPPORTING TRIXIE, PETE, and MYSELF. It sure makes her ups and downs easier to handle knowing you have family members out there supporting you. We love you all!!!"
Vicky & Pete Bloemer and 'R' Kids: 'Gloria', 'Ellie', 'Norman', 'Skunk'- & 'Trixie'"
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From my files...
here are other successful Tzu rescues:• "Rescue Ready!" by Jo Ann White, AKC Gazette-November, 1995, pp. 42-7. Considered the largest Tzu rescue in history that occurred in my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. Controversial owner Phyllis Bryant took her own life and left 58 malnourished, rotted Tzus, as well as 2 Cocker Spaniels, 1 Brussels Griffon, and 4 larger dogs to fend for themselves. With Pinal County's cooperation, they were seized from her property by the Shih Tzu Fanciers of Southern California (STFSC) and Kathy Painter's COBRA (Coalition of Breed Rescue Association, Buckeye, Arizona) rescue group (in conjunction with American Shih Tzu Club (ASTC), spearheaded by Phyllis Celmer of Encinitas, California), and placed for adoption. Also on hand to help were Lin Saunders and Debi Knapp. Debi told me she helped make approximately 60 phone calls to check on potential adopters. • Dog World-February, 1999 in Christine Verstraete's "Something to Bark About" column, pp. 68-71. Rescuing a male and female Tzu duo (believing to come from a puppy mill breeding operation) who were packed in a bag and thrown into a Wisconsin river. They were eventually adopted. And, here are, unfortunately, the sad stories:• Pit bull under investigation after attack on smaller dog, owner
Carlos Miller
The Arizona Republic
March 21, 2002 10:20:00
Pinned between two palm trees with his small dog held high above head, Ronald DeGonia was losing strength.
Chance, a 60-pound pit bull, was ripping away at his arms and hands trying to get at Scorpio, a Shih Tzu a fraction of his size.
Seconds later, DeGonia was on the ground trying to protect his pet of nine years.
And he failed.
When Phoenix police arrived, Chance was gnawing on Scorpio's head.
The vicious attack Wednesday evening left DeGonia with stitches and Chance's fate up in the air.
"He's a good dog," said Chance's owner, Chris Schmidt, through tears Thursday night. "He just don't like cats or strange dogs."
"I'm very sorry all this happened. It was an accident."
Chance was placed under quarantine at a Maricopa County Animal Care and Control shelter, where he will remain for at least 10 days. The dog is licensed, neutered and has had its rabies shots.
DeGonia was walking Scorpio in the 3900 block of West Paradise Road about 7 p.m. Wednesday when he noticed Chance barking furiously from behind a screened living room window.
He told police the large, tan pit bull hurled himself against the screen repeatedly, smashing its face on it until it finally gave way.
As Chance shot toward them, DeGonia scooped up Scorpio and ran across the street. But Chance caught them.
As he held Scorpio above his head, Chance kept pouncing on him, biting his arms and hands to get to the small dog. DeGonia tried squeezing between two palm trees, where the ground was slightly higher, but Chance wore him down, knocking him to the ground.
"He jumped up and locked on my elbow, took me to the ground and as soon as he got me to the ground, he took and killed my dog," DeGonia told 12 News.
DeGonia was taken to a hospital and later released with bandaged arms and fingers.
"We'll have to wait to see if anybody files a petition with the court to deem the dog vicious," said Julie Bank, an animal control spokeswoman. "If the victim does not file this within 10 days, then it's up to the judge to determine what the outcome is for this dog."
That could be anything from forced muzzling to euthanasia.
DeGonia has indicated he doesn't want the dog returned to his owners.
"I hope they don't put him down, but you know they're going to," Schmidt said.
According to Bank, Chance was sitting in a kennel Thursday night causing no trouble.
"He is comfortable," she said. "He is eating, drinking and not being a menace."
She said pit bulls are not prone to attack people and other animals despite publicity.
"The chow is the number one biter in Maricopa County," she said. Pit Bulls are fourth.
~~~
• Judge gives death sentence to pit bull that attacked and killed smaller dog
Carlos Miller
The Arizona Republic
April 04, 2002 19:35:00
Chance, a 60-pound pit bull who tore through a screen window to attack a man and kill his Shih-tzu, is too dangerous to live, a Phoenix judge ruled Thursday.
The dog will be put too sleep unless his owner can successfully appeal the ruling by April 22, said Kevin Kane, court staff attorney for the Phoenix municipal court.
"The dog was deemed vicious," Kane said. "He will be destroyed on the 22nd unless the owner can prove there was an error on the judge's part."
Ron DeGonia, owner of the Scorpio, the Shih-tzu killed by Chance, was relieved, but did not consider the ruling a victory.
"I know how Mr. Schmidt (Chance's owner) must feel," he said. "But in my opinion, that dog was a threat to the community. If the situation is not addressed, it could happen again."
Next time, the victim could be a child, he said.
"There is a park and a grade school nine blocks from the Schmidt house," he said.
Several phone calls to the Schmidt residence went unanswered.
The incident occurred March 20 in North Phoenix. DeGonia was walking Scorpio in front of the Schmidt house when Chance began barking furiously. Within seconds, Chance had torn through the screen window and attacked him, biting him several times to get at his dog before finally mauling it to death.
DeGonia said he suffered 16 puncture wounds to his arms and several abrasions to his back and face.
Reach the reporter at carlos.miller@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8208.
[from the fresnobee.com (California) online newspaper]...
Officers pull 118 dogs out of home
Woman faces 100 counts of cruelty in Mariposa County case.
By Matt Leedy
The Fresno Bee
(Published Wednesday, October, 31, 2001 7:09AM)
MARIPOSA -- A Mariposa County woman faces 100 counts of felony animal cruelty after authorities seized 118 small-breed dogs and several cats Tuesday from her rural home.
Winifred Scarbrough, 58, was booked Monday into Mariposa County Jail and her dogs were taken to the Mariposa County Fairground, where they spent the night in sheep corrals padded with hay and wood chips.
Mariposa County sheriff's deputies said they found the dogs, mostly Lhasa apsos and Shih Tzus, living in filth and feces at Scarbrough's home on the 3400 block of Wildcat Road. Several puppies were found dead in Scarbrough's freezer.
A single count of felony animal cruelty carries up to three years in prison.
The dogs are malnourished, and many have lice and hernias, said Jeanette Lozano, manager of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Mariposa County. However, none of the dogs will need to be euthanized.
"They are essentially healthy, albeit filthy and covered in feces," said Dick Rosebrock, a retired veterinarian who helped evaluate the dogs. "Their physical condition is better than what you might expect. They're all adoptable dogs."
Veterinarians examined the dogs Tuesday. Beginning today, they will be taken to SPCA centers in Mariposa County and San Francisco, where they will be immunized and then made available for adoption. A microchip was injected into the back of each animal's neck so they can be tracked.
About half of the dogs are pregnant, and many of the females were unable to nurse their puppies because they were so malnourished.
"The dogs seem healthy but the mothers are in bad shape," Lozano said. "And with half of these dogs pregnant, this could quickly become 400 dogs."
A veterinarian who examined the dogs said many had hernias, which is a sign of inbreeding.
Most of the dogs were calm Tuesday as veterinarians examined them and carried them to their corrals.
Few barks could be heard from the fairground barn.
The puppies, some less than a week old, were placed in blanket-lined tubs with their mothers.
Scarbrough kept almost 50 dogs in her two-story, 2,000-square-foot home, Assistant Sheriff Howard Davies said. The other dogs were found in a barn and separate kennels behind the house.
Deputies are continuing to investigate the case. The SPCA said Scarbrough is not a licensed breeder.
A Mariposa County resident alerted sheriff's deputies to the "puppy farm" at Scarbrough's home. When deputies served a search warrant at the home they were greeted by loud barks and an overpowering odor of feces, Davies said.
"The house was extremely filthy, and the pens were extremely filthy, too. They had not been cleaned for a long time," Davies said. "And when we walked in, it was just like a wall of solid barking."
The reporter can be reached at mleedy@fresnobee.com or 675-6805.
HOW TO HELP
To adopt one of the dogs, call the SPCA in Mariposa County at (209) 966-5275. To donate money for the rescue and care of the dogs, call the Mariposa County Sheriff's Department at (209) 966-3615.
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