ROTT N CHATTER, February 1993, Volume 1 Number 7

 

                    "EVE"--A NEW BEGINNING...?

 

   Christmas Holidays brings thoughts of exchanging gifts and Good Tidings.

It is the Season when the air is filled with the sound of giggling children

and puppies yipping at tiny heels.  All too soon these little bundles of

playful fur grow up to become adult dogs that no longer are found

entertaining to play with and the responsibility of caring and feeding them

become too much of a chore for many.  Ask Maureen Bourgeois of Austin,

Texas, what happens when a puppy outgrows its usefullness and she'll tell

you the following story;

   "Eve was brought to the Animal Shelter on December 24, 1992.  Her owners

had called animal control to come and pick her up, they didn't want her

anymore.  When the Wardens went to get her, she was so weak that she could

not walk ...she had to be carried to the truck."  Eve was weak from

malnutrition and dehydration. Eve was an adult Rottweiler bitch but she

barely weighed  42 pounds.

   "She looked like a skeleton." says Maureen, "I have worked as a volunteer

in animal shelters for quite some time, but I don't think I have ever seen

a dog so emaciated.  The shelter Veterinarian said Eve was near death."

   Eve would have been euthanized on the spot, but plans were to press

cruelty charges against the owners so she would be held for a few days as

evidence.

   Eve's body temperature was a mere 99 degrees. Not only was she infested

with hookworms, whipworms and the dreaded heartworms, but the most

horrendous thing was that her collar was embedded in her neck where she had

grown and the collar had not been adjusted accordingly.

   On the fourth day Eve was still being fed every 4 hours and the sign on

her enclosure read "..walk every 4 hours-but go slowly.."  Maureen sat and

talked to her and even though Eve was extremely weak she managed to wag her

'stump'.  Eve managed to walk on her own for the first time that day.

   Because of Eve's condition she was obviously too weak to undergo the

treatment necessary to rid her of the heartworm.

   When Eve's appetite began to wane Maureen would sit and feed her by hand.

The others at the shelter began to fondly tease Maureen about how she was

spoiling  Eve. Says Maureen, "Eve became sort of, officially mine."

   Due to technicalities the owners could not be prosecuted, it is not my

attention to go into that here.  The veterinarian would have normally

recommended euthanasia for Eve, but because she was "so sweet" and

Maureen's love for Rottweilers, the decision was made to let her live.  The

shelter staff knew that Eve would need a very special home as soon as her

strength permitted her placement.  This became Maureen's number one

priority.

   Space does not permit me to go into the times when Eve would yelp

whenever she was moved or lifted to a standing position so she could walk.

Or when the Director wanted to 'put Eve down'  because of the apparent pain

she was experiencing and the veterinarian began to think she may never have

a quality life ahead. (If you turn to the last page I will tell you what did

happen to Eve.)

   It became apparent to Maureen that Eve needed a Foster Home ASAP.  A home

that could provide her with the much needed personalized care that she so

desperately required for her survival.  One such couple came to see the

Rottweiler, although the wife was willing to temporarily house her, the

husband was so aghast that he'd rather see Eve  destroyed.

   Maureen reluctantly called Pat Kryk also in Austin, Texas as a last

resort because Pat had just lost her 3 year old Rottie to cancer and Maureen

didn't want to "take advantage of her sorrow". "When I told her about Eve,

she went right down to the shelter to see her.  When I arrived at the

shelter Pat (this nice lady) was already there...waiting.  Eve was still

inside so I took her outside to the courtyard since it was a nice sunny day

of about 60 degrees.  Eve seemed to be feeling pretty good so I let Pat

"walk" her to give her an opportunity to potty while I went to prepare her

food.  When I came back, Pat was sitting on the ground and Eve was in her

lap giving her lots of Rottie kisses.  (Eve kisses me but nothing like she

was kissing Pat...!)  It's like She knew this lady was here to take her

home.  Pat couldn't believe that someone would do this a dog as she was

remembering her "Lady" that she had just recently put down.  Tears welled up

in Pat's eyes as she agreed to take Eve home and rehabilitate her."

   Eve's story did not end there.

   Pat called to tell Maureen that she would no longer be able to  provide a

foster home for Eve. The bond between the two had begun to develop to the

point that Pat felt she would not want to part with her when the time came.

The only practical solution was for her to permanently adopt Eve.

   Recently Pat brought Eve to visit the shelter and as you can see from the

photo she is not that same Rottweiler that lay dying last Christmas "Eve"!!

 

                                              jan