Greyndol's Plight

One day while I was working for my Veterinarian, the receptionist left the office for a few minutes and I was left to answer the phone. A call came in from a lady who had seen a dog "on her way to work" that was hanging around a gas station just outside of town. The lady said that the dog had been there for several weeks and he was starving, and in really bad shape. Her work schedule would not permit her to bring the dog in, because she was at work before we opened, and got off work after we had closed. She was calling to ask if someone there could pick up the dog for her, and be checked out to see if he could be saved.

Being the softy that I am, I agreed to go and get the dog, and I ask for permission to leave work to pick up this dog. I went home and loaded up my largest wire crate, and went to the location of the gas station. I ask the owners about the dog and they said that had already had him taken away twice, but he found his way back. He was in such bad shape he had been scaring away the customers. I ask if they knew where he was now, and they said he was just here, begging for food, that I should wait a bit and he would usually come back. I waited and waited. No dog. So I began to look around to see if I could find him somewhere. I ask at several houses, and no one knew where he was, or much cared either.

Finally, I decided to walk down a gravel drive behind the gas station. It led down to an abandoned 2 car garage with no doors. I walked in and shaded my eyes from the glare of the late spring sun. In the back of the building there was a dark form laying on a rumpled, tattered, discarded quilt. There were dead rats covering the floor of the building. I called to the dog, and suprisingly without hesitation, he came to me. He was a horrible mess. He was mangy, had no hair and was very thin, but not as thin as I had first expected. I put a leash on him and tried to lead him back up the gravel road to the gas station. No way, huh-uh. He wasn't about to walk on a leash. I had brought some help with me...not knowing exactically what I would run into, and I called to him to bring my truck down here so I could load the dog in. I lifted him gently into the truck and we set off back to the Animal Clinic.

When we got back the doctors looked at him and the prognosis was not good. He had mange so bad, he was very sick. I ask them what they would recomend the woman do, and they said they would recomend euthanasia. I was horrified. Here I had gone and rescued this dog, only to have him killed. That was not to my liking at all. I got the womans phone number and talked and cried to her for about an hour. I ask her to please let me take the dog and try to get him well. If it didn't work or he didn't recover, I could put him to sleep knowing that I had tried at least. I had to give him a chance. She conscented, and the next day they ran some more tests. No heartworms, no ear mites, and no intestional parasites. Not so much as a tapeworm. After that I decided to take him home. This is what he looked like when I got him home: (click on a picture to enlarge)

He was missing most of the hair on his body. His neck looked like elephant skin.

He had a sore under one eye where someone hit him with a rock. He still carries the scar.

His back was covered with sores and scales.

His fur was patchy all over his body, and he was very thin.

The treatment the Vet recomended was Ivomec cattle wormer. He had to take it oraly each day, for the next two months. "He'll either die with it, or die from it," the vet said. It was the only choice. The Ivomec in conjunction with plenty of vitimins and a good diet set him on his way. During that two month period, he took enough Ivomec to worm two 2000lb bulls. He was so ugly when we got him that we named him Greyndol. In two months he was feeling better, he was stronger and his hair had begun to grow back. He finally got to go to his first obedience class, where he graduated first in his class. After he got well he was neutered and got all his shots. It was clear now that he was a Chow/Shephard mix.

Greyndol stayed with us for just over nine months. During that time he learned to pull a cart and even a sled. He loved to cart, he LIVED to cart. He was happiest when he was working. He wore a costume at Halloween (a horse), and was even a Reindeer in the local Christmas parade. We also participated in a Walk-a-Thon for the local shelter, he pulled the cart, and one of my Scotties rode inside. He was very loving and very smart. He would make the perfect family dog, but no one wanted him, because he was part Chow...no matter how sweet he was. So we waited.

One day, while on my way to the hardware store, I decided to take Greyndol for a ride. Greyndol never got to ride in the car, unless he was going to the Vet or somewhere, not usually just for fun. By this time we had him for nine months, his coat was long and shiny. He had more coat than we ever believed that he would carry, and he had the most playful and loving personality you could ever ask for. Inside the store I ran into the wife of one a man that I knew used to teach at the local High School, he also went to Church with my mother. I was in the habit of asking everyone that I knew if "they needed a dog", and this one time they said yes. They lived in the country and had always had "outdoor" dogs, and their two dogs had just recently passed away. They were ready for an Indoor dog, who could really be a FAMILY pet. We went out to the car and she fell in love with him. LET THE SCREENING BEGIN! There were four of them, the husband and wife, and two children one teen boy and one pre-teen girl. They had a couple of initial visits at my house and Greyndol seemed to have found his nitch. Then they had a weekend visit at their house, to see how he would fit in and to see if his exercise level match that of their kids.

Finally he was to have his last "weekend" trip, and then the following weekend he would go to live with them permentaly. I did this for several reasons, but mostly because of the mange that he had, if he was subjected to an undue amount of stress, it could come back, conceivably worse than before, and I didn't want his new family having to spend tons of money to get it under control again. Well needless to say...he never came back. The family was so attached to him by now, that they couldn't bear to part with him for another week. He was ajusting very well, and they couldn't stand to be without him. I conscented *crying children always get'cha right "here"*

Now every time I see them, they have MORE good things to say about this dog. Greyndol this and Greyndol that, Greyndol, Greyndol, Greyndol. It makes you want to cry, to see a dog that was essentially someone's trash, and now he is a loved and valued memeber of the family. Miracles happen every day!!!! I was part of one.

We still see Greyndol from time to time. Sometimes we keep him while they go out of town, and sometimes they bring him by for a bath. He is healthy, happy and SPOILED. We have also borrowed him for the Christmas parade to pull the cart! This dog will live in my heart forever as one very special rescue boy.