Stories of Rescue
Shelby and the Ringworms
No, they are not some new-fangled, hipster band made up of grungy twentysomethings. Shelby is a Labrador/Terrier mixed dog, and the ringworms are what drew Animal Aid for Vermilion Area to the case of six puppies in a neighboring parish’s shelter. The fact that they were set to be euthanized the next day only added to the urgency of the situation. Having had some prior experience with ringworm, one of AAVA’s foster moms pulled the six puppies and started their treatment in the nick of time, only to be told the next day that the mom (Shelby) and another puppy were found and brought to the same shelter. Without hesitation, this woman pulled mother and pup, and they joined the rest of the family for treatment for the ringworms.
The family had
been living in an abandoned part of a trailer park in Henderson,
Louisiana, and as a result, they were somewhat fearful and unsocial. An
animal control officer had found them in rough shape and brought them
to the shelter, but of course, no one owned them, so no one would be
coming to save them. Being unclaimed and sick with ringworm, they were
scheduled for immediate euthanasia in early September 2013. That’s when
AAVA stepped in. Shelby, it would turn out, was negative for ringworm,
but positive for heartworms, something for which she would definitely
receive treatment from AAVA. All of the puppies had ringworm pretty
bad, though, and as such were given oral fungal medication for it. This
particular medication, however, caused them to go into liver failure.
Things looked bleak for the puppies.
Five of the puppies, named Hendrix, Quinn, Chester, Stevie, and Tina managed to pull through with some extra care and concern. Chapstick (so-named by the foster’s daughter) had a secondary infection from the ringworm and a urinary tract infection, so she required extra vigilance, but she ultimately got better. The last of the puppies, who would come to be named Rocki (after Rocky Balboa), had Parvo in addition to her ringworms. It was the worst case of Parvo the foster mom had ever seen (she also had extensive experience with former shelter dogs afflicted with Parvo), but she saw that this girl would not give up. True to her namesake, Rocki never stopped fighting, and she made it through with flying colors. Take that, Drago! Er, I mean Parvo.
Six of the seven puppies have already been adopted, as of early-January 2014, leaving only Shelby and Tina up for adoption. Both are quiet, easy-going girls who would do great in calm homes with less activity, but Tina loves other dogs, so she would also do well in a multi-dog home as long as the other dog was confident. Tina is reserved and somewhat slow to warm up to people at first, but she gets over her shyness after she has some time and love.
