Rescuing Special Needs Dogs

This has been a difficult piece to post. I wrote the following article for Bay Woof (www.baywoof.com). An edited version will appear in the June '08 edition. This is dedicated to Wee Wee Lily Bear, one truly special little girl.

RESCUING DOGS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

That January morning started like most others… get up, let the Kids outside, feed them and dispense meds. The morning email held a surprise that changed my life though. A Bakersfield woman wrote about a Boston Terrier puppy with serious problems. She wondered whether Wonder Dog could take the pup. Without hesitation I said, “YES!” and before I knew it, 8 week old Wee Wee Lily (aka Lily) was on her way to the Bay Area.

Sherry Franklin, founder of Muttville, explained her reasons for caring so deeply about special needs and senior dogs: I think all dogs need love and to be considered a member of the family. That said, special needs dogs just need that extra bit of something, be it care, love, or looking after. For many of us, that is the most rewarding part of rescuing and having a dog. He may be blind or she may be hard of hearing, or they may not have had all the love in their earlier life and need to learn how to be ok getting and giving it! But when they do learn that you are there for them, they are truly devoted... it is so wonderful.

Lily was more fortunate than most special needs dogs. Sadly, many owners and breeders, upon learning that their dog has a congenital disorder or is in poor health, will take the dog right to the animal shelter… sometimes leaving him or her in a night-drop box. Some of these dogs have been cherished family members while others come from puppy mills, back yards and horribly abusive situations. Special needs dogs may suffer from problems other than poor health. Some dogs are emotionally scarred, terrified of life. It often takes so little to help them learn to trust and to blossom into loving, grateful creatures.

I used to find that dogs with severe ailments, such as cancer, heart disease or Cushings, were nearly impossible to place. Today, however, more and more people are opening their homes and hearts to these dogs. I am so grateful to the people who write saying that they want to rescue a dog that nobody else would want. Another life is saved, another heart opens. One such girl, Pearl, an 8 year old Lhasa mix, was blind and deaf. I was concerned about taking her in, as I had never encountered these challenges. Amazingly, Pearl was adopted soon thereafter by one very special couple. James O’Ahern and Sally Livesay loved and nurtured her until her passing. Pearl was one lucky girl, and both Sally and James felt blessed to have her. Having one blind dog already, and feeling that it was no different than a seeing dog, they never hesitated to welcome Pearl into their home.

Nowadays, many special needs animals find homes through the dedication and care of rescue groups. Every rescuer I know helps these creatures. In the “old days” most deaf dalmations were destroyed, considered to be aggressive or unsound. This is no longer the case, as breed rescue and others step in to save so many. I’m also amazed at the lengths that rescue groups and individuals will go to save a dog, often driving great distances.

One challenge facing rescue groups is the mounting medical costs associated with special needs dogs. Many people ask me what happens to the dogs who are not adoptable. Many rescue groups do hospice work, providing them a warm spot to live out their lives.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said, "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience." I would say that this sums up my philosophy of life. I cannot change human behavior, but I can work to create awareness and change. To this end Rescue has become my passion and purpose.

Wee Wee Lily’s health problems were very severe, the worst that I’d encountered. She had a collapsed chest, deformed spine and deformed and paralyzed back legs. She suffered from “failure to thrive”, and required assistance with eating, drinking and pottying. Lily never gained weight, and at four months of age, still weighed only 2 ½ pounds. But Lily became MY teacher… I learned so much from her about patience, goodness and the stillness of spirit. She had the most amazing spirit that I’ve ever seen in a little dog. She was pure love. Our vet gently told me that she would not live long. How true this was.

Six weeks after she arrived, Lily was gone. She passed in her sleep, right next to me. I was crushed to lose the dog who felt like my soul mate… who I prayed would defy such poor odds. But she was gone.

I would do it again in a heartbeat. Giving of oneself in honor of the life of a dog has its own amazing rewards. And I know that before too long I’ll be given the chance.



Biographical info:
Linda Beenau has assisted with Boston Terrier Rescue since 1992. As this work expanded she founded Wonder Dog Rescue in 2003. She lives in San Francisco with two senior deaf dogs and Raja, a special needs Frenchie.

Wonder Dog Rescue Mission Statement
Wonder Dog Rescue, created in 2003, was founded to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome dogs at risk of euthanasia because of homelessness or health and behavior issues. Our goal is to expand this work by providing hospice to dogs who are considered unadoptable
because of health issues or old age. We also intend to increase awareness about rescue, animal euthanasia, spay/neuter and issues pertinent to the human/animal bond. Our intention is to increase human awareness of the rights and needs of animals.