Small update on Phoenix

Phoenix, the Chow found east of Oshawa last week, is only four years old. He's staying at a vet clinic and after several days of intensive care, his condition hasn't improved much. He can still only take a few steps before whatever pain he is experiencing grinds him to a halt. He's been bathed to hopefully help soothe his ravaged skin. He's being fed soft food to ease the difficulties of eating with a cancer diseased tongue. His nails are slowly being trimmed back so they no longer stab the pads of his feet. His matted coat, what remains of it, is being slowly cut back. And his nose - I can't even guess what happened to his nose. And that's of course, just what's on the surface. Tests should be coming back early next week which will tell us more about his chances for survival.

Phoenix is four years old and I'm guessing it's been four years of hell. A dog doesn't get into this condition overnight. What type of person would allow a dog to get to this point and not do anything about it other than dump it on the street? Can you imagine keeping an animal in this condition in your backyard or your home? The person would see it day after day, dirty, sick, possibly dying and do nothing. It's staring the person in the face with its sloughed off nose and its bloody, oozing skin and the person does nothing except maybe have another beer and turn on the TV. It can barely walk even a few steps because of how ingrown its nails have become and the person does nothing except think about where to dump the dog. Day after day, week after week, month after month, this dog lives in this horror, in this person's presence. Can you imagine the type of person who could do this?

The Humane Society of Durham Region, a small, wholly run by donations shelter, which late last year suffered a devastating fire, is doing everything they can for Phoenix. Let's hope their good intentions can undo the bad.

More here.