Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Maggie


I'm walking Stella and Rocky one morning on the CNE grounds near Toronto Animal Services South when a car stops in front of me and Emily sticks her head out the window and yells, "Hello," which was unexpected and I say, "Hey," back and ask her what's up and she tells me she's found a dog and I'm like, "Huh?" and she says she's found a sick dog and is bringing it into TAS right now. Em had found the dog the night before at Trinity Bellwoods park, barely standing, and with no owner in sight so Em took the dog into her car and took her home to give her some water and food and comfort and see what would happen but what happened was that by next morning the dog had gotten worse and was leaving trails of pus from her vulva. Em figured the dog had pyometra because she recognized the symptoms - and the smell - because her last dog, Abby, the Rottie she took home from TAS, ended up getting it and had to get surgery for it.

Emily brings the dog into TAS and it looks like it might be dying too so one of the officers immediately drives it over to the vet clinic where she is left behind for an emergency spay which I guess is the treatment of choice for this kind of thing but emergency spays are not always successful for a dog, as Emily can tell you, and later that afternoon TAS gets a call from the vet asking permission to euthanize and in a situation like this, what can anyone do but say yes?

That's why it's a surprise the next morning when the vet clinic calls up and asks when TAS would like to take the dog back as it's up and eating and looking not too shabby for just having come back from the brink. The dog ends up staying at the clinic for a couple of more days(?), just to be safe, and then is brought back to the shelter where one of the animal control officers takes her home to name her Maggie and nurse her back to health.

Now, weeks later, Maggie is good and she is well except for a suture by her shoulder where a cyst had to be recently removed and she is an exceptionally sweet thing and will be up for adoption soon unless the ACO has other plans for her.


Thanks Emily. Thanks Kathleen.

For adoption information on these and other dogs (and cats and other animals), please visit Toronto Animal Services.

18 comments:

Amy said...

What a sweet face! Maggie is a very lucky girl that such a loving person saved her from the streets. I hope she gets adopted by someone who will spoil her rotten!

Anonymous said...

I think someone "upstairs" knows what a kind, and caring soul Emily is and made sure she was the one who found this sweet, yet very sick dog, knowing it would end up in the right hands. Fate is a very interesting thing. Never underestimate Karma and fate. Wow this is truly a heartwarming tale.

Susan

Anonymous said...

Obviously this dog became very sick and was just dumped at the park

I hope I never have to witness someone doing this because I'll surely end up in jail on assault charges

Fred, which animal control officer took maggie?

susan

Anonymous said...

sorry I noticed you thanked kathleen, I guess it was her.

Susan

Lynda said...

Wow, what an awesome story!

Anonymous said...

Amen to the above.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful girl. She deserves the best. Yes, thanks, Emily and Kathleen.

onequarterdal said...

very sweet gal, I hope she gets scooped up by a wonderful family soon!

Ian said...

Already looking forward to the follow up when her new family realizes that she`s meant for them and takes her home.

Anonymous said...

This dog is soooo sweet. Would be really great for some one who just wants to have a good ol' dog around to love.

Marcie said...

Yup, someome knew she was ill & dumped her in the park. How horrible.

Pyometra is scary & deadly, lucky for Maggie Emily has a big heart & took her in. We need more people like Emily in the world.

Anonymous said...

Maggie's adorable. I can't even imagine how scared she must have been that night...alone, probably not knowing where she was & sick on top of that. She must have been so relieved when Emily showed up.
Labs are just the best. When they're young they're sweet but crazy & all over the place...when they get older, they mellow out but that sweet, gentle nature is still there, even more so. I still miss mine every day.

Joanne said...

No surprise there that it would be Emily who found and cared for and got her help....that dog is so lucky it was Emily who came by. Emily would never, ever leave an animal in distress. She has the purest heart I have ever encountered. So, thanks Em.... Abbie didn't die from the pyometra, she survived that very well as Emily got her to the vet immediately when she saw something was not right. Perhaps Abbie's spirit guided Em to Maggie???

Fred said...

Joanne, oh my mistake. I thought it was from surgical complications from the pyometra. It was from another surgery?

Joanne said...

Yeah, that poor dog endured so much. If I am not mistaken, she dies in surgery from heart failure while have a growth of some kind removed. Her heart may have been so weakened from the heartworm treatment. The vets tried for 45 minutes to revive her and, although they were trying to hold it back, they were on the verge of crying even days later. They both loved Abbie also. Poor little thing.

sandy said...

I belive that some dogs are ment to do something in their lives that will make a change in someones life, that no one may even notice, and this beautiful pup may be one of those dogs where her life was spared so that some where some how she is going to change a direction of a person. and then when her purpose is realized, she will cross the bridge
For me it was Oliver, I dunno why we were only allowed to have him for a year, but he must of made a big diffrence somwhere in the year we had him, and fullfilled some purpose or plan and then left us with no warning.

Anonymous said...

Omg! I cant believe Im reading this. I posted a pic of Maggie on a facebook page of a TAS volunteer, in case someone had known Maggie and to let them know she is doing great!!!!! I adopted Maggie in March 2010 and she's a sweet gentle girl, eager to please all day long! She's so doing so well w no health issues and plays and runs like a puppy still! We are outside a lot and she loves to swim and hike and be out and about. I take her everywhere i can w me including subway rides if Im going to a friend's house, etc and she is a hit everywhere she goes! Ive nicknamed her Waggie bc shes always happy and wags that tail all day long. Thx to everyone that helped get her better and thx to everyone that worried about her! Im SO thankful that she bounced back and got better bc I cant imagine my life without her. She brings me so much joy.

Fred said...

Anon, it's always great to get updates from adopters. Very glad to hear Maggie is doing so well. She deserves the best!