Rufus, The Dog Who Asked For Help
Dogs instinctively know a good person when they see one
Another day in the office, a call came through regarding a stray dog struggling with a poorly leg. The ambulance set off right away ready & prepared for the usual battle of wills to catch an injured, frightened dog in pain. But, today was different.
They caught a glimpse from a distance of a black & tan wiry faced little terrier mix & approached slowly, expecting him to bolt if he could but he didn’t. He had an injury to one front leg & while this would have slowed him down it wouldn’t have stopped him heading off in the opposite direction. To the ambulance crews surprise the little dog stood up, stayed rooted to the spot & started barking for them. A welcoming bark, not a “danger, stranger approaching” bark or a “stay away from me “ bark. It was a “please help me bark”
Tail wagging, slip lead on, the little guy was soon speeding off to the clinic where vet Hakan was waiting for him.
Hakan & his team began a battery of diagnostics to determine the exact state of the little terrier’s health.
The first observation was his weight. Often folks think that a dog who looks terribly skinny is suffering from malnourishment & many times this is true. But weight loss can often be caused by disease spread by ticks & this was the case with our terrier friend. He tested positive for heartworm. anaplasmosis & ehrlichiosis, he had an infection & was anaemic too.
An x-ray on the poorly leg he was holding up showed an old broken bone which had not been treated, leaving the bone fused in an abnormal manner & causing pain when he attempted to walk on the leg. He also had an elbow injury
The initial course of action was to bring the infection to a halt & get rid of the tick borne disease, treatment began right away & we are very happy to say that our little guy has gained 2 kilos already!
Once he is back to 100% full health we can take a look at that bothersome fused break in his leg which has atrophied muscle due to lack of use. At this stage we do not know if we will be able to get the limb back to a fully functioning state but we will certainly try our best & in the meantime a range of medication will keep any discomfort at bay.
We believe that every dog should have a name & a possession. They are seen as “things” by most in their country. Pests that need to be got rid of. When a dog comes under our care or protection we give them the status they deserve. That title & the act of owning something is pivotal in the moment when a poor stray becomes someone & not something. You helped us by naming him Rufus & we are so grateful to you.
Rufus has a good chance at life now that he is off those terrible streets. While no dog is safe in Turkey right now his chances of finding a loving home are so much higher because he is one of us now.
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Thank you for stopping by & learning some more about Rufus. We appreciate your interest & support so very much
Lots of love to you
Michelle