Six danes were pulled from a breeder in the Memphis. They were neglegted and used for breeding only. One full grown female was only 70 lbs.
From Fox17
A half-dozen neglected Great Danes were rescued from starvation Tuesday and one of them is still fighting for her life.
Bella is a 2-year old Great Dane in bad shape. She's 70 lbs. underweight and suffers from heart worms. But she hasn't given up hope.
“I see hopeful eyes.,” said Carolyn York, vice president of Dames for Danes. “I see a fighter. I’m just real hopeful. You know I see a girl that wants to live that wants nothing but companionship and love.”
Bella is one of six neglected and emaciated Great Danes found in Jackson Tuesday. Lexie and Midnight Shadow are already doing much better but Bella still has a long way to go.
"Bella's the worst,” said Dr. Jason Benner, veterinarian at the Village Veterinary Hospital. “She has the lowest body condition score, she's the most emaciated, everyone else at least has more muscle mass and everything too."
Dames for Danes is an animal rescue organization that specializes in helping these gentle giants. York said this is the worst case of neglect she has ever seen.
“This is a sad, sad case,” York said. “There's a chance she may not make it.”
There are thousands of similar cases of neglected and abused animals all over Middle Tennessee every year.
But just because an animal is expected to recover doesn't mean its guaranteed a good home. Which is why organizations like the Nashville Humane Association are hard at work.
”We've handled hoarding situations, puppy mill situations, neglect and cruelty that have been released by owners,” said Mary Pat Boatfield, executive director of the humane association.
Boatfield said even though everyone loves puppies, older and abused dogs like Bella also make great companions.
“If you just really want to rescue and help an animal that needs special training, special care, special attention, the older dogs work very well,” Boatfield said.
Dames for Danes is hoping to find all six rescued Great Danes a new home. York says Bella may be hurt but she's not broken.
“Most animals are known for their unconditional love,” York said. You know, you see dogs that come in from abuse cases all the time and they still love their human. They may have been starved to death but they just want human companionship. They just want somebody to love them.”
I saw this and my heart broke. I wanted to help, but am 7 hours away, what can I do?
I know!
For the month of February, I am donating 20% of all sales to the Dames to help with the costs of fostering and caring for these gentle giants.
Spread the word and the love. How cool is it to know, that when you are buying jewelry for yourself, you are also giving to these neglected animals, and giving them hope.
How can you not love a dane!?!? My Rosie girl
Yes, she plays with firewood......
It's a twig to her...cute! Very generous and carring way to help! (Hope the owners are punished!)
ReplyDeleteI love Great Danes. My uncle used to have them and they truly are "gentle giants". My heart and hopes go out to Bella and the others for a full recovery and a new happy home.
ReplyDeleteTish, what a wonderful hear you have! I wish there was people like you in my country... pets are totally neglected here, so neglected that it breaks your heart to see the cases of those who survive on the streets (many of them die on the highway)...
ReplyDeleteWe don't count with help from the government or the private sector, just with people like you and me, that put some money out of our pockets to help these furry friends... The few associations that work here protecting animals are overcrowded with pets waiting to be adopted, and since they rarely get adopted, they are unable to take in more pets, unless they are emergencies that need to be cared for...
A few months ago, a female stray (I don't know if the term is right for a female, excuse me for that) arrived at the company where I work at after Blacky -another female stray, the alpha bitch- left with the previous security company guards... she started to live in the parking lot, and as the days passed by, she started looking for human companionship, winning our hearts... she is very docile, she'll even move her tail when you call her - the current security guards named her "Muñeca" (that's Spanish for Doll), as even if she isn't (physically) the cutest dog on earth (she was very skinny, she has scars, her boobies hang sadly, one of her ears fell -look like she was hit very hard in it-, and because one of her eyes has "natural kohl eyeliner", she looks kinda funny because it makes her other eye look smaller and has a very sad look), she is is the sweetest and most lovable dog there is, imho, she is the very best definition of what a dog (or any animal is), a innocent being than despite her past, gives all of us, her unconditional love.
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ReplyDeleteWe have been caring for her, buying her foot, giving her vitamins... but this past Monday we arrived to the office to learn that something happened to our Muñeca, she was bleeding from her rear end and it looked like she had just given birth... there were blood spatters on the sidewalks... it was horrible... my heart stopped and I just wanted to cry because we couldn't find her... It turned out she was so weak she could barely walk, but as soon as she heard us calling her repeatedly (and very worried too), she woke up and came to us, wiggling her tail, greeting us like she does every morning...
It turned out to be a TVT, the peT-iatrician let us know we took her just one time and prescribed her some antibiotics and some special baths to prevent any infections down there while she gets better to start receiving a chemotherapy treatment. We really don't know her past, but we dared taking her with us in the car and she just lied there, she got off the car with a leash and she didn't run, she didn't complained when the vet checked her, and she is so noble, that she let us wash her genitals without the use of a muzzle or a leash...
She is doing kind of better, but living in a parking lot is not the best place for her, she deserves to be loved everyday, not only during working hours... right now we are having a fundraiser within the company to cover the cost of the chemo and other treatments she needs, but not everybody wants to help, they even laugh at us when they see us caring for her, but we don't care, because her grateful eyes and her excitement when she sees us is all we need.
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ReplyDeleteMuñeca is 2 years old with the sad eyes of a dog whom has lived her entire life on the street, and even with her crooked uneven ears, her scars and her dirty coat (we are waiting to get her better down there to wash her thoroughly) she is the cutest and sweetest dog there is <3
If you could only see her honey colored eyes looking at you when we call her in the mornings... I'm positive she knows we come out of the office just looking for her.
*sigh* Sometimes I wish I lived in a house :( it makes me think I could make a difference in this country, fostering dogs who have lost their hope on humans, giving them all the love they deserve, or cases like Muñeca, that even though her sadness, she still comes when we call her. That is definitely unconditional love.
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