East Penn Pyr Rescue

Misha's Story







Misha just after she arrived



Misha came to us on March 10, 2009, a mere 15 days ago. Since there was no record of a Rabies shot we stopped at the Vet on the way home to get one. She also had a heartworm test and a check up. She’s a sweet girl. Young, about two years old from what we were told. Her family had given her to a friend to find her a new home as they lost their home to foreclosure. The friend called us and turned her over to Rescue. The friend was told she went into season on February 2, 2009. At least that is when they noticed the blood.

Now Misha was not kept in a fenced yard, she was tied out. We were told that they watched her when she was out when she was in season. Hmmm. Guess they missed when she got bred, huh? Or maybe they didn’t have their glasses on? Who knows?

Misha weighed in at 70 lbs. at the Vet. She was about 10-15 lbs. underweight. The day after she came to Rescue we noticed she was full of worms so I wormed her. Now we had to get some good food in her and help her gain weight. We weren’t really to keen on spaying her right away at that weight. It would be much harder for her to process the anesthesia out of her system.

Well, she did gain some weight. Her backbone was still protruding pretty bad and didn’t feel like much was over her ribs yet though. So, over the last few days I’ve been checking her belly. It seemed all the weight was going to the belly area. Her belly seemed pretty taught. Oh-Oh! It looked as if she may very well be pregnant. Oh crap! If I let her have that litter that would put us over the 25 dogs we are allowed to have in Rescue during a calendar year without getting a state kennel license. (new dog law you know, includes Rescues using a foster home network) So, I did the math and called the Vet to make a spay appointment. Back in 2006 Alli came in pregnant and we ended up letting her have those pups as I did not want to do a late abortion as the pups were almost ready to be born. But back in 2006 the dog law was different. Misha should have been 2 weeks from delivery according to the time line of when she went into season. Pups would still be small and it would not be too hard on her. And besides, I wasn’t SURE she was pregnant. The belly wasn’t sticking out at the sides or anything. Anyway, I called the Vet last night and Lo and Behold, they had cancellations for today and I was able to get her right in for spay surgery. That almost never happens with my Vet so I jumped at it. I told them she might be pregnant and to abort the pups. There’s no way I would be able to have another litter here, we could not do it as a Rescue and there was no time to look at options. Thinking back, (hindsight is 20/20 you know) I probably should have had her x-rayed. But donations are down due to the economy and we have to be really careful with the money we have.

Evidently, Misha was ready to deliver. It could have happened as early as this evening. That would mean she was actually bred as early as January 19th. Had we known she was in season early in January, had we known there was a real possibility for her to be pregnant, had we known she was so far along when she first came to us we would have transferred her to another Rescue and let her have the pups. Heck, had I known she was that far along I never would have spayed her, and would have figured it out later. There were 8 pups. All were euthanized. I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck. It was bound to happen one day; I just did not expect it to hit me so hard.

So, due to irresponsible owners and the new dog law, 8 innocent babies have died. So please, if you do not have an exceptional dog of breeding quality, spay and neuter your pets. There is financial help out there if you need it; you just have to look for it. It’s healthier for your pet and helps put a stop to pet overpopulation. There are FOUR MILLION dogs EUTHANIZED in Shelters every year due to space and no homes for them. Some Shelter’s methods of euthanasia are not very humane either. And while we are at it, maybe we can get the new dog law in PA as it pertains to Rescues that use foster home networks changed as well. With the economy being what it is and many people losing their homes, what do you think happens to their pets? Rescue has their hands tied by the new law in PA.

It's days like these that make doing Rescue really, really tough. I'm just not cut out to play God. My heart goes out to those Shelter people that have to do this time after time.

Misha has been adopted!

Barbara Bowes
2575 Blakeslee Blvd. Dr. W.
Lehighton, PA 18235

570-386-3017
greatpyr@enter.net


East Penn Pyr Rescue, Inc.
Home Page