In the Beginning...
A dog was found scraggly and on the brink of death in western Washington in September 2007. It is believed that someone abandoned him out there in the woods but his original owners have never been found so we may never know his story. We do know that he suffered from severe demodectic mange which left him with very little hair, and scabs all over his body. He was also very underweight at about 70 pounds. His ears were filled with mites and he had a noticeable limp on his rear left leg. The woman who found the dog took him immediately to a vet in Aberdeen who began to treat the mange. The veterinarian said that without immediate treatment the dog would not have survived more than a couple days...
Saved But Now What?
The dog, now called Flash, had been saved in Aberdeen, Washington but he now had only a temporary home. Facing major medical needs and looking pretty ragged, who would be willing to take this dog in forever? An ad was placed on Craigslist pleading for a foster home or a permanent home for this special needs dog. A foster home was found a few towns away and Flash shuffled back and forth between the two while the search continued for a forever home. His second Mom called him Moose because of his size. Flash/Moose began a serious regiment of pills and medications to treat his skin problems.
Wanted: A New Home
I saw the ad on Craigslist. I read the story of Flash/Moose and was shocked by his condition. But I did not respond to the ad. We had only a month prior adopted a dog from the Humane Society. Bella, our 8 month old Whippet mix puppy was quite a handful in our small one bedroom apartment and I did not believe we were in a position to add another dog, at least not so soon. Also, I was touched by Flash/Moose's story and I knew that I would not be the only one so moved. I was sure that they would be inundated with offers to help the dog.
When I saw the ad placed a second time on Craigslist a week or two later, I was quite surprised. I thought for sure that he would have found a home. I felt like I had no choice but to write and ask about him. My heart broke at the pictures of him. What an awful sight. Who could do that to a dog? I felt that maybe I had stumbled across the ad for him a second time for a reason. Maybe I could help. Flash/Moose's mom's 1 and 2 wrote me back immediately. It seemed that they had received a lot of emails about him. Many people sending good luck and thanking them for rescuing him, some even offering their homes. They had taken him to meet potential homes but for one reason or another, none had worked out. The dog had serious physical needs and for many it was just too much...
I agreed to bring Bella, our puppy, to meet Flash/Moose and see how they got a long, how Flash/Moose and I got along, and maybe try a sleepover to see how he did at our home. Looking back, in my heart I just knew he would be coming home with us for good. I just knew...
Flash/Moose came up to Lakewood with mom#2 and met us at our local dog park. When he jumped out of the truck, it broke my heart to see him. His skin was raw and hairless. What little hair he had was patchy and dull. But it didn't seem to affect his attitude! His tail was wagging and he just wanted to sniff and explore the park. Bella promptly ignored him and he ignored her. In fact, he pretty much ignored me too! He just wanted to run around the park! We stayed at the park for awhile watching him and talking and then decided to bring him back to my apartment and see how he did there. He's been with us ever since!
Home Sweet Home.
The next few months with Flash/Moose were a whirlwind! He became a beloved member of our family immediately. He was renamed Sebastian. He went right to the veterinarian to be neutered. He continued his medicine regiment for the mange. He was switched to an all-natural/holistic food from our favorite pet supply store: Mud Bay. Sebastian began putting on the weight he so desperately needed. His skin became less inflamed little by little until the hair actually started to grow back! I still remember the excitement of noticing his first tuft of chest hair! Sebastian ran in the woods of the Cascades on hiking trips, he ran for hours at the dog park, he chased ducks at the local pond... He did all the things a happy, loved dog should do. He took his rightful place sleeping on the bed. He laid on the couch. He drooled. He and Bella wrestled and chased each other and fought over toys. He kicked his favorite toy, a soccer ball, around the house.
Sebastian bonded with Bella quickly, but mostly Sebastian bonded with me. He showed me immediately that he was just a gentle giant who wanted nothing more than to be with his people. He follows me from room to room. He curls up next to me. He grooms me. He is possessive of me! He's been a wonderful addition to the family and I love him dearly.
A Special Dog With Special Needs.
Medically, Sebastian has come a long way. He weighs over 100 pounds now and could still stand to gain a couple more. His mange has taken forever to get under control, though whether completely gone or not is still under debate. He was neutered and had a blood panel done (which came back completely normal). He took a lot of medicine everyday however. Six pills every day of antibiotics, a very strong liquid medicine every night to control the mites, glucosamine and chondroiton added to every meal for his joints, various oils added to food for skin and hair, etc. He also requires bi-monthly trips to the vet. Sebastian has not been a cheap dog! But seeing how he has continued to heal is very rewarding. We've had our ups and downs with the mange. The doctors say he may battle it for the rest of his life, but we're prepared to help him fight that battle... he deserves a chance at a normal life.
He finally began to look like a real dog again and now people comment all the time about how handsome he is! A far cry from what people said when he was first found! Perhaps most incredible is that as he has healed, we have discovered that he is not as old as first predicted! When he was found, several veterinarian's estimated his age between 5 and 6 years old. As his skin and hair looked better, his weight went up, and his teeth got clean, our veterinarian said he was in actuality no more than 2 years old! Isn't it incredible how the symptoms of disease can age a dog?!
A New Challenge
Over Christmas, Sebastian's knee went out. It was the same leg he limped on when he was found, but since the limp had gotten less noticeable it had been somewhat forgotten. Sebastian attempted to climb onto the couch like normal, but his legs collapsed under him and he fell to the floor whimpering. He struggled to stand up but his leg would not bare any weight. We calmed him down and after a few minutes he gingerly touched his leg to the floor and attempted to walk again, but he could not use the leg at all. He began to hobble around the house on his three good legs. We gave him some baby aspirin to help with the pain and made an appointment with the veterinarian.
His trip to the vet confirmed the worse. Sebastian had torn the cruciate ligament in his hind left leg. It's the canine equivalent to a human tearing their ACL. Essentially, Sebastian's joints and ligaments around his knee do not move properly when he walks on the leg. Because of Sebastian's large size, surgery became the only option. The procedure, called a TPLO, is extremely successful but also extremely expensive. Our veterinarian gave Sebastian a prescription for rymadil to help with the pain and we began the process of getting all the pre-surgery appointments made. I panicked as I left the veterinarian's office with an estimate of up to $3000 ringing in my ears. We had spent nearly that much already on Sebastian's medical needs and now we needed to come up with that as soon as possible!
The Race is On!
I went home and began to brainstorm.I went through our closets and pulled out things to sell on Ebay. I pulled books off the shelves that were no longer read to sell on Amazon. I went over my budget. I decided to try a fundraiser online. I thought (and hoped) that if I had been so moved by Sebastian's story then certainly others would be too and maybe with enough donations we would have enough to cover the surgery. I made a website for Sebastian through Fundable: Sebastian's Campaign Website. I began emailing every person we knew and forwarding the website through ever animal loving internet channel we could think of. The reponse was instantaneous. I was inundated with emails from people sending their encouragement and support in our endevours. People around the country wrote and sent donations through Sebastian's website and directly to the veterinarian.
I applied for some animal care grants but unfortunately Sebastian was turned down because his injuries were not life threatening. I applied for CareCredit but I was denied (damn you old college credit card bills!). But I sold a lot online, I saved money, and we continued to campaign for Sebastian. As our one month fundraising campaign drew to a close, we managed to raise $1000 in donations for Sebastian's surgery.
And Now?
We have faced many battles in working towards our ultimate goal- surgery for Sebastian. We're at a standstill for surgery until the mange can be better resolved. The mange is now our focus. In the meantime, Sebastian has torn the cruciate ligament in his other knee, meaning he'll now need surgery in both back legs, raising the financial stakes even higher... But we're just as hopeful as ever! Sebastian has come a long way and I'm not going to give up on him!
I still receive emails from people encouraging us and I am grateful for each and every one. Sebastian is a very lucky dog who has been given a second chance at life. He has many guardian angels around the country who are hoping for the best for him. I am hoping for the best for him too and doing my best to love him, spoil him, and give him a wonderful home.