Current RAD dogs: Honey & Rey
Let us tell you about our most recent rescue missions. Honey and Rey have captured the heart of many on our Instagram page and we, ourselves, are head-over-heels as well at RAD.
While their photos and videos are heartwarming, their stories are anything but! In reality, both girls had rough starts, unnecessarily, and if we (or any other rescue) hadn’t stepped in, it’s safe to say, their futures wouldn’t be very promising.
H O N E Y
In November, we were called to an emergency situation to rescue a dog who had clearly been neglected and abused. Honey, previously known as Fauve, was brought to Inspecteur Canin by her owners who admitted that she had been in this state for at least 6 months due to potential allergies - they had tried changing her food several times but, with no results, they couldn't deal with her anymore and they decided to give her up. That is all the information we have about Honey’s previous owners.
Inspecteur Canin was unable to care for her in such a severe condition so they reached out to SOS Bull Terrier Canada who reached out to Velvet Hearts who, in turn, involved RAD. It takes a village!
Together, we collaborated to save this sweet girl from being euthanized in the morning. Honey was clearly neglected, as was evident by the severe skin condition she had: she practically had no fur whatsoever and was prescribed medical baths to soothe her skin. If the owners neglected to take care for her to the point of developing such a severe skin condition, this, friends, is abuse. Infections had taken over her little body and she could hardly walk. While the word abuse is usually associated with beating or injuring an animal, not giving them proper care is also a clear case of abuse. These animals depend on us to care for them and it is our responsibility to do so.
Sadly, this is not the 1st or last time something like this will happen. Honey was one of the lucky dogs to be saved but there are so many more who don’t get a second chance. We need to change how the law works. You cannot neglect a living creature to the point of this suffering without any repercussions for your actions (or lack thereof). Needless to say, we are taking the necessary steps to make sure this case of abuse is taken to court.
Back to Honey. Thanks to the newly established emergency foster program we were able to place Honey with an emergency foster family who has a farm in Hudson. There, Honey is surrounded by other animals like horses and chickens, and she has plenty of room to run to her heart's content! Truthfully, this place is amazing. A few of our volunteers have already been there several times to go hang out with the horses and chickens with the not so subtle intention of moving in!
After just a few days, Honey’s personality started to show more and more. A little love and compassion goes a long way in making a big difference. She has regular vet appointments to monitor her progress; her skin condition is slowly improving, her fur is coming back in as well, and she no longer needs tear drops applied for the rest of her life as she can now produce her own tears! She also grew healthy and strong enough to be spayed recently. She also ventured out to the city and came to our RAD Santa Photo Shoot to meet the big guy himself! She was full of energy! We can’t thank her fosters enough for taking her in and showing her a life she truly deserves and, let’s be honest, who can resist her when she’s wearing her onesies?!
See Honey’s Highlight on IG: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17907702145544766/
B A B Y S H A R K R E Y
What many don’t know about the rescue world as a non-profit is that all our funding comes from the generous donations made by you. That’s it. We take that money and put it towards everything from pricey vet bills to food, toys, supplies, and more.
When RAD was called about a sweet 8-week old bully mix, our bank account was bleeding. We were already passing on a lot of rescues that needed our help simply because we couldn’t afford it. But when sweet baby Rey’s call came in, we just couldn’t let it go.
A fellow anonymous hero first gave us a call about Rey. She had picked her up from a very irresponsible breeder who was trying to sell her and her siblings for thousands of dollars to pay for his drug habit. Rey, however, was not an “easy sell” as she clearly had issues walking and standing up. This hero could not deal with the fate that this newborn was inevitably going to face but could not afford to care for her either, so she called RAD. When we arrived, it looked like a case of Swimmer’s Syndrome but, until she was examined and tests were done, we couldn’t be sure. What we were sure of is that Rey was the result of a backyard breeder whose only concern was making a profit. This is a situation that needs proper attention because these people who are breeding dogs for the simple goal of making money are not ethical, compassionate, nor knowledgeable about what they are doing. In turn, puppies are often born with conditions such as the one of Rey because of inbreeding and lack of understanding of genetics. It creates a domino effect that leads to countless unnecessary dogs being euthanized each year.
But why are these people in business still? Because of a lack of proper laws prohibiting exporting and selling of live animals without proper permits and because the demand for “pure breeds” is still incredibly high! The people who buy from “backyard breeders” lack just as much knowledge as the breeder themselves. There is simply not enough information about this horrible practice.
Rey has had many vet appointments to determine the extent of her condition but TEAM RAD was ready with physio exercises, a new bump rail built by our friends at Soll Solutions, and a sling frame.
After two vet appointments, we received her full diagnosis, and sadly, it was not good. It was not only Swimmer’s Syndrome as we had first thought. Instead, we were told that her front legs had malformations in the elbows with flex extension. One leg had 3 bones that did not fit together. Her knee caps on her back legs were not shaped normally and had swelling. Her femur and hips were also not what they were supposed to be. We were told that perhaps her femur might improve as she grows but it is not guaranteed. And surgery… could not fix any of this. What is guaranteed is that new issues could jump into the mix like osteoarthritis, which is very painful.
Despite her bleak start to life, sweet baby Rey is thriving. She does water therapy to build muscle (our little baby shark!) twice a day with her RAD foster ROB and is a strong, feisty, playful puppy, determined to show us her strong spirit. She may be tiny, but she sure is teaching the RAD family a big lesson about what determination really is!
If you would like to donate to our two puppers currently in our care, we would be incredibly grateful. They have a long road ahead and we truly can’t do it without all of your support.
SEE REY’S HIGHLIGHT ON IG: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17882611372894250/