The Future Looks Grim

The long weekend passed and Sundae was still with us. Although I was grateful for the small bit of reassurance her still hanging in there offered, I was dreading what the vet would say. I had planned on having x-rays taken along with blood work that day to try to determine exactly what was wrong with her. The vet however, didn't think it likely that she would survive sedation for the x-rays. I did my best not to seem upset when I was told she seemed to have an enlarged liver, and most likely would never fully recover from what ailed her. She wasn't the first rescue I had been told there was nearly no hope for and euthanasia might be a better, or at least easier and less costly option. I had to leave the room as they drew blood from her, her cries were just too much for me to bear that day. Only enough blood was drawn to put in for a second heart worm test. Nothing more could be done for Sundae if we could not get her stabilized and on the road to recovery. I left the office with a very grim outlook, some pain medication, and more antibiotics for her. I wrapped poor Sundae in a blanket to carry her out to the car, as her body was so thin it was hard to find a comfortable way to carry her. Once home I tucked her back into her bed, gave her a treat and a few loving words, and sat down and cried. She had come all this way, 1,628 miles, just to find out her future was likely to end before she ever had a home of her own.

Safe in the Arms of Love

Barely hanging in there and refusing to trust anyone, Sundae along with the other two dogs, and an additional passenger, were loaded into crates and put in a vehicle headed for Denver. I can only imagine what she was thinking being loaded into another crate in another vehicle. This trip, although 10 hours in length, would be the easiest for her. She had very few transfers along the way and had her own crate to travel in. Once Sundae arrived in Denver she and the others would stay with a wonderful woman until they could be transported to South East Wyoming. Transport remained on schedule and the ride was an easy one.

A worn out Sundae arrived in Denver and was whisked away to rest for the night. She started to relax a bit when she realized she was in a home, not a boarding facility. She was cuddled, fed, and loved upon. Sundae quickly became a favorite of her temporary fosters, as her skin and bones body tugged at their heartstrings. Her overnight stay came to an end quickly though and she was loaded back into a crate for her drive to Wyoming. At least this was the shortest and last part of her long journey.

As I pulled up to our meeting spot I was filled with anxious energy. I had been waiting for over a month to meet this girl that had to be saved. I had no idea just how bad of a condition poor Sundae was in, and my heart broke when I saw her. The bones protruding, her coat dull and breaking off with every touch made my heart ache. Then I heard for myself the cough I had been told she had. It was worse than I had believed. The four dogs were loaded into my vehicle and immediately taken through the drive through at McDonald's. Each dog shared a plain cheeseburger and then settled in for the drive home. Sundae wolfed down her cheeseburger so quickly I wondered if she had ever gotten a special treat like that in her life. All the dogs, but especially Sundae needed to know they were safe now and could trust me.

Once home the dogs were given their own beds, and fresh bowls of food and water, and allowed to relax and take in the new surroundings. Sundae was given a special quiet area in the bedroom where she could rest and hopefully heal, away from the noises of the other dogs and the TV. Sundae was frightened of everything and wanted nothing to do with dry dog food or people. The first couple of nights were rough. She was not ready to trust, was easily frightened, and she had tremendous difficulty sleeping due to her illness. She struggled just to breath, and had no energy left for anything else. I feared this tiny little girl wouldn't survive to see the vet. Each minute was hard on her. She was emaciated and sick, and still unsure what her new life held for her. I sat up with her each night, talking softly, and petting her ever so gently, as touching her in certain areas made her yelp, in pain or in fear I still do not know. Together we weathered the long weekend, Sundae's body sick and dying, and me with tears running down my cheeks watching her suffering.

Half Way Home

Excitement and stress combined the day Sundae was picked up along with two others for transport to another boarding facility in Kansas City. Sundae loves to go for car rides, and a car ride to her this time meant getting out of boarding and possibly on to something better. She was happy for the first time in 28 days. The excitement caused her cough to worsen, but she didn't care. She was filled with anticipation. What Sundae didn't, and couldn't know, was that a critical driver had cancelled at the last minute due to her own dogs health problems. We had just a few hours to find a replacement or Sundae and the other two dogs would be stranded in Kentucky.

The stress was starting to take its tole on us, and on Sundae as well. Sundae had traveled 291 miles that first day, over 5 hours in several different vehicles, being handed off to someone new at each stop. She had no time to relax, to survey her surroundings, and get to know the new people helping her before she was handed to the next person. She was tired, sick, and nervous. She arrived in Kentucky and was given a clean, spacious kennel to rest in over night. While she rested we continued to search for a replacement driver. Once again it looked like hope was lost, morning came and the transport was stuck.

Sundae and the others needed a miracle, no driver had been found and the transport could not go any further without one. Sometime after the dogs should have been on their way to Kansas City our miracle was found. The driver who had cancelled called to say she could do her portion of the drive once again! Although behind schedule, the dogs were moving again! Over 7 hours later, and several hand offs along the way, Sundae and the others made it to a wonderful boarding facility in Kansas City.

Sundae was understandably uneasy about the new facility. She had traveled a great distance just to be kenneled once again. In her eyes there was no improvement in life. Another kennel, and more barking dogs, and this after 2 days in different vehicles with different people. This time however, we knew she had a way to get to us, we just didn't know when. She was on the list to get on a very special transport from Kansas City to Denver, a transport that saves hundreds of homeless dogs every month. We were ecstatic! She was going to make it here to safety soon.

10 days later Sundae was even more depressed. No matter what the kennel staff did to try to make her comfortable she would not improve. Her coat became brittle and dry, and her cough much worse. She weighed only 8 pounds now and was still declining rapidly. Sundae had lost 40% of her body weight in the last 38 days. She couldn't keep it up much longer, if she continued to decline she wouldn't survive. Her muscle mass was gone, her ribs had no covering other than skin, and her pelvic and shoulder bones protruded. How much longer would she have before it was too late? Could she continue to hang in there just a few more days?

1,628 Miles for Love

Sitting in the boarding facility waiting for transport was no picnic for Sundae. To her it was simply a move from one scary place to another. She had no idea that in this place her life wasn't in danger. She only knew that it was another cage, in another place filled with dogs.
She still hadn't been given a name and was known simply as Rat Terrier female. Now that her life was spared, it was time to give her a name, something new to start her new life with. I couldn't think of anything that seemed to suit her, so I asked my closest friend for suggestions, and her name of Sundae was given. Sundae fits her well as her colors are just like that of a hot fudge sundae. She is chocolate and white with just a few tan points, and very sweet.

Sundae's health quickly declined in the boarding facility. She had a nasty cough, a case of heart worms, and her weight dropped daily. Although she was being treated with antibiotics, there was no improvement. Depression set in, and she seemed to want to just give up. Sundae was frightened, alone, and ill, a combination that takes a toll on even the strongest of dogs.

Arranging a transport for her was taking too long, and her health was getting worse. When we were finally able to get her on a transport the veterinarian deemed her too sick to travel. It was looking bad for Sundae. With her transport cancelled due to her illness and treatments not helping her, it seemed as though hope was lost for her, but Sundae hadn't given up and neither would we!

The only chance Sundae had to get better was to get her into the rescue. If we could just get her here, she would be in a home surrounded with love. Like humans, dogs suffer from depression. Sundae was in a cage, feeling unloved and unwanted, it would be nearly impossible for her health to improve in those circumstances. Finally we had our chance! A transport halfway here was ready to go, and the vet gave the OK for her to get on it. The only problem now was that she would have to go into boarding once again to wait for the second half of her transport. Would she be strong enough to survive yet another boarding kennel? There was no way to know for sure, but it was our only hope.

Sundae's Journey Begins

A picture posted on Facebook caught my eye. The photo was of a scared little brown and white dog, hiding in the corner of a cold concrete kennel. Although I see hundreds of photos of dogs like her everyday, this one I knew was special. She was sitting alone, in the furthest corner she could get to, keeping her head turned away from the person taking the picture, so I couldn't see her face. She was absolutely terrified of the cold, noisy place she had ended up. She had not been named, as most stray dogs coming through this specific shelter do not survive long enough to receive a name. What little information there was with her picture simply said she was 13 pounds, very scared, not fixed, and proceeded to give her "put to sleep" date of the following day. This is not unusual, Georgia shelters are overflowing with stray animals, and most are only given a few days to find a home or a rescue before being put to sleep. This was just one more dog in a list of many in need of a home that day, but she was the one dog I had to save. I sent an email out to the shelter letting them know she had a rescue willing to take her and waited to hear back from them. The next morning my request to rescue her was answered. Arrangements were made to have her taken to a boarding facility while she awaited transport to Wyoming. Transport to Wyoming is a difficult feat from anywhere, but especially from the East Coast. She would have to travel 1,628 miles solely by volunteer drivers that had a heart for saving animals. This trip would be stressful, very difficult at best, and take several days time, and that is where Sundae's story begins.