Patrick Update

Five weeks ago, we all learned the story of Patrick- the pit mix puppy that was thrown down a garbage shoot and miraculously survived.


He has now gained weight and is acting like a real dog (eating sticks off of trees just like Bruno does! Watch him in the video below).

He recently underwent surgery to remove a beazor from his stomach that formed because Patrick had eaten too much hair (probably because he had nothing else to eat.)

 

However, a temperamental trainer/evaluated expressed serious concerns about Patrick's emotional development. He has apparently been exhibiting some bad behavior due to his intense fears. He needs socialization with other dogs and some space from the well-meaning adoring people that surround him. The trainer suggested that Patrick be moved to an anonymous foster home as soon as possible to begin his emotional recovery.

 

Luckily, he has plenty of people who care about helping him be the happiest, healthiest dog he can be. He is undergoing physical therapy and training and hopefully he can some day fulfill his role as a "breed ambassador."

Louis V. (burn victim) glad to see his abuser still in jail...

In 2009, an Alabama man doused his mother's pit bull with lighter fluid and lit him on fire because she wouldn't let him use the car.
That man received nine and a half years in jail- but now wants parole. Luckily, the dog- since rescued and recovering- came to the court room to remind everyone of the cruelty inflicted on him.

Read the full story here.

  before:

 

after:

Unfortunately, more than 20% of animal abuse is inflicted on pit bulls.

Like this horrific crime four days ago, this dog fighting bust two days ago in Philly, and of course everyone remembers Patrick- the dog that was found in a trash bag. Luckily these horrible stories can encourage people to adopt pit bulls and also encourage law makers to improve the laws on animal abuse.

Here we see Patrick recuperating:

PetItForward.org & Affordable Pet-Ownership

Since adopting Winnie and Bruno at the ages of 23, Chip and I realized how expensive dogs can be. Together, we make a decent income - not above average by any means - we are both paralegals at reputable law firms in New York City- but lately it feels like you need to be rich to own a dog here and keep it healthy.

So many of the dogs that come into the shelters in NYC are mal-nourished, injured or geriatric and need vet care their families cannot afford. Here are number of dogs I've seen in the last few months. Each one was either starved, had mange, or had a condition that needed expensive care. The expenses needed to rescue these dogs make it impossible for anyone other than Rescue Groups to adopt them:

(luckily-each of thses dogs was rescued by a rescue group- you can find out more about each in the safe folders at Urgent Part 2, but many are not so lucky.)


The story of Patrick(the pit puppy starved and thrown away as garbage) is of course a horrible one of cruelty and neglect, but it has shed light on the fact that many pet owners cannot afford care- and many cannot even afford adequate food. Please don't get me wrong- I hate people who don't take care of their dogs- I will do anything to make sure my dogs are fed and healthy and happy- and let's face it, people in this city adopt dogs they cannnot afford and that is wrong, but I do feel that something can and should be done it make it more affordable to own a dog.

That is where Pet It Forward comes in. It's CEO, Jenna Dreher, really believes in the mission of lowering the costs of pet-care- so much so that she donated generously to Winnie's ACL-repair surgery.

Jenna writes, "Pet care can be expensive and it doesn't have to be. Pet It Forward is like priceline.com for pet care, freer and more fun. We put the power in the hands of pet owners, giving them the ability to network online with those in their community, such as other pet owners and care professionals, to find more affordable or even free care for their pets."

I am really excited about this site; it connects pet owners with other pet owners in their nieghborhoods, makes booking and paying for pet-care online quick and easy, and can save us up to 50-100% on pet care. When you sign up for an appointment, the providers are sent the scheduling details, you are sent a reminder, and you can even review the provider- this means gaining insight from your neighbors about the vets, groomers or the dog-walkers in your area. It also puts you in touch with other dog owners so you can even set up "dates" for your pet.

The potential for this site is huge- if this site can generate enough users and pet care providers- it could save lives at city shelters by keeping dogs out of shelters in the first place. It would also open up homes for dogs with people who think owning a dog would be prohibitively expensive- like young, busy people who need to use dog walkers and expensive boarding facilities. The cheaper pets cost to own, feed and care-for, the more pets can be rescued and live fufilling lives.

The site is still in development, and accessibility to low cost vet-care is not yet available, but users will be able to save on boarding, walking, feeding, and cleaning service costs.

Please consider signing up-you will get an email when it is fully-functional.

To sign-up for an invitation to join Pet It Forward, click here.



Animal Cruelty at its worst: Patrick's Story

Warning: The photos in the post are graphic:

The day before Saint Patrick's day- a man emptying the trash at a Newark apartment building discovered a bag moving slightly. Fortunately, he opened the bag and found a crippled figure inside. A dog had been thrown down the trash chute- still clinging to life. The dog had a body temperature of 96 (6 degrees too low), had bones sticking through his skin, and was an imae of death. He was rushed to the Garden State Veterinary Specialists where he somehow made it through the night.

This is Patrick:

With donations, gifts, letters, food, treatment, and care- Patrick is improving. He has gained 2 1/4 pounds, can walk a bit, and his tail is wagging. You can follow his progress here.

According the NY-SPCA officials, Kisha Curtis (28) of Newark (who allegedly threw Patrick 19 stories down that chute) has been charged with four counts of animal cruelty and could serve up to 6 months in jail and pay a $1000 fine. This was later upgraded to 18 months and a $3000 fine. To many animal advocates- this is hardly enough- follow the attempts to implement Patrick's Law here.
Read the full story here.

Here are some pictures of Patrick as he has been improving- hopefully he will continue to get better and I can write updates about his health and his new home in the future.

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