we've rescued 2 starving coonhounds

This past Monday morning I got a call from my neighbor that she needed some help and would I please meet her out on the road and bring water. She said she’d just run across 2 starving hounds who desperately needed help. Naturally I threw on some clothes, got what she needed and got there as quickly as I could. The first thing I saw was two of the sweetest faces and some of the most emaciated bodies I’ve ever seen. Neither one of them would let us get close enough to put a lead on them, and they kept wandering away. I followed them through the woods and up a dry creek bed to the next street over while my neighbor went around. Fortunately, one of the dogs went to a stream to get some water and I was able to slip behind him and get the lead around his neck. God was looking out for everyone because it turns out that the one I got was the leader and that meant the other one followed us back to our house. We had to stop many many times because one of the dogs was so badly off. He would lay down and I kept watching him breathe figuring that he was going to die before we could get him home. Somehow we made it and got them settled in a safe place with food and water. We had been trying to call the shelter, Sheriff’s department, Animal Welfare League and anyone else we could think of to ask for some help for these poor dogs. We mostly got the run-around and was told by the Sheriff’s department that we had to let the dogs go and not to feed them. When the Animal Control Officer got back from his vacation next week and if the dogs were still around (i.e., alive), he would take care of it. Well, you can image that our reaction was “No way were we going to watch 2 precious dogs starve to death” while waiting for a bureaucracy to take it over. That evening when I went back to check on them the one we named Gimpy (who had been the closest to death) gave me one tail wag and I couldn’t stop smiling. The next morning they were 100% better so we took them to the vet to be checked out. We had made up our mind that if they were heartworm positive they probably had to be put to sleep. I didn’t think their bodies could take the treatment and I couldn’t afford it. Fortunately, they were heartworm negative, had hookworms, assorted wounds and tons of seed ticks. The vet and staff were so kind and took good care of them both, in addition to giving us a break on the price.

They’ve been with us for 5 days and the changes are tremendous. We just need to get some weight on them so their pelvic bones and ribs don’t show. I plan on fostering them until I can get a good home for them where they’ll be loved and taken care of. By the way their names are Gimpy and Mr. Maggie. I’d love to keep them but I already have 3 coonhounds of my own. I just want them to go to a family where they’ll be appreciated for the great dogs they are. Everyone who meets them say how loving and sweet they are. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

Betty