IN FOCUS: News from Sutton Studios

Issue No. 21

March 2009

SPOTLIGHT

Rayven (click to enlarge)

A family of rescues

This month's Spotlight guest Deanne Zenoni works as a Veterinarian at TOPS Veterinary Rehab, an internationally renowned rehabilitation facility in Grayslake, Illinois. TOPS does physical rehab "using acupuncture, chiropractic and physical therapy, among other things, to help animals post-surgery, older animals with arthritis, and animals with sports injuries," just to name a few.

Deanne and her husband Michael have three dogs - Rayven, Dryfuss and Koda - and each dog arrived at Sutton Studios with its own story.

Deanne first met Rayven when she was in Veterinary School. Rayven had been found roaming the streets of Niles by an animal control officer who brought her in for an exam. "He asked me if I would be willing to foster her because he knew I didn't have any pets of my own yet. I agreed to. She almost got adopted twice by roommates, but my husband fell in love with her so she stayed with us."

Dryfuss lived with a police officer's family and their police dog. When the police dog began to act aggressive toward Dryfuss (who, Deanne confides, "is a big wimp") the family wisely decided to find Dryfuss a new home. "So I took him, but we had a rough beginning because he missed his family. He now fits in better than we could have hoped!"

One day when a client showed up with a beautiful Mastiff, Deanne was enchanted and wanted to know where they got her. Her client then told her about a breeder who had a Mastiff puppy who was blind in one eye and needed a special home. Hello Koda. For Deanne, Michael and Koda, it was love at first (partially impaired) sight.

Koda has been sick off and on over the past year and Deanne and Michael almost lost her more than once. "It makes you realize they won't be there forever. I wanted pictures and memories to have when they were gone. We all had a lot of fun getting pictures taken. The dogs did surprisingly well and David was awesome at getting them to pose for the camera."

Deanne, Koda and Dryfus (click to enlarge)

Our framing partners

REFLECTION & REFRACTION

Piper

Last month I asked our readers to contact me with stories of dogs or other pets who've been rescued from dire circumstances. This month we meet Piper, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who, having been discarded by a puppy-mill breeder, found a new life with our clients Laurel Omert and Tom Iarrapino

"I volunteer for Cavalier Rescue USA and I foster dogs who've been rescued from puppy mills," explains Laurel. "My latest foster dog, who I named Piper, was kept in a cage for her entire life - 4 years."

Piper's story is typical of dogs kept in puppy mills for the sole purpose of cranking out puppies to sell. Profit-driven puppy mill operators pay little or no attention to the well-being of their breeding dogs. Many mill operators simply kill dogs that prove unprofitable.

"Piper was supposed to be used for breeding, but she never got pregnant with another Cavalier. The mill owner didn't want her any more and told Rescue to take her or that would be it."

"Puppy mills are really bad," offers Tom. "They should be outlawed. Pennsylvania just passed some of the most stringent laws against them, but it was tough to get them passed."

Piper (then "Ruby") when
she arrived at the vet for
quarantine

Piper's situation was typical for a puppy mill dog. These dogs usually subsist on a substandard diet. They frequently get little or no exercise, no sunshine or fresh air - and no veterinary care.

Piper's a poor specimen of a dog to begin with. It's not just that she doesn't conform to the "breed standard." In the words of one responsible Cavalier breeder, "she should never have been born." Piper and the other Cavalier she was rescued with had obvious congenital conditions that should have ruled her out for breeding altogether.

"Your Job as a foster parent," explains Laurel, "is to socially train them and to medically clear them."

Piper after being with
Laurel and Tom
about a week

After being taken in by Cavalier rescue, Piper spent two weeks in quarantine to rule out contagious diseases. While with the vet she also got a health assessment. Piper had dental problems, which required tooth extractions. Her fur was badly matted and she had to be shaved in order to be bathed. Piper's blind in one eye - a situation that could easily have been prevented if she'd been given eye drops every other day.

When Piper first came to live with Laurel and Tom she couldn't stand or walk because she had no muscle mass. She was afraid of grass. She also had a side-effect of her crude existence that rescuers refer to as "puppy mill perfume" - a bad smell that results from years of a poor diet and hygiene, little if any bathing, dental decay, and no sunshine or fresh air. It can take several months for this smell to subside.

Piper (with Emi) after a
month in her new home.

Luckily for everyone involved, Laurel and Tom's other three dogs took on the role of socialization trainers and rehab specialists, leading by example to teach Piper how to walk and eventually to run and play.

"It's a new world for Piper," says Laurel. "She didn't know grass, how to walk outside, how to play in the snow."

"Now she just charges out the door," adds Tom, "she loves it outside."

"We could never give her up," says Laurel, "so last week we adopted her. Maybe I'll come in with all four - and bring Excedrin for you."

Thanks, Laurel and Tom.

David Sutton
Write to David

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Financial assistance for vet care

Recently a friend's 6 year old black lab was having a great time at the dog beach when he suddenly began limping. Our friend rushed Shadow to the Emergency Vet and was told he had torn a ligament, a common injury with larger dogs.

Surgery is the treatment of choice for this injury because if surgery is not performed, arthritis will occur and the situation will worsen.

Our friend was in a panic. The price of the surgery was estimated to be $2500-$3500 - an expense she was unprepared for. Understanding that Shadow is our friend's best buddy, personal trainer and confidant all rolled into one, her Veterinarian directed her to CareCredit.

CareCredit offers credit for companion animal health care. Vets across the country honor CareCredit whether for everyday checkups or emergency surgeries because CareCredit offers "convenient monthly payment options, no up-front costs, no prepayment penalties and no annual fees" so you can worry about the important stuff.