June 27, 2012
Greetings, Pals! I was recently contacted for some Helping Paws assistance for another Corgi in need. At just over a year old, Bandit is our very first international Helping Paws client... he lives in Canada! Here is Bandit's story in the words of Corgi Mom Alison:
"My two daughters Devon (19) and Arden (22) wanted a puppy after our family dog, whom they had grown up with, passed away. I told them of financial constrainsts and responsibilities and they swore up and down they would handle it. Since then, they have been cleaning out their bank accounts to get shots, neutering, toys and food. Bandit is now 16 months old and loved completely by the whole family. He recently had to have emergency surgery for a foreign body obstruction. On top of that, just one month ago my daughter's friend's dog mistakenly attacked my cat Calli. She also required surgery, and we were emotionally and financially devestated by a fifteen hundred dollar vet bill. Calli is now better but here we are with a high vet bill just one month later which we can't pay. My mother has let me put some on her credit card, and my daughters swear they will get summer jobs to try and chip away at the cost. I am in a panic."
Bandit was taken in for emergency surgery on May 6 after becoming lethargic and extremely dehydrated due to vomiting that persisted for 6 days. Bandit had seen his regular vet a few days prior to receive an injection to stop the vomiting, but he continued to vomit after the drugs wore off. Upon inspection during surgery, the emergency vet found that a piece of rubber had gotten lodged in Bandit's small intestine, which also caused a distended bowel. Here is Bandit when his family went to visit him the next day:
Bandit's surgery ended up costing $3,070 in Canadian dollars, which is roughly $3,145 in US dollars. Bandit is doing very well now, but his family is still in great financial distress and needs our help! Let's see if we can add another Helping Paws client to our success list! Go get 'em, Pals!