Hailey's Big Day

Today is it.  The Big Day.  This morning foster momma Sue and I brought Ms. Hailey to the U of M for the surgery to fix her heart.  I think Hailey remembered the U of M, perhaps not so fondly.  She was a bit nervous and as you can see, apprehensive.  We sent her off with hugs and kisses.  Now is the hard part.   We sit and wait.  I'll update the blog as soon as we have any news!

Hailey's Hope Part II

Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible.

Today is a slightly less sunshine-y day than the last time I sent you but it is no less a beautiful day to me.  We have achieved that for which we hoped…  Today is the day I get to tell you that we have raised the money for Hailey’s surgery.  That you all have found it in your hearts and already strapped pocketbooks to give hope to a little girl most of you have never met.

I still have no answers to the randomness of life.  But I am once again reminded how great human kind can be and how much goodness can be found in a world that can sometimes seem cold.  People never cease to humble and amaze me.

If Hailey were a person I think they’d make a book or movie out of her life.  Hailey Sue started her life facing great adversity as a puppy mill dog.  She was born into a hopeless situation with bleak prospects for her future.  Much like little orphan Annie, Hailey never lost her spirit or enthusiasm for life though.  Just when things looked up and she was “saved” – her bad heart threatened her new found happiness.  Once again Hailey faced an uncertain future.  Now, thanks to all of you Hailey Sue will undergo surgery tomorrow to fix her heart. 

Hailey remains in good spirits, eager to live each day to the fullest.  Tomorrow is Hailey Sue’s biggest and most important adventure yet. 

We had hope in the kindness and generosity of friends, family and even strangers and our hope was rewarded.  Tomorrow we put our faith in the good doctors and staff at the U of M Small Animal Hospital.  We ask that you join us in sending prayers, well wishes and healing energy to Hailey tomorrow and during her recovery.  I will keep you posted on her progress!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart and trust me when I say, Hailey would thank you too!

Take care and best to you and yours,

Lynne and the Safe Hands Team

Hailey's Hope

Hope.  There is so much contained in this tiny four letter word.  There is also so much contained within the tiny four pound package that is Hailey Sue. 

Lately, I have been thinking about how random life can be, where chance fits into the universe, why things happen as they do.  Sadly, I have found no answers...sorry folks. 

But Hailey Sue’s life found its way into Safe Hands by chance.  I know there are so many dogs like Hailey Sue living in squalid conditions with little chance, little hope.  It seems so random that Hailey was somehow selected to receive the gift of her freedom.

Hailey Sue is one of the many victims of bad backyard breeders, mini puppy mills, that exist all over the South.  Jobs are scarce, money more so, but somehow people manage to scrape together a few hundred dollars to buy small purebred dogs, the smaller the better.  Therefore, folks set up shop to accommodate and eek out a living.  The dogs are not so lucky.  Their existence barely qualifies as living.

How and why “her” breeder in Harlan happened to be discovered and investigated allowing her that chance to have a better life is a mystery.  But happen it did.  Originally held as “evidence”, the county court then signed her over to the custody of Safe Hands and six weeks ago she joined our ever growing family.

When she was rescued her physical condition was deplorable.  Skinny and bedraggled, she had two sets of teeth, a full set of baby teeth and her adult teeth too.  Her coat was matted, toenails overgrown and she was not eating well.  She was about 8 months old and had never had any toys to play with.  She had lived in a plastic crate her entire life.  Nearly full grown but bred to be small - she was not even four pounds.

But perhaps even sadder to me was her unhealthy obsession with feet.  What I mean is that she got so excited any time feet approached.  She did not have any connection with faces or people...just feet.  Living in a plastic crate, she would have seen feet coming to bring food or water - feet meant good things.  Living in a plastic crate, she would not have been able to look up into anyone’s face.  Faces did not mean anything at all.

Fortunately she was young and somehow still very open to happiness, joy and wonder.  She has flourished in foster care and while remnants of the past remain, she “grows” more every day. Hailey learned to attach to foster mom, follows her everywhere and developed confidence.  She lives life with enthusiasm and has true joy in her spirit.  Each day is an amazing adventure and life is good now.

But here is where the hope comes in. Hope is defined as a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life.  Hailey has a serious heart condition called patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) that threatens her new found life.  In short, this means there is a extra blood vessel that is attached to the heart in utero that should go away when the puppy is born.  Hailey’s did not.  Most pups born with this condition do not live to turn one without surgical correction. 

Hailey’s heart needs help.  The PDA is causing problems and if we are not able to provide the surgery Hailey’s newfound life will be a short one.  The veterinarians say she only has months left.   The good news is the surgery has a very high success rate (only one complication at the U of M to date) and Hailey has had all the tests and work ups to be deemed an excellent surgical candidate.  The U of M is even donating the piece that is the “plug” to be implanted to fix her condition.  Still the surgery is costly.  The estimate is $3200 for the procedure. 

Hope is also the feeling that something desired may happen, when the outlook may or may not warrant it.  We have hope that we can raise the money for Hailey to have her surgery which can be done on Tuesday, July 13^th provided we have the funds.  We have hope that you will help give Hailey the chance she was provided to have a full and happy life with many, many more feet…or just maybe even faces!

If you can contribute we have started a chip in   (http://safehandshailey.chipin.com/haileys-heart-surgery) and are also able to take donations via mail at:

Safe Hands Rescue

PO Box 19623

Minneapolis, MN  55419-0623

Hailey's Heart Surgery

I loved Angelo before I even met him  I loved him the moment I looked at this face in this picture.  This photo, this puppy, so poignant.  You can simply tell that life had not been kind to this tiny being, so young to have so much sadness and uncertainty.   Our transport was booked, our foster homes full or eagerly awaiting their new arrivals.  I tried to tell myself he'd be fine, another group would take him and he'd be fine.  Nonetheless, Angelo's face haunted me, haunted my sleep, and was the first thing I thought of upon waking.  I worried and fretted over this little babe I'd never met, so far away.  He had me captivated and even then, wrapped around a tiny toenail.  I couldn't help it, I called the shelter, "He should come to Safe Hands, send him on to  me, keep him safe". 

And so Angelo arrived.  Trumpets and fanfare, skin and bones.  OK, well there may not really have been trumpets and fanfare anywhere but in my head, but I was so relieved to have him here.  I was so shocked to see how tiny he really was.  Weighing not even four pounds, he was skin and bones.

And so of course the worry and fretting began anew.  Unfortunately, this worry and fretting proved to be with merit.  Just two days after he arrived I was at the clinic with Angelo who tested positive for parvo.  He had no reserves to use in the fight, he was so small and so young.  I hoped for the best but tried to prepare for the worst.  I knew his chances were so slight.  I updated the Safe Hands folks who had met him already and we formed a family around him sending prayers and healing energy.  I visited him twice a day and it's true that there was much darkness before the dawn.

But an odd thing happened.  Two days after Angelo was admitted, when things were really looking down, I was visiting and holding him.  I was thinking about all the people pulling for him, telling him how loved he was and how wanted he was, and all of a sudden I felt a sense of peace.  I knew that Angelo would make it and he would be OK.  I won't lie, there were moments afterwards when my faith wavered.  But I just felt it, I knew Angelo was a survivor.

Survive Angelo did and a week ago Sunday he came home!  The pic above is his first night home.  He had lost more weight, he'd been through hell, but he came out on the other side, and he was home!!

In the week that's followed he has been loved, cudled, fussed over and generally spoiled rotten.  He thinks dogs eat 93% fat free black angus hamburger boiled and with rice please - that other stuff - it's for the...cats??  He is pretty sure puppies belong carried around perched on your shoulder.  Can't wait until he's adopted and 30 pounds or so, still expecting his new parents to carry him around on one shoulder!  He loves to play with his toys, snuggle in your neck and give sweet kisses.  He makes the cutest squeaks and cries when he plays and "attacks" stuffed pheasant or Mr. Blue Bear.

He's such a good boy.  He loves other dogs and is so sweet following the big dogs around and trying to get them to play.  He is not rough and tumble though, he prefers to persuade with his charm and charisma!  He enjoys and appreciates his beds (all four of them - spoiled??  what makes you say that?) and all of his toys.  Pink piggy is his favorite pillow.

Every day Angelo gets bigger and stronger.  The missing hair on his front legs where his IV's were are the only reminder of his not do far distant ordeal.  He is amazing  Perfect.  Precious. 

YODA!!

OK, so Yoda has a new (and dare I say improved?) name....it's Oliver or Ollie.  Yoda arrived in Safe Hands with his mom and three siblings in a very cold November last year.  This is the tiny boy just a few days after arrival at about 3 weeks old...

It was this face that earned him the name Yoda...

But our little man grew to be more handsome each day

 When he was old enough to leave his mom & siblings he went to a new foster home

And he never left!  This is the beautiful boy just a few months ago.

He has a new name, Oliver, and a new sister, Chloe - who was also adopted from Safe Hands!

Update on two of Ruby's pups

Readers of this blog and followers of the rescue might remember last summer when Ruby surprised us with a litter of 12 pups.  Here is young Moby (really, really young, less than one hour old!)

Here is our guy and four weeks old....

And here is the incredibly handsome guy today!  His mom & dad say he loved the snow and cold last winter and is just an all around great kind of guy.  He has playdates sometimes with his sister Nelly (formerly Sassafras)

One more of his handsome mug!

Sassafras, now Nelly, at four weeks old, just learning to eat and getting as much in her nose perhaps as her mouth!

And Nelly today!  She looks JUST like her momma!!