Author: Lea

We never stop believing in hope, because miracles happen every day here at Paws Give Me Purpose!

Hobbes was due to have his second surgery in an attempt to close the fistula in his gums. We took Hobbes to the Vet this past Thursday for his pre-surgical blood work and exam to make sure he was in tip-top shape and to be certain this was still the right decision for him. 

We were so overjoyed to hear that not only had he gained some much needed weight, his blood work improved greatly for a dog of 20 years old. In addition to this, the fistula itself had healed up to a teeny tiny dot; so small that no surgery is necessary! To say our Veterinarian was stunned would be an understatement. 

We would like to think that the healthy homemade diet, natural homeopathic vitamins, supplements, and treatments did the healing all by itself. But in our hearts, we know it’s the love and TLC Hobbes receives every minute of the day from our volunteers and staff here at the Sanctuary. 

Blind and deaf, Hobbes has endured a life of extreme criminal neglect, he is now living his best life daily with unconditional love for the rest of his life! 

If anyone ever doubts us, know that this is what we do at Paws Give Me Purpose. 

Sometimes, when you think you’ve seen it all, you are shocked to see the worst was yet to be.

We rescued this 16 year old girl who was clearly neglected, but we had no idea just how bad the neglect was until the shelter shaved down the matted mess that was covering up the truth.

Per the shelter documents, this senior was brought into the shelter as an “owner requested euthanasia. She has a low grade or “soft” heart murmur, dry eye with little to no vision, alopecia of most of her body, and is in need of dental care. Previous vet records also note a mammary mass.”

Her condition is actually worse than the shelter thought, and she is clearly in pain. Today she even bit her handler out of fear and pain, and had to be muzzled at the Veterinarian’s office due to multiple attempts of biting the doctor. It is clear that she does not trust humans very much and we can understand why. There is truly no way of knowing just how long she has been suffering, but we hope to be able to make everything better. 

We have decided to name this little Shih Tzu mix Lucy. Poor Lucy is in desperate need of medical care and we need your support to make it happen. She has severe skin conditions, alopecia, and severe allergies. She does not have the ability to blink, has dry, goopy eyes, and today after a complete eye exam she has been diagnosed with glaucoma. Her eye pressure is high and is causing her immense pain. We are looking at the inevitable decision of Enucleation (removal of the eyes) of both eyes. In the case of glaucoma the pain is often comparable to having a chronic migraine. Enucleation will alleviate this pain and is preferable to the long-term use of medication.

Due to Lucy’s advanced age and medical issues, surgery is high risk. We have begun treatment with antibiotics, allergy shots, medicated baths and some eye drops to try to help Lucy feel comfortable and get her stable enough for surgery. 

Please pray for Lucy so she can live her life out to the fullest – she deserves this second chance to be happy, loved and cherished. Our promise to Lucy is to provide her with a safe and loving environment for the rest of her life and we are committed to keeping this promise.

Help us help Lucy feel well again, help us help her learn to love and trust again. We ask that you please consider making a donation to help us with Lucy’s care. If anyone is interested in sponsoring Lucy’s lifetime care in Sanctuary, please reach out to us directly.

PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/pawsgivemepurposeinc

Venmo: @PAWSGIVEMEPURPOSE-INC

The work we do here at Paws Give Me Purpose Inc. often causes a lot of heartache; after all we put ourselves through an emotional roller coaster of working with abused, neglected and unwanted dogs.

Today, we come to you with both good news and bad. Ruby has truly begun to open up and come out of her shell; she has even started giving out little kisses. 

The morning right after she received her Convenia Injectable, she actually got up and ate breakfast with the other seniors for the first time. It’s obvious to us that choosing to give her the antibiotic this way was the right decision for her. Each day we continue to see great progress and she is even interacting more with the people caring for her as well as some of the other senior pups. 

Now for the not so good news; just as we suspected, Ruby does have medical reasons for feeling so crummy and NOT just listlessness due to depression over the loss of her mommies. Her blood work results came back showing that Ruby is in kidney failure. 

It goes without saying that we will do whatever is necessary to help Ruby feel her best and be the most comfortable she can be. We have discussed treatments over with our Veterinary team and will begin with fluid therapy. Due to Ruby’s age, fragile state, and heart murmur, we feel this is the best treatment option for her at this time. Ensuring optimal hydration is the single most important aspect in treating insufficient kidney function.

Quality of life above all else is very important to us here at Paws Give Me Purpose. Ruby is 16, has had a good, long and well loved life. We will continue to love and spoil her, but will not be putting her through any extreme treatments. If her mommies are calling, we let her cross the bridge on her own terms from our loving arms straight into theirs.

Please continue to send prayers for Ruby. With you by our side, we can give Ruby, and many more seniors like her, a fighting chance to have the opportunity to live out their golden years to the fullest. 

This is what we do here at Paws Give Me Purpose. Even though there is a cloud of sadness over our heads, our hearts are full because we know at the end of the day we make a difference in the lives that we are responsible for.