Dogfight-This really sucks

by **Jenny** » March 1st, 2007, 4:51 pm

I apologize if this is hard to read, I'm really sick about this.
Anyone that knows me knows I don't ask for help often and we do a lot for the dogs. We really need help with this, I have a huge responsibility to come thru for this young pup.
Monday afternoon our foster Henry was attacked by two young adult foster dogs. All three had gotten out of their crates during the time I had walked to my partners house to give meds to dogs. I was gone about 40 minutes. Steve got home and found the brawl, the female was laying exhausted, he broke up the two boys up and called me at Travis's. Henry was in shock and in really bad shape. We rushed him to the vet.

Henry had 3 hours of surgery Tuesday just getting drains put in the wounds, then more for his leg. He has a dislocated elbow which was fixed and splinted and ligaments will have to have repair as well Dr says after the drains come out and infection is under control he will know more.
Today (Thursday) Henry is standing and eating and drinking and they were very happy with his progress. He may get to come home on Saturday.

Before criticisms please consider this is the first time in six years of the rescue this has happened, I never, ever, ever, leave anyone loose in the house unattended. All the dogs were crated when I left the house. It appears the two young adults both attacked Henry, they had no wounds on them other than swollen muzzles from prying the crate sides open and a few scratches probably from Henry trying to defend himself. Poor Henry! I am sick about it, he is just 5 months old and has been through so much already.

This is going to be the mother of all vet bills I can imagine. I have not even asked how much yet. If anyone feels compelled to help us it would be greatly appreciated. We did two broken knees and a ACL surgery on two different rescue dogs in the last two months and our funds are down to small change, credit cards maxed etc. .

Henry is being treated by Dr. Gregory John:
All Creatures Veterinary Hospital
Route 5 20, Seneca Falls, NY 13148
(315) 568-2222
they are able to take credit cards over the phone.

If you would like to donate directly to Henry
visit our homepage and click on the donate link.
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY504.html

Thank you! from all of us and Henry too.

by **Marinepits** » March 1st, 2007, 5:17 pm

Oh, Jenny, I am so sorry! That is just awful! :hug3:

by **iluvk9** » March 1st, 2007, 5:22 pm

I am so sorry!

I hope everyone recovers from their wounds.

by **cheekymunkee** » March 1st, 2007, 5:23 pm

Oh how awful!!! I am so very sorry. And NO ONE should critize you! That is what happens sometimes in multiple pit bull homes. A chance we ALL take.

by **cypher** » March 1st, 2007, 5:58 pm

that sounds absolutely terrible!!

i am so sorry that you ahd to go through this~

no one should critize you about this at all, it was an accident. its not like you were able irresponsible, you had them crated seperately and they got loose. if you ever though thought for a second that this would've happened i'm sure that you would've stayed home.

i hope that everything turns out okay!! poor henry!!

by **Jenny** » March 1st, 2007, 7:01 pm

Thanks a lot for the support , I was so relieved Henry is eating and drinking today, even standing up on his own. They are really happy with his progress. Steve was mad at Max for his part in it, I talked to him about it, I think he finally gets it that being mad at the dogs is not going help anything and you cant fault them for whats in them. I feel so bad, this very thing is what I preach about until people are tired of hearing me!~ except in the context of why you do not leave your pitbully dogs loose alone. I was going to have one of my rescue friends help me send a email around and she didn't want to

she pretty much just said in not so many words people are gonna blame me. I suppose she didn't want to be viewed as supporting me or associated with me and this accident, boy that hurt but I guess its true. I told her I can either tell the whole story or nothing, I am a terrible liar and if I leave out details its lying I think. I mean? can I just say he was attacked and at in bad shape at the vet? it doesn't feel right to me..but I'm pretty weirded out right now. The male and female have been here almost a year, little Henry better part of three months. These guys played together and have never fought any dog, just male female not all three at once. Freakin weird, nothing different Monday than any other day. Max has to stay in the big stainless steel vet crate now, my partner Travis thinks we switch all of them to the vet crates. ya uhuh I told him sure after we pay the vet bill and win the lottery :oops:

by **dogged** » March 1st, 2007, 8:26 pm

My heart goes out to you.

I hope everyone heals quickly.

by **msvette2u** » March 2nd, 2007, 1:15 am

I am so sorry. It was not your fault! That gal's an idiot or doesn't know pit bulls very well. That was rude and selfish of her to say that!

by **Jenny** » March 2nd, 2007, 12:44 pm

I'm thinking I probably should not have put our snail mail addy up

not that anyone could find us anyway but I don't need dogs getting dropped off either.
is there a way to edit my post and take it off?

by **SisMorphine** » March 2nd, 2007, 12:52 pm

PM a moderator

by **Marinepits** » March 2nd, 2007, 1:03 pm

Done.

by **ilovemybacon** » March 2nd, 2007, 1:17 pm

I am so sorry...that is terrible. You think the dogs are all secure in their crates and something horrible like this happens. I submitted a post 2 weeks ago about the dogfight in my house with my resident dog and my foster Cookie. It was terrible. Since then I have made sure there is a minimum of 2 obstacles between dogs at all times. When I leave the house there are 4...Bacon is in his crate in a room with the door shut and Cookie is in another room with a shut door and a baby gate. I still hold my breath when I walk in to door, praying that they are still safe and secure when I come home. It's crazy. Anyway...I know all about the vet bills...they were steep. I will make a donation directly to the vet today.

by **Jenny** » March 3rd, 2007, 11:22 am

Hey Ms. ilovemybacon :greenWave:

THANK YOU! I just walked in the vet to see Henry yesterday when you were on the phone with Beth! you are a doll. I'm so sorry you went thru the same thing , sure don't wish it on anyone.
I'm def doing some things different now if I leave the house, its freakin hard, I'm afraid to leave the house alone, my only dogsitter is having a baby any day so we all are coordinating so someone is here. I feel like getting the duct tape ( kidding) plus who I think is the instigator is now in the hannibal lecter vet crate with no chance of escape. Henry is doing super good, he looked great, like a little porcupine but great , all he wanted to do at my visit was hunt for treats in my pockets :wink:

and try to take off his leg bandage, pull on his drains, see whats on all the counters... look for a way out of the room etc..... he is a stinker puppy. He gets to come home maybe on Monday.

by **Jenny** » March 3rd, 2007, 11:24 am

On March 02 2007, 12:03 PM, Marinepits wrote:Done.

Thanks!

by **bouvierz** » March 4th, 2007, 10:04 am

I am glad to hear Henry is on the mend. I will keep good thoughtsgoing your way. Give that sweet chocolate baby a big smootch from me.

by **ilovemybacon** » March 5th, 2007, 6:20 pm

Your welcome...glad I was able to help...a little. Keep me posted how Mr. Henry is doing.

by **Jenny** » March 7th, 2007, 12:13 pm

Our little chocolate bar is coming home probably tomorrow, they wanted to keep him longer to keep the splint and all on his leg, he wants to pull everything off he can reach of course, vet said maybe some drains will come out tomorrow as well. The vet is amazed at how quickly he has healed, how well behaved he is and clean in his kennel for a puppy, I love how they have all become attached to him there. This vet is mostly hunting dogs and other breeds, we have saturated them with pits lately and all of them were so good there! We raised 1300$ so far towards his bill. The estimate was almost 3000$

so that will take some of the sting out of it.

by **bouvierz** » March 18th, 2007, 9:04 pm

Jenny,

Any updates on Henry???? Hows he doing? I hope all is well. Give Henry a smooch from me.

by **Jenny** » March 19th, 2007, 1:00 am

I'm lagging, apologies!
Our little Henry is home, we got him on Monday and the vet made us bring him back on Wed to make sure all is okay with him, gave his approval and sent him home again

They had wanted to keep him for another week then decided against it because he was dropping weight the last week there, he wanted to come home!
Here is the one pic brave Travis took at the vet. He was a hurtin little man, this was on the 9th. doc kept him on some good meds for the pain tho.
He is still getting some pain meds now daily but much milder, we dont want him to think he can do too much.
His elbow was taken out of the socket in the fight and up till the 7th he had a splint and soft cast on to keep it in place. Most of the drains are out in this pic, I couldn't take pictures of him before it was too hard and I don't really want to remember that.
He is MUCH better now and I will post more pics of him at home tomorrow !
We have him down in the living room downstairs.
He has his personal space heater, cushy bed and is kickin back watching television. I let Sugar my ABD in there to watch her Sesame street in the mornings and he tries to get her to come over and play with him at his crate..she won't move off the couch, she is stuck on Sesame Street! She barely takes her eyes off the TV to look at him. He likes her company, she isn't dog aggressive and she could really care less about him but her company is hopefully therapeutic, he needs to be around dogs I think in a good way. Just keeping everything real calm and low key so he rests and heals good and doesn't get too excited.
He's pretty bummed he can only go out the front door , do his bizness and come right back in but we have to be careful of the elbow and make sure it heals with no stress on those ligaments that were damaged. Dr. told me if he gets on it too much or stresses it , it could come out of the socket again! oh ya, we being very careful. Gonna be a few weeks yet.
He has already put weight back on and gets lots of goodies too of course. We got some real nice beef sticks donated by the ARF Foundation, he loves them!
He is back to usual self this week, barking his disapproval if I don't appear before his highness the second he calls

or if I am letting dogs out to play he lets us know not to forget him. He just amazes me how quickly he heals, the vet is amazed too. Everyone at the hospital fell in love with him.
Of course I am spoiling him terribly. I'm sure I will pay for it later.

by **Jenny** » March 19th, 2007, 1:02 am

forgot to put the picture in from the vets..almost all the drains out ..

Dogfight-This really sucks

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