Sunday, May 10, 2009

Meet Sassyfras

Sassyfras came to us from upstate after she was confiscated in an animal cruelty case. We are not at liberty to give much info about her case, but we can tell you that we are extremely disappointed in the outcome. Sassy was found tied to the front porch of a home in the upstate area with no food, water or shelter. She was starved nearly to death and her rescuers weren't sure if she would make it. The man who was charged less than $150 for restitution and vet fees.

After nearly a month of waiting, we were finally able to pick Sassy up and bring her to her into our program! While in on hold for the court case, Sassy was able to enjoy regular meals and water and she gained a considerable amount of weight. It's amazing what a little bit of TLC can do for a dog! Sassy is not out of the woods yet however. She has tested positive for heartworms and we're not sure yet how much internal damage was done by her being starved and dehydrated. We will be taking her to our vet this week for a full exam and to begin planning the best course of treatment for this beauty.

We have started a Chipin to help raise money for Sassy's heartworm treatments, because (and thanks to generous donors like you!) we have treated other dogs in our program and know the cost already. Sassy will also be vaccinated, microchipped and spayed before she will be ready for adoption. We are praying that all goes well for her, and that the abuse she suffered didn't have too much impact on her health beyond what we already know. This poor girl has been through so much, and we only want to give her the life every dog deserves from here on out!



A little bit about Sassy's breed: Sassy here is what many people nowadays know as an American Bully. It's a relatively new "breed" generated over the last 2 decades to look a bit different from the American Pit Bull Terrier. Although these dogs are VERY similar to pit bulls and are marketed as such, they are very much different dogs as far as body structure and potential athletic ability. Many American Bully fanciers like to tout that their breed doesn't and will not wind up in shelters because of what they are and how expensive they are (we're talking $2,000 plus in many circumstances). Well...we hate to be the bringer of bad news but these dogs can and DO end up in shelters. No amount of money or reflection on status can ever protect these dogs from the abuse they are very frequently subjected to. Please, just remember that!

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