tall tails newsletter - standish humane...

Spring/Summer2017

P.O. Box 634 | Duxbury, MA 02331 | 781-834-4663 TALL TAILS NEWSLETTERw w w. s t a n d i s h h u m a n e . o r g

It all started on a freezing cold Saturday night in a neighboring town. A lady, who had been feeding a presumed feral cat for over a year and letting it live in a cardboard box on her porch, became alarmed that night when she saw that the cat’s leg was “mangled.” She assumed the cat had somehow broken its leg and needed immediate medical attention.

She contacted a number of shelters for assistance, including Standish through its Facebook page. Standish was the only shelter to respond to her pleas for help. A Standish volunteer monitoring Facebook that night contacted the woman and arranged for a Standish adopter to take the cat to a veterinary hospital to have the leg looked at.

The vet took x-rays and discovered the leg was not broken, but the cat had a luxating patella, a very painful condition in which the kneecap slips out of position. In many cases the condition can be surgically corrected. The vet thought that both back legs were affected by a luxating patella, and one leg seemed much worse that the other. The better leg could be surgically corrected to relieve the intense pain the cat felt. The other leg, which seemed to be in worse condition,

It Was Meant To BeSome things are just meant to be.

could not be corrected surgically and would have to be amputated. The plan was to operate first on the luxating patella that could be corrected, allow for a two-month recovery, and then amputate the leg with the inoperable luxating patella.

From the x-rays that were taken, the vet realized the cat was a Manx, an uncommon type of cat that has a short or nonexistent tail due to a naturally occurring genetic mutation. The cat with the little bob tail became known as Bobbit.

Bobbit was taken to the Standish shelter and

Standish began a fundraiser for his surgery. It was estimated that all the medical care Bobbit would need would cost several thousand dollars. Once at the shelter, it became clear that Bobbit was an extremely social and affectionate cat despite the pain he endured. He loved to be petted, and the only time he was ever at all aloof was when he was in pain.

Due to his extreme pain, Bobbit’s first surgery was scheduled as quickly as possible. Tracey, a vet tech at a local veterinary hospital, was reading the Standish Facebook page the night before Bobbit’s surgery. As she read the fundraising post on Bobbit, she decided she wanted to meet him. She fell in love with the little Manx and decided that he might just be the cat for her. The next morning Tracey went back to Facebook to look at Bobbit again but couldn’t find him. She assumed he was no longer available for adoption.

Later that morning Tracey looked at her surgery schedule for the day and saw that a cat was scheduled for surgical correction of a luxating patella. When she went in to assist with the surgery, she was astonished to see little Bobbit,

the cat from the Standish Facebook page. Bobbit’s surgery went well, and Tracey knew that she was going to be Bobbit’s mom. It was meant to be. There were too many coincidences for it to be otherwise.

During Bobbit’s two month recovery at Standish, Tracey visited him every week on her day off, lying on the floor of his room to pet him so that he would not injure himself trying to move about. Cat and mom had immediately bonded at the veterinary hospital, and the bond only grew stronger over the next two months.

Once Bobbit had almost recovered from the initial surgery, it was time to think about amputating the other leg. Dr. Ann Thompson, a vet who volunteers at Standish, examined Bobbit and thought he might not have a second luxating patella. She suspected that he might have a neurological condition in that leg due to the Manx trait. Tracey wanted a neurological consultation. A consultation with a veterinary neurologist was arranged, and the neurologist confirmed what Dr. Thompson had suspected. The leg would not need to be amputated.

That was wonderful news. Tracey’s push to have Bobbit see a veterinary neurologist and sheer fate resulted in saving Bobbit’s leg.

Bobbit and Tracey are now both living happily ever after together. It was meant to be.

Message From The PresidentSpring is a wonderful season, and this spring we have a special reason to celebrate the renewal, rebirth, and new growth of spring. We now see the results of the work spearheaded and envisioned by two volunteer couples, John and Joyce Keyes and John and Tania Cutler. Although Holmes House was always a comfortable, cozy place where our cats were much loved, secure, and well cared for, it was, in some ways, a handyman’s dream house and a decorator’s nightmare. Over the past couple of years, the Keyes and the Cutlers have been working to transform the shelter so that it is not only a wonderful environment for the cats but is also a cheerful, welcoming, and very pleasant place for our employees, volunteers, adopters, and others. Of course, this transformation could never have been accomplished without the time and effort contributed by many volunteers over a number of months.

Much of the transformation of the shelter has been done one room at a time. Not only did all of the renovated rooms get a thorough “spring” cleaning, they got new paint in light, calming hues, and anything broken in the rooms was repaired. Poor lighting was replaced with bright but soothing light, and floors were painted, repaired, or replaced as needed. Excess furniture was removed, and the lovely cat themed artwork that was often unnoticed prior to the renovation has been beautifully displayed so that it can be fully appreciated.

I want to thank the Keyes, the Cutlers, and the many other volunteers who joined with them in refurbishing Holmes House. Also, I want to thank those who contributed the materials needed so that the renovation was completed at no cost to Standish.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization. Without volunteers, we would not be able to operate our shelter. Recently, we celebrated Volunteer Appreciation Week, but I want to emphasize that at Standish, volunteer appreciation is not a one week annual celebration. We celebrate our volunteers every hour of every day of every year. Our volunteers work seven days a week including holidays. The cats don’t care if it is Thanksgiving or Christmas, they want their quarters cleaned, their boxes scooped, and their tummies filled. And our dedicated volunteers do these things every day.

Also, I want to thank our wonderful donors. Our Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter Newsletters are the source of many of the donations that we receive. Please consider making a donation so we can continue to operate our shelter and otherwise fulfill our mission. We help cats, dogs, and pet owners, and your donation can help us do this.

–Julie Salamone

Standish Humane Society Board of DirectorsJulianne Salamone – President Lynn Allain – Vice President Elaine Richardson – Clerk Kathleen Bergeron – Treasurer Janet Callaghan Joyce Keyes Klaire Perkins Jen Case-Pouliot Kelly Ragona Jim Sheehan Melinda Tarsi

Shelter DirectorJulia Fratalia

Tall Tails NewsletterLynn Allain Klaire Perkins Marilyn Phillips Heather Cipullo

2 | Standish Humane Society

Spring/Summer 2017 Tall Tails

Memorials & TributesMemorials to People

Standish Humane Society is very grateful for the many donations made in loving memory of the following people:

Carolyn Anderson, QuincyJilio Benevides, DuxburyGordon Blanchard, NorwellAlice Chisholm, PlymouthKayleigh Desrosiers, HalifaxLouis Leon Faivre, Sacramento CAJean Finnie, ScituateElizabeth Gomes, TauntonOlinda Goncalves, HansonTom Gordon, PlymouthThomas Hanson, Lewiston MEMatthew Paul Hickey, HinghamVirginia Hutton, PlymouthMargaret Lamb, KingstonHenry Leighfield, PittsfieldSusie Leonardi, MarshfieldRachel Marshall, New BedfordMary McNamee, WarehamKathleen Morse, PembrokeJoan Murray, PembrokeLiz Ounanian, NeedhamDonald Palumbo, HinghamHope Poor, MarshfieldHazel Ryan, LynnDiane Smithson, HinghamKarolina Soroko, DorchesterNancy Westland, WeymouthLinda Wilson, Rockland

Other Memorials & Tributes

Mr and Mrs Donald Adams— in memory of Grady

Jean Ahonen—in memory of RandyCraig Anderson—

in honor of Marilyn PhillipsNorma Andrew—

in memory of Emma and JoeyGinny Ballou—in honor of Pretty BoyDiane Baril—in memory of AngelThe Barry Family—

in memory of Conrad and IrisBarbara Berg—

in memory of Peaches and DittoSusan Brendel—

in honor of Jen Case-PouliotEdith, Julie, Kenneth, and William Briell and

Candace Underwood— in honor of Edith Briell’s birthday

Arnold and Marcia Briggs— in memory of Kitty

Lois Burgess—in memory of RockyWalter and Lisa Byrne—

in honor of Sally and Scott MacKinlayPaula Caramello—in honor of MollieMaureen Cassidy and Mary McNeil—

in honor of Abbey and Reilly WarrenPatrick and Janet Catino—

in memory of Murphy BrownMarilyn Cioffi—

in honor of Angel, Hobbs and Hidey

Lila and Jay Cody— in memory of Willie Stein Cody

Debra and Arthur Cote—in honor of PJRose Marie Coyle—

in memory of Emmett and CharlieTania and John Cutler—

in honor of Thomas O’MalleyCarol D’Ambrosio—in memory of PepperMelinda Damon—

in memory of Pumpkin and RalphLee and Walter Dietzer—in honor of BelleAndrew Donnelly—in honor of MorganDiane Douglas—in memory of PatchesLinda Dwight—in honor of Dot LeachLinda Dykstra—in honor of SophiaJoanne Estes—in memory of Sunny and MaxLynn Farnham—in memory of HootieJudi Forti—

in memory of The Avenger, Shrimp Scampi, Tilly, Misty, Jessie, Rosanella and Luigi

Lynda Fougere—in memory of GusterJoyce Hanlon—

in memory of Ambrose and TiffyJulie Hathaway—In honor of KirbyElizabeth Havens—

in honor of Chai and MochaMary and Ward Heilman—

in honor of Terri Burkhart’s birthdayRose Hickey—in honor of Zena and TrudyElizabeth Hills and Carola VonKapff—

in memory of ChangNorma Infusino—

in memory of Pippa and LucyJennifer and Shawn Jones—

in honor of Blue KittyBenjamin Kennard—

in memory of Trouble CatDiane Kiely—in memory of Sam I AmMarilyn Kozodoy—

in memory of Kat, Bruiser and SwifferElaine and John Kuhn—

in memory of ZuluMr and Mrs Robert LaFleur—

in memory of IndiaKaren Lanoue-Lambrecht—

in honor of Holly Kelly ModesMary and Mark LeBlanc—

in honor of Sammy and JinxiePat Leighfield—

in memory of Jaspar, Buster, Laverne, Maxine, Wren, Nicholas, Rocky and Mickey

Constance Leyland— in honor of Marilyn Phillips

Gloria Leonard—in honor of SophieJohn and Laurie LoBue—

in memory of RockyDavid and Magorie Lowry—

in memory of DustyCarol Marr—gift to Standish on her birthdayJon and Ashley MacCallum—

in memory of Gizmo and FussiMary Marek—

in honor of Terri Burkhart’s birthdayRobin and Paul Martell—

in memory of Phoebe and SolaTheresa Millett—in honor of Tippy

Susan and Pieter Mimno— in memory of Mimi and Toots

Deborah and Leo Muido— in memory of Charlie Cat

Harriet Nichols— in memory of Randy and Lily

Theresa O’Loughlin—in memory of GizmoAndrew and Barbara Osborne—

in memory of Ashley JulietteMr and Mrs Daniel Orr—

in memory of FenwayGeorgia Parros—in honor of BeckhamNancy Perrino—in honor of AsherlyKevin and Chris Perry—

in memory of Tiger and Sammy Connelly, Tully Kiely, Tyson Perry and Mickey Salamone

Marilyn Phillips— in honor of Julia Fratalia and Julie Salamone; in honor of Edith Briell’s birthday; in memory of Moon, Jerry, Mickey and Jake

Judith Pratt— in memory of Amber, Heather and Churchie

Chris Prendiville— in honor of Shmi and Peanut

Leslie Prescott—in memory of CaliElaine Richardson—

in memory of Buddy, Satin and GoldieJane and Zebulon Robbins—

in honor of Sage (Sherona)Gladys Rogers—in honor of JazzyAnn Ryerson—in memory of AngelJulie Salamone—

in memory of Bella, Tiger and SammyBob and Julie Salamone—

in memory of MickeyJudith Schlicting—in honor of Bobbie SoxMary Schrader—in honor of JoeMary Simard—in honor of GracieRobert and Laurie Solomon—

in memory of Reggie, Clancy and OllieRoberta and Stan Standley—

in honor of TuxMaida Stofman—in memory of SamanthaSusan and Bob Temple—in honor of RosieClaire Tong—in memory of SharieDeborah Wall, Susan McDermott and Carol

Watches— in honor of Pam DeMoucell

Harriet Whisman— in memory of Rainbow

Janet White— in memory of Sofie, Phoenix, and Walter

Kim and Andrew Wiemeyer— in honor of Grace Lawrence

Marilyn Winters—in honor of Nicholas


Standish Humane Society | 3

Standish LOVES Planet SubaruOn April 25th, 2017, Ken Scanzio, Subaru of New England District Manager, and Klaire Perkins, who is a Planet Subaru Purchase Partner and a Standish volunteer, presented Standish Humane Society President Julie Salamone with a check for $43,703.51. For every new Subaru sold from November 17th, 2016, through January 3rd, 2017, $250 was donated to the buyer’s choice of six charities during the “Subaru Share the Love” program. During this time, the dealership sold 222 new Subaru vehicles. The majority of buyers chose Standish as their charity of choice.

Since 2014, Standish has received almost $150,000 from Planet Subaru’s Share the Love program and from other donations made by Planet Subaru. These donations have helped fund the ongoing operation of Standish’s no-kill cat shelter as well as the establishment of the Planet Subaru Standish Home Forever Fund to help pet owners pay for vet care, prescription foods, and other special needs they could not otherwise afford. Standish President Julie Salamone said, “Traditionally, shelters find homes for surrendered and abandoned dogs and cats. With

the Fund, we’re reducing animal homelessness by intervening ‘upstream’ and keeping animals in the homes where they are already loved.”

Planet Subaru continues to share the love with Standish, and Standish loves Planet Subaru. Planet Subaru has helped Standish help so many cats and kittens as well as other kinds of pets, including dogs and rabbits. Thank you Planet Subaru!

Standish Programs In Need Of DonationsReduced Cost Spay/Neuter Program This is one of our most successful and critical programs. A $95 donation to this program to spay a feral female cat on the Spay Waggin’ can prevent the birth of several hundred unwanted kittens in the wild over a seven-year period. Donations in any amount are welcome.

The Elvis Feral Fund This program provides financial assistance to community cat caregivers. A big part of this program is the requirement that caregivers participate in a trap, spay/neuter, and release program, which is designed to ultimately eliminate the community cat colony.

Cat Sponsor Fund The cat sponsorship program provides monthly support for our resident cats. By donating at least $15 a month, you can become a sponsor of a particular resident, and you will receive periodic photos and updates on your sponsored kitty.

Donations can be made by check or by online donation through our website at standishhumane.org.You may visit our Amazon Wish List to donate items Standish specifically needs. Also, go to Standish Humane Society on Facebook to see pictures and helpful articles and check for any urgent donation appeals.

Standish Humane gratefully acknowledges the following corporations and foundations for their support.

DIAMOND ($5,000 or more)

Subaru of America & Planet Subaru Copeland Family Foundation

PLATINUM ($500 – $4999)

AIG Matching Funds Animal Pharm Ann Hughes, CPA Commonwealth Cares Fund Donate Well DJD Medical, Inc Eastern Bank Grey2K USA Worldwide Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Johnson & Johnson Maddie’s Fund Petco Rockland Trust

GOLD ($250 - $499)

Acumen Consultants Duxbury Animal Hospital Hanson Riding Club Mirbeau Inn & Spa 99 Restaurants

SILVER ($100 -- $249)

Amazon Smile Critter Corner Dr Ann Thompson Fox & Hounds Pet Care F1 Racing Massage Envy Opterra Energy Services Sun Life Financial Tiny & Sons Glass

BRONZE (under $100)

British Beer Company Captain John Whale Watching Cigna Foundation Pacini’s Italian Eatery Peck’s Flooring Plimouth Plantation South Paws Dogs State Street Matching Susan White/ Mark O’Connell Photography



Forever Homes

Holmes House

Autumn has brightened his family’s home so much since he was adopted. His family adores him and feels very lucky that he chose them to be his family.

JR reports that he is “doing great” in his forever home and that his dad treats him like a king.Joy,

now known as Lily Joy, is quite a confident tortie who greets her family at the door when they come home, loves to talk, and likes to sit in laps when she is not sitting in the sunlight on mom’s desk squirrel watching.

Sarge, who now answers to Sardini, is doing just fine even though he has only three legs. His mom and dad are crazy about him, and his hobbies include bird watching while sitting in the kitchen sink and playing in a large paper bag.

Gypsy, who now answers to Abby, was a featured cat in 2015, and she is doing quite well in her forever home. Her mom reports that she is the craziest cat ever but also much loved. Although she adjusted slowly to her forever home, she is now part of the happy family that adopted her.

Brady,who was adopted four years ago is living happily with his forever family. They adore him and say he is still the sweetest cat ever.



Partnering with Pembroke Petco

How Do People Find Standish Cats?Whether a cat is surrendered by its owner, brought in as a stray by a Good Samaritan, or accepted from another shelter, our goal from the time that cat arrives at Standish is to find it a good home. At Standish we make full use of what the digital world has to offer to find forever homes for the cats.

The most commonly used method of finding Standish cats is a national website, petfinder.com, which is operated by Petfinder Foundation, an organization devoted to finding every adoptable animal a home. Petfinder allows a potential adopter to locate an adoptable cat by location, sex, age, or breed. At Standish, our shelter director, Julia Fratalia, and volunteers Lynn Allain, Rose Donoghue, and Debbie West make sure all currently available cats have their photos, a video, and a description of the cat’s background and personality posted on Petfinder.

Another way to find a Standish cat is through the Standish website, standishhumane.org. Volunteer Rose Donoghue is our webmaster. Petfinder automatically uploads to the adoptions section of our website the information on each adoptable Standish cat when it is posted on Petfinder. Our website, however, is much more than just the adoptions section. It contains a wealth of information regarding Standish and its mission, how to donate to Standish, events at Standish, and who our corporate sponsors are, as well as weekly feature articles on specific cats. Being webmaster is a huge undertaking, and Rose handles it masterfully.

Finally, adoptable cats can be found on the Standish Humane Society Facebook page. Facebook contains photos, stories, and information about adoptable Standish cats. Potential adopters can ask questions online about cats, and volunteers can post information they have gained working with a specific cat. By clicking an icon “liking” a cat, that cat’s information can be disseminated to the Facebook friends of the person clicking the icon, not just to the Standish Facebook readers. The Facebook posts that our volunteers most enjoy are those from Standish cat adopters giving updates on the cats they have adopted. Dottie Leach is the moderator for the Standish Facebook page, and she has done an amazing job. Standish has almost 3,600 likes on Facebook, and every day Dottie is posting new photos, stories, and other material on our page.

Standish has found a wonderful partner in the Petco at the North River Plaza mall in Pembroke. For the past few years, Standish has attended Petco’s adoption weekends to raise awareness of Standish and the fantastic cats it has for adoption. Standish has also been the beneficiary of Petco Foundation’s support of animal rescue organizations and has received substantial and much appreciated funds from the foundation through the Pembroke store. The store manager at the Pembroke Petco has also made numerous donations of items Standish needs for the care of its cats.. Volunteer Lori Hume has done a great job representing Standish on adoption weekends, and we ask our supporters to consider Petco in Pembroke when making purchases for their pets. We want to give a big thank you to the Pembroke Petco.



Lyme Disease in dogs is caused by a bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi. The main symptoms are lameness, fever, and poor appetite, but 95% of infected dogs show no symptoms. Kidney failure is possible but rare.

Tick Life Cycle After hatching, larvae of the Ixodes scapularis tick (in the Northeast) emerge in the spring and feed on small mammals. They molt a year later into nymphs and feed on larger mammals. At the end of their second summer, they molt into adults and feed on deer, dogs and birds, especially robins. The tick has a three-year life cycle. It is estimated that 60 to 90% of the ticks are infected with Borrelia bacteria.

The bacterium lives in the tick’s gut, migrates to its salivary glands, and is transferred to the host’s skin when the tick bites. It has been reported that it takes a tick at least 48 hours of feeding for the bacterium to be transferred to the host, but recent data states that transfer can occur when the tick starts to bite.

The tick is extremely small. The nymph is the size of a grain of pepper, and the adult is about the size of a constricted pupil of a cat’s eye. The ticks are very difficult to find on cats, dogs, and people.

Symptoms of Canine Lyme Disease A dog’s immune response to migrating bacteria can cause arthritis symptoms that can persist for years even after antibiotic treatment. The living organism is not found in a dog’s kidneys, but the dog’s response to the Borrelia organism can cause kidney disease. The incubation period from the time of a tick bite transferring the organism to illness is approximately 2.5 months.

Acute signs of Lyme disease in dogs are fever from 103 to 105 degrees and lameness for three to four days. Lameness can recur days to weeks later in the same or a different leg. There is pain when the joint is manipulated, but this responds well to antibiotics. Chronic disease is not recognized in dogs as it is in humans.

In rare cases, kidney disease can occur with symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, poor appetite, weight loss, and increased thirst and urination. This is rare but more common in Golden Retrievers and Labradors.

Diagnosis No blood test proves infection. Tissue samples for biopsy are definitive but hard to obtain and expensive. The ELISA test, which was the standard for a long time, indicates exposure to the organisms’ antigens but does not distinguish vaccine exposure from natural exposure. The SNAP test detects antibodies to a protein produced by the tick only when it bites the host. The Lyme Quantitative C6 test correlates with Lyme specific immune complexes but not with the degree of infection. The Cornell Multiplex quantifies antibodies to three tick proteins. The Antech Accuplex test determines antibodies to Lyme rapidly and is very sensitive and specific.

Treatment The most commonly used antibiotic to treat Lyme disease in dogs is doxycycline. Amoxicillin is used more in puppies, because doxycycline can cause teeth staining. Treatment is usually required for four to six weeks. Convenia injections can be given once then repeated in 14 days. Two injections are all that are needed. ALL treatments FAIL to clear the organisms from the tissues of some dogs. Little data supports

treatment of dogs with no symptoms. In many asymptomatic dogs, the disease is detected in routine blood tests. In dogs without symptoms, whether to treat them is controversial.

Vaccination When dogs are vaccinated, antibodies are developed to a protein the bacteria make in the tick before transmission The vaccine immobilizes and inactivates the Borrelia burgdorferi in the tick prior to it hiding its protein. Currently there are two types of vaccines: whole cell bacterin and recombinant subunit. Both protect by generating antibodies in the tick. In a sense the tick is getting vaccinated!

Education To prevent your wonderful dogs, as well as humans, from getting Lyme disease, learn about ticks, their life cycles, how they transmit the Lyme organism, testing, treatment, and prevention. Lyme disease is NOT the only disease transmitted by ticks. There are many more.

Prevention Because we are in the hot zone of tick disease in Massachusetts, prevention is essential. There are many types of products to repel ticks. Some work very well, some not so well. You may need to use a combination of products if your dog goes into heavily wooded areas, especially those with a lot of leaf litter and ground coverage. This is where the nymphs begin to feed. Treating your yard and removing leaf litter, trimming bushes, and cutting back trees also help. EXAMINE your dog and yourself carefully after you are in tick areas. People CANNOT get the disease from their dogs directly; they need to be bitten by an infected tick. We do not see the infection frequently in cats, but they are susceptible as well as to many other tick borne diseases. But we all know wonderful kitty owners do not let cats outside! But remember, ticks can be brought into the house on dogs, and clothing.

I hope this article has helped you begin learning about Lyme disease in dogs, how to treat it, but especially how to prevent ticks from biting your beautiful dogs. Remember: Vaccinate, Educate and Tick Control, VET!

Ann Thompson, DVM

What Do We Know About Canine Lyme Disease?

Standish Humane Society has more than 3,600 “likes” for our Facebook page! Join us on Facebook.



Visit Petfinder.com to view pictures and videos of Standish’s adoptable cats!

P.O. Box 634

Duxbury, MA 02331

YOUR CAR TELLS THE WORLD HOW

YOU FEEL ABOUT PETS

Purchase the Massachusetts Animal Friendly license plate and help support spay/neuter programs throughout the state.The Plate’s initial cost is $40, $28 of which will be used to support sterilization programs. On renewal, the entire $40 will go to those programs.

• Easy to order • Tax deductibleGo to www.mass.gov/rmv

to purchase your Animal Friendly License plate!

This Newsletter was printed by Smith Print / Webster One Source

in Hanson, MA with the environment in mind.

From Trash To TreasureGracie, a little Chihuahua, was just a year old when she was thrown like a bag of trash from her owner’s moving vehicle breaking all four of her legs. This horrible cruelty occurred because Gracie’s barking annoyed her owner. Gracie’s owner retrieved her and took her home, but she did not seek medical attention for the little dog. Eventually the little dog’s legs healed, but her front legs looked like a seal’s flippers, and her back legs had the appearance of chicken wings. Two years later, Gracie’s owner moved and planned to have the disabled dog euthanized. Gracie was instead rescued by a Good Samaritan, and ultimately she found a forever home with Shirley, an animal lover and rescuer.

Shirley immediately took Gracie to her own vet, who examined Gracie, gave her the shots she needed, and attended to her minor medical issues. The vet told Shirley that Gracie would need a specialist to evaluate her deformed limbs. Because of the untreated injuries to her legs, Gracie cannot walk. She scoots on her abdomen to get around.

Shirley vowed to try to find someone who could help Gracie walk again. Shirley contacted the Planet Subaru Standish Home Forever Fund, and Standish agreed to provide financial assistance for x-rays and a consultation with a veterinary orthopedist. Unfortunately, after examining Gracie and reviewing her imagining studies, the orthopedist concluded that there was no hope of Gracie ever walking again.

Gracie has been a beloved member of Shirley’s family for two months now. Even if Gracie never walks again, she has a forever home with Shirley, where she is considered a valuable treasure and is very much loved. Gracie has gone from being her first owner’s trash to Shirley’s adorable little treasure.

If you would like to donate to the fund that helped Gracie, you may do so by sending a check to Standish at 622 Congress St., Duxbury MA 02332 or by using a credit card on the Standish website at standishhumane.org. You will help dogs like Gracie and other pets whose owners would not otherwise be able to afford expensive medical care for their own treasured pets.


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