Please help with surgery for Rescue Dog

Our friend Elizabeth needs our help.

Elizabeth runs Gunn Dogs Rescue in Arkansas and has rescued hundreds of shelter dogs in the past. She has rescued puppy mill dogs, dogs found abandoned on the highway and even dogs someone was selling out of a box in a parking lot.

Elizabeth was promised help by another "Rescue," and agreed to rescue eight doodle pups and a couple other dogs from a back yard breeder and found abandoned in Arkansas. These dogs were sick, some had been eating rat poison and all needed medical attention and socializing. Some didn't survive.

Elizabeth has done a wonderful job and found homes for most of them. But because she was promised help and that help didn't come, Elizabeth now finds herself struggling to make ends meet. One of the dogs, Grant needs to have surgery tomorrow. Here's the story in Elizabeth's words:

Grant had been hit by a car on the highway where I picked him up. And we don't know about the rat poison - someone whose yard he wandered up into, I imagine. Poor thing has really had a rough time of it. Almost all of the original 13 or so Doodles I got in that week have been adopted - I still have one of the Mad Scientist puppies - Nash - who is growing like a weed! And Grant is still here, of course, along with his mother Sophie, the Standard Poodle. We think she is his mother, anyway - they were wandering together, along with a third Doodle pup that we never recovered. Rumor about town is that they belonged to a local backyard breeder, but he denied it when the Sheriff questioned him. Small towns in Arkansas can be rough for dogs. A witness saw Sophie and Grant (we assume it was Grant) get hit by cars after they were literally dumped in the middle of a four-lane highway - we are assuming that the third Doodle pup was killed, but we never located his body. It was horrible. One redneck (excuse me, I can't help it) - even admitted to shooting at them to get them out of his yard. No one fed them or gave them any water, and it was late July with temperatures in the 100's. The guy, we think who dumped them, is the ex-husband of the woman the Mad Scientist pups came from. Two of them had died before I got them. I need to take a road trip back to that area and make sure there aren't more Doodles wandering around down there.

A lot of people tried to help with donations, but, as you know, most of the money was - ah - "diverted" by another rescue and never made it to the Arkansas Doodles. But what goes around comes around, you know? I still owe a huge vet bill, but my wonderful friends at the vet are very understanding and trying to help raise donations to put towards the bill. I am blessed to have so many awesome friends out there!

Here's some of the original story for those of you who didn't follow it:

Eight 10-week-old labradoodle puppies were taken in by Elizabeth Gunn of Gunn Dogs Rescue in Arkansas. There were 3 chocolate girls and 5 boys, chocolate and black.

These babies were severely malnourished, flea and worm infested, had various skin conditions, eye and ear infections, diarrhea, and giardia. They had never seen a vet.

These puppies were starving, dehydrated and lethargic when they arrived. Initial vetting indicated that they are Parvo free but they need to be closely monitored for symptoms over the first few weeks and fecal tests had to be repeated with or without presentation of symptoms. They all required sub-cutaneous fluids and they were treated for all the various infections along with the worms and giardia. Elizabeth also provided them with electrolyte supplements and high calorie puppy food.

11/3 Update on Grant -

I am terribly worried about Grant - he is continuing to vomit a lot, and has lost what little weight he has gained. I am afraid I may feel a mass now in his abdomen, so he will be seeing the vet on Monday. Please send prayers to Grant - he has had such a rough time. If anyone would like to help out with his vet bills, you can call my vet directly - Park Hill Pet Hospital - 501-758-7387. They know me well there - oh, too well - LOL! My bill with them each month probably pays their rent, and I have gotten behind - argh! I am so embarrassed that I was not able to pay my bill after over $2000.00 was taken from the Arkansas Doodle Project by "that other rescue", that I have avoided taking Grant to the vet because of it. Anyway, after the fiasco with the misappropriated donations, I am loathe to even ask - so thought maybe if people knew they could send a donation directly to my vet, that might help assure everyone that the Arkansas Doodles will actually get the donations this time!
Anyway, paws crossed that Grant will be ok...I gave him some Zantac earlier tonight before his dinner, and so far no vomiting - but he seems to do it in the night mostly. I have tried everything I can think of and am out of ideas on what might be wrong, and now with feeling the mass I'm really worried. If anyone has any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact me. My home number is 501-888-8516, my email address is gunndogs@yahoo.com (also my Paypal account address). Thanks for all the kind words of welcome from everyone!

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/16977351

11/8 Update on Grant -

Grant is at the vet's - he does have a very large mass in his abdomen - it doesn't look good at all. They are going to to exploratory surgery either this afternoon or tomorrow. I am cashing in my IRA to pay for his surgery. I feel so bad that I waited at all to take him to the vet - but once I found the mass, I got him right in. I have a terrible feeling about this, and have been crying all morning. Sometimes rescue is so heartbreaking. Please continue to send prayers for Grant and while you're at it, ask God to please help me get through this. My heart is breaking.

If anyone would like to help out with Grant's vet bills, you can call his vet directly - Park Hill Pet Hospital - 501-758-7387.

To pay by Credit Card by Paypal the email is gunndogs@yahoo.com

Any amount will be appreciated.

REST IN PEACE AT THE RAINBOW BRIDGE, GRANT.

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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Gunn on November 11, 2010 at 1:56pm

Thank you, Sue - I know that Grant is up there playing with all those who went before him. I think of the Rainbow Bridge a lot, imagining it being a wonderous place, green grass, blue skies, with puffy white clouds and butterflies everywhere. But in reality, it's probably more like one big dog park with cookies, bones, and toys everywhere! Wonder if the kitties hang out with the dogs and whatnot - kind of like that commercial on tv that shows all the animals laughing and playing together.

Member Since 2009Permalink Reply by Jeanne Hranica on November 11, 2010 at 7:04pm

Just wondering if there is any news on Grant...

Member Since 2009Permalink Reply by Jeanne Hranica on November 11, 2010 at 7:08pm

Oh my gosh - just saw the previous postings. I am so sad for his loss. Poor pup - sounds like he fought so hard. Now he doesn't have to fight anymore and he is surrounded by our beloveds that have passed. Probably playing a good game of fetch with a ball that gets thrown endlessly!

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Gunn on November 11, 2010 at 7:21pm

Actually, Grant's favorite form of play was to endlessly harrass my GSP Mickey - he particularly liked putting Mickey's whole head in his mouth! And pulling him around by his ears, and so forth! Poor Mickey - he is the most tolerant dog I have ever known. I thought it bugged the fire out of Mickey, but he has been mourning the loss of Grant the past few days. I wonder how he knows when one of his foster buddies leaves to go a new home versus when one goes to the Bridge? He somehow knows... it's odd. When a dog leaves for it's forever home, he just kind of stares out the gate for a minute, shrugs his shoulders, says "oh, well" and goes and finds another new best buddy. When one dies, he is so sad. He grieved for weeks over his absolute best buddy Snuffy, a South African Boerbeol I had who just knocked him around like nobody's business - man, that dog played rough! It wound up getting him euthanized while I was sick in the hospital last year, unfortunately, but Mickey sure loved him, and so did I! Apparently Snuffy went ballistic when they tried to get him out of my house after I got sick - got very aggressive, even animal control couldn't handle him. Mickey just went and hid under my truck and wouldn't come out. I am sorry he had to see them drag Snuffy away with a catchpole.

AdminPermalink Reply by LM Fowler - Admin on November 11, 2010 at 7:40pm

That's horrible, Eliz. You better not get sick again or we will all have to come down there and keep Mickey and all the other's safe. They don't want to mess with a Yankee Doggie Momma.

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Gunn on November 11, 2010 at 8:25pm

Oh, I won't ever let them put me in the hospital again, don't worry! I'll just dose myself up with some Albon, Flagyl, and any other dog meds i have on hand and keep on truckin'!
I have created a riot here - have the stereo blasting, dancing with the dogs - they love it when I do that? Does anyone else here dance with their dogs? We particularly like "We Are Family" I just caught my next door neighbor (the one who called in the bark complaint last week) hiding behind her garbage can peering over here...I have all the windows open and the front door open - ROCK ON! 32 dogs running wild barking, stirring u p a dust cloud, fighting a little, just general mayhem! In and out the front door, in and out - we have until 10PM to play!!! And guess what - my friend, who is the county ACO who responded to the bark "complaint" is going to start coming out and helping me - take THAT, nosy neighbor! Yahahaha....karma, my friends, karma at it's best!

AdminPermalink Reply by LM Fowler - Admin on November 11, 2010 at 8:31pm

LOL, you better watch out or they are gonna put you in the loony bin.

I can just imagine "We are family" and you and 32 doggies dancing around the house, laughing. Grant is smiling! Love you, girlfriend. Out of diversity...we find our wings.

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Gunn on November 11, 2010 at 8:35pm

Did I mention that I am still wearing my frog pajamas and yellow rubber boots from this morning? Never did finish my chores.

We are taking a play day in Grant's honor! My neighbors figured out I was a nut pretty quickly - Take a look at this pic I took of my front gate a few months ago.....

AdminPermalink Reply by LM Fowler - Admin on November 11, 2010 at 8:52pm

OK, the frog pj's had me rolling, the yellow boots put me on the floor.

Chores...smores. You deserve the time.

I think that gate would scare my neighbors. Maybe she thinks you really are loony. LOL

Member Since 2009Permalink Reply by Jeanne Hranica on November 12, 2010 at 6:02am

For future reference, Aretha Franklin's Respect is a good dog dancing song :)

Permalink Reply by Sue & the Crew on November 12, 2010 at 6:24am

OK, I am so relieved that I am not the only one that does loud music and dances (sings too) with the dogs. Although my girls seem to prefer the Beatles.

Member Since 2009Permalink Reply by Jeannine, Gamine & Thalie on November 12, 2010 at 9:24am

Eliz, I can assure you that for all of us your side of the street is very very clean... I already told you, you,re an angel.
How is dear Grant? How ARE YOU?