Cross-post from http://www.b2g3.com/boards/board.cgi?action=read&id=1043014978&user=CYABC>
Ivy was surrendered to the shelter as her puppies were too young (at 4 weeks) to be separated from the mom. The owner had given away three puppies already.
When we got Ivy, she was at least 15 pounds underweight, far more than normal for a nursing bitch. Her healthy weight is only 55 pounds, so it was a significant amount of weight. She and her puppies also had worms and fleas.
We cleaned them up, dewormed them, bathed them, treated them with advantage, cleaned out their ears, and cut their nails.
Ivy was put onto a high quality food, and given as much as she could eat, three times a day. We also supplemented her with vitamins and omega oils. While nursing, she gained 10 pounds, and continued to gain weight after weaning her pups.
She was left with an intact male while she was in heat, which is why she ended up pregnant. She is between 12 and 18 months of age, far to young to be having puppies, but the owner couldn't afford to spay her.
Ivy had no obedience training when she came to our home - she pulled on the leash, didn't know sit or down, raided the garbage, counter-surfed, etc. While in our care, she learned all her basic obedience commands including sit, down, off, out, stay, leave and come. She was also crate trained.
We invested over $750 in Ivy and her puppies, between food, bowls, toys, carpet cleaner and pee pads, not to mention the time and effort of caring for a nursing mom.
The shelter super felt that it was in the dog's best interests to be returned to the original owner. I hope that she now realizes the responsibilities that come with owning a dog, and will take much better care of Ivy in the future.
AAS: Two months and $750 was spent on Ivy undoing the damage that her owner did to her. Severely malnourished, fleas, overgrown toenails, dirty ears, 4 week-old pups given away, and then Ivy and the remaining pups dumped at an SPCA. Lucky Ivy that she had Dana and didn't have to lie on a cold cement floor, still hungry all the time.
What kind of a creep would choose to return Ivy to an owner who more than clearly showed she is irresponsible and incapable instead of allowing a better person to be Ivy's caretaker for the rest of her life which may be fifteen years?
There is no doubt in my mind that Ivy's "guardian" will dump her again - they always do. And she will be too embarrassed to take Ivy to the same SPCA so Dana will never know when this happens.
Ivy's owner should be black-listed and Ivy's tattoo should be flagged and watched for.
What a betrayal! Ivy almost made it, but her one small chance at a decent, stable life came and went. She wasn't fated to be one of the lucky ones.
But this small story is further proof that the BC SPCA has to get rid of the kind of employee who would do this to Ivy.
I was Ivy's foster mom...
Posted on 1/19/2003 at 02:22:58 PM by Dana