Dorrie’s new rescue – peke, Peggy Sue! pics:DM
By Dorrie Maynard
As most of my readers already know, I volunteer for Central Mass Kibble Kitchen. CMKK rents a garage stall at Worcester Animal Rescue League, so I am there quite often. I can be found bagging pet food for our weekly visits to pass out pet food at the Mustard Seed soup kitchen in Piedmont then twice monthly at St. John’s church on Temple Street.
On one of my recent visits I stopped into the Worcester Animal Rescue League to visit the dogs. I fell in love with Rosie, the large pit bull with a bad eye. I honestly thought about adopting her! I even set up and an appointment for her to meet my dogs. However, when I walked her (and she had just come from a three mile jog with a volunteer), I realized she was way too much for me to handle. I need to stick with my small, compact dogs that don’t care if they go for long walks, (as they are happy to roam in my very small city backyard). My friend Cheryl was behind the counter and said that she was surprised that I was considering such a large dog as she has always known me to be a small dog person. She then mentioned that they might be in need for a hospice situation for a small female dog and she thought I would be a perfect candidate. She discussed it briefly with Alie and they both agreed.
So off to meet Peggy Sue I went! She was a very small odd looking dog that breathed funny. She was a pekinese, I had never had the opportunity to meet one before. She had recently had a very large tumor removed from her belly that they were assuming was cancer, and at the same time she was also spayed. The poor little girl had been through so much. She had a belly full of staples but her spirit was spunky and I felt like she was such a little trooper.
While she continued to heal, I visited her several times and did bring my dogs to meet her. I just wasn’t sure I could deal with her breathing as it kind of freaked me out a bit. It is a common condition in the pekinese breed and they assured me it was nothing to be afraid of. After her staples were removed I made the leap and brought little Miss Peggy Sue home. They had also informed me that her results came back and the tumor was not cancer so she would not be a hospice foster after all. I had her for almost a week and had to bring her back for a dental. They were removing some of her teeth as she had issues! I was a nervous wreck leaving her although I knew she was in good hands. I had fallen head over heals for little Peggy Sue and worried all day. When I finally got there to pick her up, she was “drunk” from the drugs but as they brought her to me, her little tail was wagging away and her little tongue was hanging to one side, it was the cutest thing ever!!!
Peggy Sue will be going back for a follow up to be sure her mouth is healing. I have been playing nurse, giving her pain medicine and ClinDrops. I have even managed to get her to eat something besides Little Caesar dog food, she is going to be getting the good stuff from now on whether she likes it or not. It did take her a few days of putting her nose up to it but she eventually realized it was that or nothing. I did cave a bit when she was sick and did give her some Little Caesar to make her feel better but she is back to eating the good, grain free stuff that my other dogs eat.
Peggy Sue was found as a stray on the streets of Worcester and was brought to WARL by an animal control officer. I was told she had poop hanging out of her butt and a very large tumor protruding off her little belly. She was placed on hold for 7 days as is the case when a dog comes to WARL as a stray. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for Peggy Sue💙) no one came to claim her. I hate to think that someone just booted her out to fend for herself in the condition that she was found.
Peg with her new pals!
Well, truth be told, Peggy Sue landed into a much better life. She will be well loved, taken care of and sleep on the best of dog beds and pillows from now on. And as I mentioned, she will be getting good food and on occasion, I give my girls a special bowl of my coveted bottled evian water. It is one of my few splurges, I highly doubt they can tell the difference but I so love my evian water and want to share with my kids!
As always, we are always seeking donations of pet food for CMKK. We are in great need of dry cat food now and always.
You can drop off at WARL and ask them to put it in the CMKK space or you can drop at my house. If you live in Worcester, I am willing to pick it up!
And please support WARL and all the wonderful work they do for the cats and dogs that are found as strays. You can visit their website for weekly “wish list items”. They are very fortunate to have great staff and awesome volunteers. Best of Luck to Alie on the birth of her recent second baby boy!
All is well that ends well!
I can be reached at djmbytheelm@aol.com for comments and or questions.
