Strays are abundant here in rural WNC, and while I try to help as many as possible, I’m not able to help them all. I did help Marley and the other dogs in the feral pack she was from. I spent 6 months working with them in the woods, catching them, and finding placement. Marley was the first, and took me 3 months to catch. Marley was already a senior, so I thought it’d be easier for her if she stayed with us, since she’d already bonded. I found my heart dog in her grandpuppy, Darcy, and kept her too. 3 months after catching Marley, I caught her pregnant puppy, Hazel. The vets refused to spay/abort, and days later, we welcomed her singleton Baby Bruce into the pack. It’s been expensive, time consuming, and emotional. We celebrated triumphs (grandpuppy Jay outgrowing his Megaesophagus and Hazel learning to walk on a leash) and mourned many losses. We faced many medical challenge. Due to the inbreeding, both Darcy and her brother Jay have Addison’s disease. Due to not being spayed earlier, Marley developed mammary tumors. All was manageable until Marley began having grand mal seizures January 2024 and we discovered she had a brain tumor. The vets weren’t optimistic and warned us we likely had days, but with medical management, she had 8 more good months with us before we said goodbye at home, sending her off with a feast of her favorites. I can’t save every stray….but I’m so glad I saved her little family.
#rescuedog #rescuepets #seniordog #feraldog #rescuedogstory