DRC BEHIND THE SCENES - MEET DIXIE DOODLE

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

 

Dixie is an 11 month old F1B Labradoodle surrendered to DRC by a self-professed "rescuer"  who adopted her from a local shelter in rural Alabama and had her as a pet for  5 months. Within that time, Dixie went from being  a happy-go-lucky, sweet doodle puppy to being a sick, miserable, sad and horribly neglected dog. 

 

Dixie's original shelter picture

 

 

Dixie had been banished to the backyard living outdoors because her "rescuer" thought she smelled bad and couldn't be bothered to teach her potty manners or to take her to the vet to be vaccinated and put on heartworm, flea & tick preventatives. She also neglected to have her spayed.

 

This "rescuer" watched and did nothing as Dixie scratched her increasingly irritated and stinky skin until it was red, raw and bleeding and her once beautiful fleecy locks began falling out in clumps. 

 

Yet even then this "rescuer" did not bring Dixie to a vet.

 

She instead complained to the shelter where she had adopted Dixie from that the dog was sick, impossible to train, that her personality had changed. She said that Dixie was now scared of everything, everyone and completely unresponsive to humans. She mentioned to the shelter that she was going to have Dixie euthanized.

 

Thankfully the shelter referred this person to DRC.

DRC foster volunteer Kristen Fuhrmann went to this rescuer's home to pick up Dixie for fostering and found her almost completely bald, totally covered in festering sores locked in a large 40x40' pen with 5 other dogs. 

 

Below are pictures of Dixie the day that she arrived at Kristen's. They are difficult to look at.... But it is important that you do look and see just how a woman who has the audacity to call herself a "rescuer" treated an innocent animal in her care. This sweet girl came readily to Kristen her eyes pleading for any kind of attention. Kristen immediately took Dixie to the vet where our suspicions were confirmed..... This poor baby girl was suffering with a severe case of advanced Sarcoptic Mange.

 

Kristen & Dixie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dixie has been receiving treatment for the last 2 weeks at the vet and she is  no longer contagious to humans and other dogs. She is slowly healing....

 

Dixie came home this afternoon....

 

 

We have given Dixie a new name (she was Midnight in her prior setting) and she is not only  the friendliest, sweetest, and most grateful doodle in the world she is a strong southern girl who is on the road to recovery from the abuse and neglect she has suffered at the hands of humans.

 

Thanks to Liz Syring for facilitating Dixie's release....Thank you Kristen for taking such wonderful care of her...And to all of our volunteers, friends and extended family for supporting DRC rescue efforts, thanks to you, Dixie will have a second chance for a happy, healthy life and a forever family to call her own.

 

We'll keep you posted on her progress.....

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

This is beyond - beyond what any animal should have to suffer at human hands. I'm so happy Dixie was saved in time and will have a new chance at life but I have a few questions not knowing much about shelters or their adoption methods. HOW was this person given this dog? Do shelters do any screening or are they just happy to move the animal through? Also - was the person turned in to Animal Cruelty or the police. They were other animals mentioned - I doubt they were in any better shape - what happened to them?

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Jane those are great questions.....Actually if you can believe it this person is a volunteer with a few shelters in that area.....We contacted all of them and let them know the situation.....One of the shelters actually defended her saying "Oh she's OK she was just overwhelmed.."

In answer to your other question...No...Most animal control facilities and county shelters adopt animals on a first come first serve basis and do not screen or reference check...This is not the fault of the shelter staff or the volunteers .......

They are so over-crowded with animals and so understaffed and poorly funded that they do not have the resources to screen. To these shelters an adopted animal is one less they have to euthanize for lack of space and/or to make room for new intake.

Also animals are viewed very differently by different people and different cultures depending on which part of the country you are dealing with. Many people in parts of the deep south and midwest think it's perfectly fine to keep an animal chained outside or tied to a tree in the backyard for life. Many people in these areas still view companion animals as "property" and/or commodities not as living breathing entities with feelings or creatures worthy of basic humane treatment.

We are planning on presenting the photos of Dixie to the proper authorities.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

She is such a gorgeous girl and obviously such a Princess Doodle!

TY Liz for finding this girl who so desperately needed help. I know how much time it took for you to get her away from this person!
TY Kristen for dropping everything to go and get Miss Dixie!
TY to your vet for taking her in at a moments notice and for having the heart to treat her and getting her back to health.
The before and after pictures show just what a fantastic vet and their staff you found! We should all be so lucky!

And TY to all of our DK family who give of themselves in so many ways to Doodle Rescue.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Oh Dixie Doodle, you have been through so much. Your life was never meant to be like this. How have you not lost faith in "humankind"? The past is over, and now you're world will be changed forever. You will live a happy life, full of love and joy, thanks to the wonderful work of the DRC volunteers who sacrifice so much to give you the future you so deserve. Kristen, we all know that you are an angel....you have been the guardian angel to Doodles who needed you so much. I know of all the "behind the scenes" work that it takes to create one of these "happily ever afters". There are so many amazing, committed women who work as a team to orchestrate these "Doodle miracles". Thank you ALL.

[Kim]

People are SO cruel!!!! Hopefully the other dogs are ok as well. Too bad they didn't gang up on their "rescuer," and do to her exactly what she did to them!

[Melissa & Porter]

I am so sad for all that Dixie has been through and so grateful to Kristen and people like her who help and fight for dogs like Dixie.

I wonder if, given Dixie's age when first in the shelter and that people seem to know she is an F1B, that means she was turned in by a breeder who had to make room for new younger puppies. I know many breeders would not do this. But others do. Make me sad regardless of whether a family had her for a couple "cute" months, then gave her up, or whether she missed her little puppy window for being sold.

Thank you again, DRC and Kristen.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Dixie already looks leaps and bounds better. It is so horrifying to think a "rescuer" could get her into this type of condition. Thanks to Kristen and the DRC. I can't wait to see her continue to improve and find a wonderful wonderful home. My parents rescued a golden from a shelter that had the sarcoptic mange, nursed him back to health and Mr. Ivan was my best friend until 4th grade. Miss Dixie will be a wonderful addition to a family!!!

[Carole (*Koda*Monty*Bindi)]

This just haunts me....thank goodnes Dixie will have a chance at a loving future.

[Camilla and Darwin]

You were right, those pictures were extremely hard to look at. I cannot believe that anyone could let this puppy get to that condition and not care. It's despicable. I am so glad she is going to be in better care and on the road to recovery.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Thanks to all involved in rescuing sweet Dixie from a life of suffering!!

[cheryl & oliver]

Can someone not tell me why these people that treat animals in this manner are not locked up and whipped???...I am so angry I could just cry with the injustice of this...What is wrong with ppeople???...This is just so tragic and heartbreaking, I am sick...Thank you Kristin for taking this baby into your care. She looks so much better already...Lets hope that her spirit will return and she will be a happy doodle again....and a new forever home with a loving family will be hers forever....

[Smita, Ollie and Juno]

How heartbreaking! How can a person live with herself/himself neglecting a poor animal like that!! Sigh! I am happy she is in safe and loving company now.