DRC BEHIND THE SCENES - MEET DIXIE DOODLE

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.....

Favorite

0 members favorited this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Leslie and Halas on December 1, 2012 at 11:27am

The transformation is amazing!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Camilla and Darwin on December 1, 2012 at 12:03pm

This makes me so happy! She is beautiful!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Laurie, Fudge, and Vern on December 1, 2012 at 5:15pm

This made my night!! Thank you for posting!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Laurie, Wally & Charlotte on December 1, 2012 at 12:10pm

Thanks for updating us. I'm <SMILING> ear to ear!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*() on December 1, 2012 at 12:22pm

It is so nice to see how well She is doing. Thank you for the thoughtful update. The photos of her neglect are so hard to see again, but the way she is now helps to negate the negative. I just can't believe there aren't laws against that kind of cruelty and neglect. And if there are, how this "rescuer" got away with it. Hope someone is keeping an eye out for the other dogs she has "rescued" .