Ohio’s “Wildflower Bunch”

In mid May 2010, the Ohio ESRA team was called into action to rescue eight Springers whose days were numbered. They were living in swamp-like conditions and were starved for human contact and affection. Their owner had been in poor health over the past year due to cancer and had recently passed away. With no one to care for them upon his death, the dogs were heading into an uncertain future and possibly to the "ultimate demise." Thanks to the efforts of Debra Westrick and ESRA's Ohio Coordinator, Mary Guttieri, however, the story of the Springers we now call "the Wildflower Bunch" will have many more chapters.

We proudly introduce Butch, Charlie, Lady, Stedman, Betty Lou, Peanut, Cy, and Hunter. The group's moniker, "the Wildflower Bunch" honors the Wildflower Kennel in Wauseon, Ohio, whose owner, Janice Pennington, took these dogs in, out of the goodness of her heart, and cared for them without compensation until ESRA volunteers were able to arrange foster homes to take over their care.

As a whole when first brought into rescue, the dogs did not seem to know any basic commands other than Sit. They are not housetrained and need to even be taught how to navigate steps. Having been taken from their known environment, no matter how deplorable, they are at first somewhat timid and fearful but each of them appears to be a diamond just needing the time and the special care of someone to help them shine.

Seven of the eight dogs will have their basic medical needs met by the staff and students in the Veterinary Technology Program of Stautzenberger College in Brecksville, Ohio. (Hunter is being vetted in Toledo and will need treatment for heartworm and whipworms.) The last week in May, they did two dentals, a neuter, three heartworm/lyme/ehrlichia tests, three fecals, three rabies vaccines, a chest x-ray, and toenail trims and short blood panels on all the dogs. The first week of June, Peanut, Cy and Betty Lou will go in for their examinations and whatever procedures are needed. Without the assistance of the vet tech program at Stautzenberger, the cost of this rescue might have been insurmountable. The new vet techs benefit from their association with ESRA as well — not only do they hone their skills with the teaching opportunity, they also get to see what rescue is really all about.

ESRA is extremely grateful that Stautzenberger College is able to provide these dogs with medical services at no cost to ESRA. The financial commitment that ESRA makes for the routine care of almost every rescued dog always far exceeds the $250 adoption fee that is recouped when the dog goes to its Forever Home. In the case of dogs that have been neglected, such as the Wildflower Bunch, there are additional medical needs to be met, and the contribution of Stautzenberger College is critical to our efforts toward their rehabilitation. And these dogs may need to remain in foster care an extended time to ensure their socialization process is complete. ESRA's promise to save these eight dogs will therefore require an enormous amount of money and we will rely on the generosity of donors to help raise the funds we need to give each one the second chance at health, comfort and happiness it deserves. Can you help?

In addition to Debra and Mary, there are so many ESRA volunteers to thank for their hand in working to save these dogs — Kimberli Bias, Janet Matelski, Katie Brodie, Sandy Bookman, Tina Haba, Dave Kienholz and Phil Sproat have each taken the responsibility of one of the dogs and will work hard toward their rehabilitation and rehoming. Many more ESRA volunteers and friends will spearhead fundraising projects to help defray the costs of the medical procedures and care. The Wildflower Bunch is one lucky bunch to have landed in the loving care of ESRA!

A little about the dogs:

CHARLIE

Charlie is approximately nine to ten years old. When we obtained the vet records for the dogs after taking them into custody, we learned that Charlie had tested positive for heartworm in February 2009! Although no treatment was done — the owner was undergoing open heart surgery around the same time that Charlie was diagnosed with heartworm — all the dogs reportedly routinely received ivermectin as cattle paste from the feed store which likely suppressed the progression of Charlie's heartworm disease. His chest x-ray taken at Stautzenberger College indicated that his heart was only slightly enlarged and elongated, and the vet saw no reason not to proceed with Charlie's badly needed dental procedure. Charlie appears to be in very good condition, all things considered.

8/17/10Charlie has been adopted and is enjoying a great life in his new home with big brothers Huntley and Brinkley, two giant Chocolate Labs. He fits right in and has just been a real "natural" in his family.

STEDMAN

We are giving Stedman, who is approximately nine or ten years old, a little extra time to get used to the security of being "a family dog" before he goes in to the vet for his neutering. He has quite literally had to learn to walk with a person again. For the most part, he spent his time lying flat on the ground but he is getting better every day. He sat very patiently while huge mats were removed from his ears.

6/5/10 A SURPRISING UPDATE FOR STEDMAN: Once Stedman was groomed and came out of his shell, we found we have a dog that is probably about 2 to 3 years old! He is now a wiggly, affectionate, happy guy in his foster home. He loves attention and sleeps quietly by the side of the bed at night. Stedman has a great appetite, and a true joy for life.

LADY

Lady is approximately seven years old. She is a serious ball dog — quite the character. It is not clear whether she has been spayed, but she is heartworm negative and had her dental in May at Stautzenberger. She has a mammary lump that is of concern.

7/29/10 VERY GOOD NEWS FOR LADY: Little Lady of the Wildflowers had four mammary lumps and a rear lymph node removed Monday. Biopsy results today from the vet show no evidence of malignancy! Lady is recovering well from her surgery — still wanting to play ball continuously! Nothing slows her down!

BETTY LOU

Betty Lou had urine-soaked mats that had been dragged along under her for so long, they had become dreadlocks over a foot long. These things were twisted hard upon her skin and were very painful for her. When they were removed, it was discovered that she is chronically damp and yeasty.

PEANUT

Little Peanut is the subject of confusion. The original vet records say he's a "he" but when enough mats were finally removed to assess "the hardware" it turns out little Peanut is a girl. It is hard to determine her age because her teeth appear to be terribly ground down from chewing on her crate but she moves and behaves like a very young dog.

Special Note June 3, 2010: Peanut's foster family is already in love with him and plans to make their home is Forever Home!

8/17/10 Peanut's foster home fell in love with her the moment they met her. She has gained substantial weight, now that she is free of all the nasty parasites, and her coat glows. She is a great cuddler, and worships her new Mom and Dad.

BUTCH

Butch, who we believe is seven to eight years old, was neutered in late May and will have a badly needed dental in the week of June 7. He has also been treated for worms — not a big surprise. Butch is quite a charmer in his foster home and has been the delight of the neighborhood. Butch has proven to be wonderful with small children.

9/8/10 Butch has some great news. He has found his Forever Home, a new name and a great new friend. Click here to read all about it.

CY

Vet records suggest that Cy is five years old. He is Mr. Personality — quite a charmer and very, very gentle. He's the first to ask for a belly rub. Cy's toenails may set a record for length; they are so long that they interfere with his gait and posture. One of them has caused a tear in his toe, which is infected. He will be neutered at Stautzenberger the week of May 31 and return for a badly needed dental the week of June 14. Cy will make a wonderful family dog!

8/17/10Cy has been adopted and adores his new Mom. His toe amputation has healed beautifully, and he has been going for regular walks now. He is working on learning to trust men that he meets. But this will take some time, and patience.

HUNTER

Hunter is happy, enthusiastic — a little skinny — and is the luckiest one of the bunch. After being vetted in Toledo, he has a ride on June 8 to Rockford, Illinois, where a member of Coordinator Anne Solak's team will take him in. Debra Westrick's initial assessment of Hunter earned him the nickname "wild child" — "he would jump in my face repeatedly like a deranged spring, jump on my back when I was kneeling, try to steal whatever I may have in my hand, leap in and out of his water pan and was just generally crazed." After just two days of patient love and attentive training, the "wild child" has been replaced with a playful, loyal and loving young Springer that is equally happy playing fetch or lying quietly by your side while you garden. He will make some family a wonderful, loving and loyal companion.

6/4/10 UPDATE ON ALL THE DOGS: The gang is working their way through their vetting. Whipworms are gone. Some nasty teeth are out. Nails are trimmed. Chest x-rays and blood work look good. All in all, everyone is feeling much better. The dogs are coming along well in their foster homes and are generally learning to like being "inside dogs."

That was the good news … here's the not so good news. Earlier this week, we discovered that Hunter is heartworm positive. He has begun treatment already and is doing well. Now we find that Cy, Butch, Charlie, Betty Lou, and Peanut have all tested positive as well. Lady tested negative, but we are retesting her because we are suspicious. Stedman will be tested on Monday

Heartworm treatment is challenging and the medicine is very expensive. We are very grateful to Dr. Sandra Gebhart, at Willow Creek Veterinary Service in Medina, who has seen this group of special Springers and has agreed to provide her medical services at a reduced cost. We have started the preliminary treatments to prepare them for imiticide therapy. Once everyone is through with their vetting needs, they will all begin the difficult and expensive imiticide treatment.

7/2/10 UPDATE ON THE WILDFLOWER BUNCH: Butch, Charlie, Cy, Stedman, Peanut, and Betty Lou received their heartworm treatment on June 23-24. All of the dogs are doing well now in their foster homes, challenging all their foster Moms and Dads to work hard to try to keep them quiet. It is getting more and more difficult as they feel better and better!

Cy's front right paw has a toe that may need to be amputated. There is a long-standing infection from the nailbed that has gone into the bone. We are trying to keep the infection "at bay" as much as possible until he recovers from his heartworm treatment. He needs to fully recover from the heartworm treatment — another five weeks — before he can have surgery on it.

Stay tuned for more news. And thanks to all of you for your support!

7/18/10 UPDATE ON HUNTER: Hunter has gone to his Forever Home and is making adjustments to a new family and new life. Thanks to ESRA, he has people who will love him and nurture him and a home that is willing to work with him to help him become the happy dog that is bubbling up inside him. He is a VERY lucky boy!

ALSO CHECK THE INDIVIDUAL STORIES ABOVE FOR POSSIBLE UPDATED INFORMATION.

Contact: Mary Guttieri at mgttri@embarqmail.com if you want to hear more about the Wildflower Bunch.

CLICK HERE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP ESRA WITH THE WILDFLOWER BUNCH

GENEROUS SPONSORS TO DATE:
Cathryne Slaughter
Anonymous
Glay Wiegand	In memory of Sport
Rise Wagner	In memory of Abigail, the perfect lady
Tammy Immell
Chris DePhillipo
Barbara Whitehall	In memory of Chaco
Ray and Monica Smith	Thanks to all involved in the care of these Wildflowers
Diane and Tony Foos	Our thanks to the Ohio ESRA Team for rescuing the Wildflower Bunch
Jan and Gary Mitchell	In memory of our beloved Winchester
Merrie Corbett	In memory of Lake, one very lucky rescued Springer
Cary Branthwaite
Mary Lyons	In memory of Jazzie and Jessie
Lynn and Joseph Skochdopole
June and Jack Beasley
Pamela Williams
Rise Wagner
Miki Lamb
Scott and Marty Teare	God bless all those who donated their time and money to these lucky dogs!
Cindy Brassfield	ESRA is grateful for Cynthia Brassfield's ongoing support of our Special Needs dogs
Janet James	In honor of her beloved Springer, Annie
Robert Knell	In memory of Samantha, Joshua, Abigail, Rose and Brady