The Truman Fund was recently
established in honor of a lovable Great Dane by the name of Truman
who was brought to the shelter with multiple medical 
problems. The decision was made to take
care of him to the best of our ability and hope that somehow
the funds could be found to cover his medical costs.
Truman's family had both died
within months of each other and a friend did the best he could
to care for him, but he finally decided it was in Truman's best
interest to bring him to RVHS. When he arrived he weighed only
117 pounds when he should have weighed between 160 and 180 pounds.
His paws were pus-filled and bleeding with embedded foxtails.
The pain was so severe that he continually shifted his weight
from one paw to another. He also had an acute case of mange.
His eyes were irritated and swollen and will require corrective
surgeries in the future. After he arrived he had to have emergency
surgery for bloat, a life-threatening condition where the intestines
start to twist.
His medical bills are now over
$3,000 and he has yet to be in good enough health to have the
eye surgery.
Truman has been adopted by a
wonderful family who are knowledgeable about Danes and he can
now look forward to a great life in his new forever home.
The Truman Fund was established to provide emergency funds to
help other dogs and cats who have significant medical problems
and need care above and beyond the normal high quality care provided
to every animal that is taken care of in our shelter.
Truman update: Thanks to those
who so generously donated to the Truman Fund and the American
Humane's Second Chance Fund grant on 11/17/09 Truman was well
enough to finally have his eye operated on and to get neutered.
His new home is working out just dandy and he wants to let all
his fans know that finally life is good.
Fight for Freedom
Then there is the case of Freedom.
On Saturday 11-07-09 a couple dropped off a 
white female pit bull mix they said they'd
found in a ditch in the Sanitarium Road area near Merlin, Oregon.
The poor dog was severely emaciated. Her ribs were sticking out,
and she weighed less than 40 pounds. All of her teeth had been
filed down to the gum line so that her teeth roots are exposed.
She had pressure sores where the bones rubbed against the skin
and caused sores. And, she had also given birth to nine puppies
earlier that day. One puppy later died.
"The puppies still had umbilical
cords attached and were wet," said shelter manager Margaret
Varner. "It just broke my heart. I couldn't sleep because
I kept thinking about what she had been through. And she is still
a love. She just wants to snuggle up to you and be petted."
Freedom was taken to a veterinarian
on Sunday for emergency treatment. Varner estimates that Freedom
is between 2 and 4 years old. Without teeth, it's hard to determine
a dog's age.
She was also full of tapeworms
and had to be treated. She will be tested for heartworm later
this week. If she has it, the shelter will have to hold off treating
her until her puppies are weaned in another six weeks or so.
Margaret Varner
sits with Freedom and her nine puppies at the Rogue Valley Humane
Society.
The puppies will soon be dewormed
as well, once they are a few days older. The white and brown
litter has one female and seven males. "We're hoping people
will call in and give us suggestions for names. We're trying
to keep them all patriotic, though," she said.
Currently, Freedom is being fed
a mixture of boneless-skinless chicken breasts and puppy chow
to give her more nutrients for feeding the puppies and to help
her safely put on weight.
Freedom is just the latest victim
being helped by the Truman's Fund. "We can't save them all,
but with community and corporate support we can help most of
them," Varner said.
The RVHS shelter staff continues
to work on educating the community and children about animal
abuse, hoping to prevent more cases like Freedom.
"The way some people treat animals is just not acceptable,"
she said.
"Freedom already has so many strikes against her. She's
a pit bull and they get a bad rap," Varner continued. "She
will be a special needs dog because of her teeth. I just wonder
how much more this dog has to endure. It is just heartbreaking."
12-02-09 - In
a little less than one month Freedom is a new dog and her puppys
are healthy and active. The care and attention they have received
is incredible. Soon they will all need a loving home.
Check back to see how our
girl is progressing and when her puppies will be available for
adoption.
01/30/10: The newest member of
the RVHS Truman Fund team was present and got a ton of attention.
On 01/27/10 Ace was thrown over the fence at the RVHS with a
badly broken leg. He was rushed to the Vet where the leg was
set and put into a cast. Ace will be in recovery for about 8
weeks at which time he will be ready for a good home. This guy
is a REAL sweetheart in spite of what he's been through. Ace
is yet another example of this fund at work.
Please send your donation to:
Rogue Valley Humane Society PO Box 951, Grants Pass, OR 97528.
On check put "For" Truman Fund. Your donation
will go directly to this restricted fund to help other cats and
dogs with special medical problems.
Or, use our PayPal donation option
and just put "Truman Fund" in the comment box.