URGENT: Auggie Needs Your Help!
Auggie came to us on October 18th in terrible shape - barely hanging on to life. This adorable and sweet 5-year-old Boxer mix is one of the worst cases of malnutrition our Humane Agent has ever seen. Not only is Auggie severely emaciated, but he's also suffering from dehydration, anemia, and infected wounds all over his body. When Auggie entered our care, he did not even have the strength to stand up on his own, due to both his starvation and the fact that his nails were so overgrown. He was covered in his own feces and urine and was infested with fleas. Our staff got Auggie all cleaned up and kept him warm with blankets before rushing him to a veterinary clinic where they ran blood work and gave him IV fluids. The initial blood work showed anemia with elevated white blood cell count. His sodium levels were through the roof, requiring him to be monitored overnight at the emergency clinic with hourly fluids. Auggie's medical treatment in the first day at LHS totaled over $750 alone.
We cannot give Auggie the second chance he so desperately deserves without your help. Please make a donation to our Angel Fund today to make Auggie's care possible. Together, we will fight for Auggie and show him what life is truly about.
PROGRESS UPDATES:
UPDATE (12/6): We've had lots of Auggie's "fans" reach out asking for an update on our sweet boy. Auggie continues to make progress each day. He is now at a healthy weight of around 48 pounds. When Auggie came to us 7 weeks ago he was skin and bone and only weighed 30 pounds.
Our biggest focus the last few weeks has been on Auggie's physical therapy. These daily exercises help Auggie regain his strength. He is walking better each day and able to go from the sit to stand position with no problems at all which is still so amazing to watch considering he could not even stand on his own the first 2 days we had him.
To be successful in Auggie's "work outs" he had to master some basic commands such as sit, stay, stand, lay down, and roll over. Auggie is very food motivated and caught on pretty quickly! Auggie has another appointment at the rehab center tomorrow morning. These appointments, and Auggie's continued care, are all made possible thanks to YOU, our awesome supporters.
UPDATE (11/16): Auggie had a deep tissue massage and laser therapy today at his appointment. He was a trooper and such a good boy. He will continue to do his various rehab exercises with our staff and volunteers. Auggie can still go for short walks and it's his favorite thing!
UPDATE (11/8): Today at Auggie's appointment the doctor confirmed that he has muscle wasting/atrophy is his hind end. She also thinks there are some neurological problems causing his brain to not recognize his hind quarters. We will be getting X-rays of his spine and hips to look for osteoarthritis, disc spacing, bone density, etc. An X-ray won’t show soft tissue so if they find in treatment that Auggie is not making the progress we hope for, we may have to do an MRI in the future. Right now his exercises for ‘at home’ are : hip sways, tummy tickles, biscuit to hip, tug of war, rhythmic stabilization, sit to stand, short walks and stretching his hamstrings. The exercises are working on building rear limb strength, proprioception, spinal flexion and range of motion, core strength and balance.
UPDATE (11/1): Auggie remains stable and he continues to regain his strength little by little each day. Auggie has gained 10 pounds in just 2 weeks, now weighing in at 40 pounds. We have made an appointment for Auggie to have his initial exam at a local rehabilitation center next week. At that appointment, the specialists will determine the type of physical therapy Auggie will need in order to fully regain his strength. There is still a very long road to recovery for this miracle pup, but thanks to your support, we are able to get Auggie all of the medical care, treatment, and therapy he needs in order to fully recover. Thank you all for your continued support and prayers!
UPDATE (10/25): Today marks one week since Auggie entered our care. In just 7 days, Auggie has gained over 7 pounds. Auggie is still stable and he continues to fight. Our medical team is observing him each day and his most recent blood work was sent out on Monday to ensure all of his levels are where they need to be - it showed that his kidneys are functioning well; however he is still showing signs of anemia. We will continue to monitor him by running blood work every 2-3 days. Auggie now weighs 37 pounds - he is given 4 smaller meals each day to ensure he puts weight on safely. He is able to walk more and more each day, although we are making sure he doesn't overdo it. The wounds he has are being kept clean and are healing up nicely. His coat is beginning to get its shine back and his skin is no longer dry and itchy. Auggie has been showing his playful side more and more where he gets goofy, wiggly, and loves to be around his people - he even learned how to play with a stuffed toy! Auggie loves to give kisses, especially to our Humane Agent, Leanne. The bond they share is beautiful and it's clear in the photos to the right. He knows she saved him and forever changed his life for the better. While Auggie's prognosis is looking good, we still need to take things day by day. If he remains stable into the weekend, our medical team believe he will pull through completely, but even then he will need months of medical care and TLC to fully recover and regain his full strength.
UPDATE (10/24): Today Auggie spent the day with our Humane Agent in her office. It was apparent that this sweet boy wasn't sure how to act outside of a cage. He kept climbing up on Leanne and leaning up against her as she worked (of course, she didn't mind one bit). Then, he finally got comfy on his doggy bed in his nice warm jacket and zonked out. He is still eating and drinking and he has put on 5 pounds since Wednesday, now weighing in at 35 pounds. Auggie is such a strong little pup and all of your prayers and donations will continue to heal him. Thank you all for helping us save this amazing dog -- he is so deserving of a second chance at life!
UPDATE (10/20): Auggie is stable today. He is able to stand and walk, but only for a short period of time before getting tired and needing to be carried. We are keeping his activity low and taking him outside for short potty breaks so he doesn't overexert himself. Auggie is still very weak, weighing in at only 30 pounds, but with multiple small meals a day we will help him gain weight safely. We will be running blood work on Auggie every 2-3 days to ensure his levels are all stable. We can't stress enough that Auggie is not yet out of the woods. The first 7-10 days are critical and we are only on day 3. We are so inspired by just how resilient this sweet boy is. With Auggie's second chance at life, we wanted him to have a completely fresh start where he could leave his past behind him, and with that we changed his name. The meaning of the name Auggie (short for Augustus) is "great, magnificent" and we couldn't think of a better way to describe this AMAZING dog.
Reporting suspected animal neglect and abuse saves lives. We are so thankful that we got to Auggie when we did because he may not have made it another day. Please keep Auggie in your thoughts and prayers as he continues to fight.