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Monday, July 2, 2012

Thursday, June 28, 2012


Zeke might surpass 'Case of the Month' to being 'Case of the Year'. 

We met Zeke for his first check up after being adopted. He was shy, timid, and we tried keeping the exam to a minimum, so that we didn't stress him too much. What we would find later, surprised all of us!
His story is a good one... and best told by his owners, who know him best: 

We found our dog last New Year's Eve (2011) when we visited the Gem County Pet Adoption League facility in Emmett.  He was so submissive that he literally walked sideways in an effort to keep his head close to the ground, presented only his hind quarters and was ready to roll over at the slightest movement in his direction.  Despite his fearfulness, when we got down on the floor with him this 40-pound dog curled into our laps and laid his head against our necks in what felt like total vulnerability and a plea.  There was no question that we were meant to make a home for this sweet, gentle animal. Our family considered several names in our desire to find one that reflected his spirit and the way that he seemed to choose us.  We decided on Ezekiel, "Zeke," which means "God strengthens." Our mutual orientation to one another is a story of increments and unconditional acceptance.  Household rhythms, riding in a vehicle, responding to a lead or commands, sleeping on a dog bed, food and water from dishes, toys and play - all were foreign to Zeke.  When we tried to take him for a walk, he would just flop down and roll over every three or four paces.  Zeke's reaction to balls and frisbees was to cringe and whimper when they were thrown and then he'd bolt in the opposite direction.  He spent a lot of quality time trying to be small, pasting himself into corners, under chairs, behind our potted plants.
We expected his acclimation to be a slow one, but we also noticed his appetite was poor, his breath even poorer and he yelped whenever he yawned or opened his mouth much.  So shortly after the adoption we got established with Habitat, invested in a meaty pet insurance policy, and buckled into our commitment to provide healing to our mystery-history, already much loved, new pet.
The folks at Habitat have been top-drawer all the way. Their skill and compassion with both Zeke and his humans have been nothing short of life altering for all of us.  Dr. Linenberger began with a thorough all over exam and a teeth cleaning wherein we learned that Zeke is approximately three years old, needed not one but two rounds of deworming, and had two fractured teeth requiring removal.  Turns out that Zeke had a large abscess in his jaw resulting in the tenderness
and major halitosis he'd been experiencing.  Ok, we thought, now we know what's happening and we can deal with the antibiotics and NSAIDs required to put down the infection.  It was the next revelation, the root cause of the malady, that connected all the physical and behavioral dots.  It also righteously shocked and deeply saddened us.

The full body X-ray revealed that not only is Zeke's entire frame riddled with buckshot, his jaw houses a small caliber bullet fired at close range as does his snout where an additional fragment is lodged. Dr. Linenberger hypothesized that our dog had been used for target practice.  How have we absorbed and processed the ignorance and cruelty of that act?  With a huge grief we wept gape-mouthed as we took in the visual evidence, and then we vowed with heightened resolve
to increase our activism in the pursuit of education and legislation to prevent, and bring stinging consequence to, animal abuse and its perpetrators.  


The Habitat staff have been tremendous in terms of medical acumen as well as creating an environment of trust and continued caring relationship while following Zeke's progress. Zeke's jaw now operates fully and without pain.  He is bright eyed, loves a good trail hike, joyfully destroys chew toys, welcomes snooze time on his pillow, and just galloped into the river for a little swim
for the first time last week!  Zeke is superlatively demonstrative with his affection, he is the most attached and eager to please pet we have ever had.  With tremendous gratitude we thank Habitat for their sustained support in bring forward the gentle true nature of our beloved companion.  It has been a slow evolution and the process persists, but the restoration of this sweetest animal is a treasured gift to our family.

Who rescues who?