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Pasado's Story
Pasado Newsletter
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Above, when she first came in.
Filthy and so sad.
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Katie's Story
She was a homeless man's best friend. She never looked down on him
because he roamed the streets with shabby clothing or didn't look as
good as most men. 8-year-old Katie, just walked quietly on a leash beside
him, and slept with him outdoors at night - in the rain, in the cold. Most
homeless shelters won't accept people who arrive with a dog.
But the devoted companion was ill.
Over the years Katie's ears became worse and worse. Even the best of pet owners experience problems
with cocker spaniel ears - they become infected despite vigilant
cleaning and care.
The man knew that she was getting sicker and sicker and turned to a
homeless community aid worker to help. The worker brought Katie to a local shelter, where she was determined not to be a good adoption candidate
because her ears were so badly infected.
That's when Pasado's Safe Haven stepped in to save her life. |
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First we put out the call
for volunteers. Who could drive Katie across the state to the veterinary teaching hospital?
Rick and Tina, two extraordinary volunteers, stepped up immediately.
They delivered her into the arms of doctors who began with a CAT scan of
her lungs and brain. She had two mammary tumors,
which worried us. She hadn't been spayed for all of her 8 years, and
mammary cancer is common.
The CAT scans were
clean, so she underwent anesthesia to begin a complete ear ablation - meaning her ear canals were removed. She
would be
permanently deaf. A small price to pay to bring her relief.
While "under" the
mammary masses were biopsied and good news - they were benign!
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After a five hour surgery
and days recovering at the hospital, Tina and her family made the
long trek home. They fostered her to assist in the long anti-biotic
protocol the doctors ordered for her. Her ears were so badly infected
and her skin was severely infected from long-term neglect. She had a
long haul to go before she was out of the woods.
For weeks, Tina and Rick
doted on her. And then, they fell in love.
They officially adopted Katie
a few weeks later. |
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Katie joins her new family
of 2 and (many) 4-legged rescued dogs. One of her new brothers is a pug who used
to be an A.A.R.F.F. resident and is now just as lucky as she is. |
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Left, Katie returned to
Pasado's for a visit with Tina. In her new winter coat! There was new snow in the mountains, so Katie
had to be ready for the slopes! We LIVE for these kinds of happy
endings! One of
the best rewards for saving these animals is to see them return with
their families. They're always fatter (they are often thin when we meet
them) and their fur is so thick and lush. And their personalities! Once
they know they are safe and won't hurt again, it's amazing to see what
was "inside" all along. |
How can we justify
such a cost?
It's an easy answer for us. Once an animal finds its way here, we cannot
turn it away. We
feel that we can "be cheap" in many ways - for the office chairs
we buy, or the buildings the people use at the sanctuary. Or the paper we
buy. We usually beg for all of the above first, before we ever spend a
penny. That means that when a little girl like Katie finds her way to us -
when there is no hope to save her life anywhere, with anyone, we can open
our arms. Because we know YOU will, too. |
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How can we say "no" to something that gave so much of her life
to someone who needed unquestioning love? Is her reward, death? The needle
of euthanasia? We'd rather scrimp on other things and make sure she is
saved. She's only 8 - there are many more years for her to live a happy
life. And who cares if she can't hear? She surely won't!
Thank you - for her.
Please consider
sponsoring one of our rescued animals.
Gift sponsorship
makes a great gift and it helps us bring life to those who need our
help. |
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Charity Navigator, the nation's premiere evaluator of charities, assessed
Pasado's Safe Haven to be the Northwest's "most efficient" animal shelter.
It gave Pasado's a 4-Star rating. It's highest. We are rated one of the most
efficient animal welfare charities in the nation - for two years in a row!
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