CiCi is critically ill.
***5-8-08 UPDATE:**
***5-11-08 UPDATE***
Second Chance Ranch in Elma and Grand Mound, WA, has offered to help us fund raise for CiCi - all donations made to her care will be federally tax deductible.
Please contact us if you wish to make a donation, we'll forward the info to Karen Aust, and you may designate your donations to CiCi's heart fund. SCR will then pay the veterinarian out of their funds so CiCi can get her surgery!
Thank you to SCR for doing this for us!
CiCi is back home with us.
CiCi was a neglected little dog, and A PAW UP was contacted. We took her in, and made plans to spay her.
Upon pre-spay examination by a vet, it was found that CiCi has a heart murmur which was subsequently diagnosed by WSU (Washington State University, Pullman, WA) vet clinic as a PDA, or Patent Ductus Arteriosis.
Learn more about a PDA by clicking here.
We chose, at the consult with WSU, to do what's known as a COIL EMBOLISM.
At the time this was felt to be a very viable alternative to the open heart surgery (ligation of the PDA) as it was somewhat less costly and as a rescue with limited resources and fund raising ability, we had to keep in mind our costs as well.
However, during the procedure on 5-7-08, an aneurism on CiCi's aorta was nicked and began to bleed. This was a known complication and we accept that.
However, we could not accept WSU's "solution" and that was to leave CiCi there and give up our rights to her, essentially, donate her to WSU so they could later perform, possibly, the surgical occlusion which we'd not opted to do at first.
They said they'd subsequently find her a home on their own, and we'd be out of CiCi's life, decision making, etc. even to the extent that we'd never even be contacted if this "new home" could not keep her.
Updates "may or may not be given" as to how CiCi was doing. We could not accept this and it broke our hearts to think of doing so.
The insult to all of this was that we've already paid over $1000 to WSU for diagnosis and the failed procedure.
However, it is done, and CiCi has returned home with us.
We now need to either find a surgical veterinarian who can perform the ligation of CiCi's PDA and is willing to work with us, or we need to fund raise enough money to perform the PDA ligation at WSU (or another vet clinic capable of doing this).
Without the ligation surgery, CiCi will not likely live to see 2 years of age.
CiCi last week,before the procedure.
CiCi recovering from the failed procedure.
Meet GRACIE - BEFORE! (the date is wrong on the camera, she was picked up on Feb. 1st!)
This is Gracie - AFTER!
Gracie is a good example of why we do not condone back-yard and/or unethical breeding practices - she should have been born a healthy girl yet she's struggling just to maintain her own body-weight - not to mention that since she has neurological issues, her previous owner saw fit to dump her in horrible condition, rather than ask for help.
One day, puppy mills will cease to exist, but not until everyone is educated about the tragedies that go hand-in-hand with them.
"The only flaw of these dogs is that they exist without love and human partners. The flaws are in our expectations." Berkeley Breathed, "Flawed Dogs"
Who We Are
Visit us at our new website!
http://www.apawup.com/ !
A Paw Up is a brand new rescue, but we are not brand new to rescuing!
We started rescuing death row dogs before we really knew what it was even called, we just knew we had to do something to help shelters with the burden of having to euthanize perfectly good pets for lack of space and lack of suitable homes for them! We began our mission in 2001 shortly after adopting a German Shepherd Dog from a local shelter. We noticed that this shelter needed help, and we pitched in and helped where needed, whether gathering donated dog food or taking pets to adoption days away from the shelter, or cleaning cages and kennels. We also fostered for the shelter, and now and then we brought home an especially needy dog or two and had them fixed and adopted them out, always telling people that all these dogs need is "a paw up". Hence, A Paw Up was born!
Located in Eastern WA, we run our rescue out of our home, our foster dogs and cats live as part of our family, interacting with each other, and with our own pets and with our kids, so we can get a feel for what kind of home would be best suited to each individual animal.
Shelters and Animal Control agencies, PLEASE feel free to EMAIL us at any time with an animal you feel needs A Paw Up!
Smitty's Tribute Smitty was our foster dog for about 3 months...but oh, he was so much more...
Best Friends!
Click on the puppy to see some of our fosters over this last year!!
Adopting a friend
Please email us for information on our available pets, we can then make arrangements for you to come visit and adopt your new best friend and addition to your family!
Our Adoption Fees
Our adoption fees vary: $150.00 for a 4mos. - adult altered pet.
However, small mixed breeds, smaller purebreds and occasionally larger purebreds will run from $200-300.00.
You might ask why our adoption fee is higher for the purebreds and smaller breeds, and the answer is simple. Purebreds and smaller breeds are in much higher demand and the rescue is able to ask more money from the adoption of the purebreds and smaller breeds, thus being able to apply that money to the rescue and life saving of many more animals. At times animals come in with higher-than-average medical needs, and those needs must be financially met. Remember, as with all our animals, your adoption fee will be applied to the rescue and care of many more animals in need.
That being said, we do try to remain lower on our fees overall than many shelters and area rescues! Every animal that leaves our rescue is spayed or neutered, our vet performs pediatric spay/neuter as long as the animal is greater than 2lbs. and 8 weeks of age.
Cost of owning a dog, the Start Up costs (or, How Much that 'FREE' puppy will cost you!)
Puppy shots (series of 3) $90
Fecal exam and worming $8-$25/year
Flea/tick med $25.00
Microchip (one time expense) $50.00
Spay (one time expense) $175
OR
Neuter (one time expense) $110
Miscellaneous (grooming, etc.) $100
Total $400-500.00 (Average Cost!)
ALSO,
All pets adopted from this shelter come with one month of health insurance - at NO COST TO YOU!
***Remember, at A Paw Up and the reputable rescues I know, the costs associated with your new best friend's first year of life are already covered in the adoption fee!***
Important note: beginning in June of 2007, we are no longer adopting puppies to homes with children under 7 years of age UNLESS the adoptive family agrees to bring the puppy to puppy training and obedience classes.
This is because of the inordinate amount of families who allow the puppy/ies to jump up and scratch children, and then blame the puppy and return it to our shelter.
As always these animals are in need of forever homes not homes that will bring the animals back when it displays perfectly normal puppy behaviors.
Come Visit Us!
Please make arrangements first, visits are by appointment only!
Importance of Spay/Neuter
Between 8-12 million companion animals are euthanized each year in America due to lack of homes. Only 1 in 9 cats and dogs born in the United States will find a home.
The rest will be destroyed because nobody wants them. Could you choose which animal will live? It is a choice no one should have to make. Shelters are forced to make this decision every day. You can be a part of the solution by spaying/neutering your pet!
Also, when you adopt, look to a reputable rescue, or visit your local shelter and adopt an abandoned purebred or an adorable mutt, instead of supporting a backyard breeder or a pet store. The so-called "new breeds" such as puggles and labradoodles, unintentionally bred in someone's back yard, are often sitting, waiting in shelters for you to find them!
Shelters and rescues often offer spayed or neutered puppies and dogs for a lot less money than do the backyard breeders and pet stores.
Want to help?
Visit your local shelter, they need help and support! When you adopt, go to a shelter or rescue, not petstores or backyard breeders! This rescue is dependent on adoption fees - with each adoption fee, we can rescue another dog and have it fully vetted before it goes to it's new home! We accept donations of Wal-mart cards which are used for dog food and supplies, donations directly to our vet (email for that information) and dog food and supplies, or come visit our store on CafePress!
We use Patented Kuranda Dog Beds because
they are durable, chew proof and easy to clean. If you would like
to donate a bed to us, click here.
A Paw Up Rescue
Prosser, WA 99350
Phone: Email contact only please!
Starfish Story An old man was picking up objects off the beach and tossing them out into the sea.
A young man approached him and saw that the objects were starfish. "Why in the world are you throwing starfish into the water?"
"If the starfish are still on the beach when the tide goes out and the sun rises high in the sky, they will die," replied the old man.
"That is ridiculous. There are thousands of miles of beach and millions of starfish!You can't really believe that what you're doing could possibly make a difference!"
The wise old man picked up another starfish, paused thoughtfully, and remarked as he tossed it out into the waves,
"It makes a difference to this one." adapted from a story by Loren Eiseley 1979
