Last month we heard about a Samoyed in Ocean Shores. She had been found as a stray and nobody looked for her. Unfortunately, it happens all too often. When we touched base with the shelter they told us she was matted and they were planning to shave her. We talked it over, and Kathy said she would go to the shelter and spend the afternoon grooming her to prevent that from happening.

Along with all the grooming tools, Kathy took our microchip scanner just in case. They already told us she didn’t have a chip, but experience tells us not to trust shelters. This time we were glad we checked because she had a newer style chip their old scanner couldn’t read. Kathy called with the chip number and I started making phone calls. The microchip company gave us the name of the breeder, who died a couple years ago. Because she had been in Arizona I called Bobbie, hoping she could find the name of the breeder’s daughter. She checked in with people who might know, and her friend Susan thought the dog might have been co-owned by Sakura, right here in western Washington. A quick call confirmed it was one of her dogs, and her name is Christina. She had been trying to locate the owner who had moved at least once and changed her phone number. She called Kathy directly, and Kathy paid the shelter fees and brought her home. The next day Sakura and Tasha were here to reimburse rescue and retrieve Christina. All’s well that ends well, except for the part where Sakura had to pay the highest shelter fee we’ve ever seen and spent several more days grooming Christina.

We always tell people to be sure their dogs are microchipped in case something like this happens. Now that the last two dogs we rescued had chips the shelter missed, we need to amend that. Be sure chips are the older style, not ISO, because small shelters don’t always have modern scanners. Eventually they will, but that hasn’t happened yet despite chip company promises. More importantly, collars with tags are the best identification possible.

You should also know that if you had your dog chipped by Banfield in the past few years you may not be as safe as you think. They were the first organization to use ISO chips and there have been some real horror stories. If you want to know the difference between chips, head to Wikipedia where there is an excellent article discussing the types of chips. To be absolutely safe, take your dog to the closest shelter and ask them to check the chip.

The girl we got from the Foxburrow puppy mill bust has a new home. We had email from Dorinda of Utah Samoyed Rescue asking about an application she received from someone in Portland, and Melissa visited their home. Dorinda didn’t have any dogs available but this home looked just right for Fanci; she moved in and her new name is Pip. She has some issues because of her past; she is a fearful dog who will need a lot of TLC to show her the world isn’t as bad as she thinks. It’s going to take a great amount of patience. Melissa went back for a follow-up visit to help with training.

On the day of this newsletter’s deadline we heard of a dog in southwest Montana at a Humane Society. We contacted a group that provides transportation for rescue & shelter dogs and they are in the process of working something out. We expect it will cost quite a bit with the cost of gas these days, but we’re fortunate to have so many great supporters and donors. That means another Montana dog will find a good home.

Picnic invitations have been sent by email, so if you haven’t received yours please contact Ron as soon as possible. We expect a great turnout this year and we always have a ton of fun.

Tundra, who came to us by way of the PAWS shelter in Snohomish County, was with us for a little over a month. That’s longer than usual lately; because she was mostly deaf we weren’t in a hurry to find her a new home. As it turned out she has a perfect new home. Her mom knew some sign language already because of her job, and is working with Tundra to find the best way to train her. The bit of hearing she has may be enough for clicker training, and that will be a great advantage. She has already established herself firmly as a part of the family, and she has an Eskie for a sister and they get along great.

In February there was a news story about the seizure of 35 dog from a breeder in Canby. It was Foxburrow Kennels, run by Diane and Rick Cheadle. They pleaded guilty to animal neglect charges on April 8 and were sentenced to jail, probation, community service, and for five years they cannot own any dogs. At the time of the seizure they had only one Samoyed, left over from the time they were breeding Sammies. The Oregon Humane Society kept the Samoyed while nursing her back to health, then put her in a foster home. Finally they called Melissa, who had been in touch regularly with OHS, and let her know the dog was ready for rescue. Her name is Fanci, and she is getting along very well at the Hopper Bed and Breakfast. Fanci should be a great addition to any home.

It seems like just the other day, but that one year old dog we adopted from Cheryl is already eleven. Charlie has had a weak ACL for some time, but a couple weeks ago it ruptured and last week he had surgery. The reason we mention this is because of a new type of ACL repair called “tightrope surgery.” Back in 2003 when we had Tasha’s surgery the cast was on for two weeks and we had to leash walk her for almost three months. With the new surgery the cast/bandage came off 24 hours after surgery and therapy began immediately. In seven days he was bearing half his weight on the leg. He will still be leash walked for a couple months, but that time will be easier for him. This is a common injury in Samoyeds, and if anyone else faces it please give Ron a call if you want more information.

Last month it was all about Kyoshi, Tasha, Nakita, and Shivers. This month it’s about Fanci, Tolkeetna, Sierra, Puma, Tundra, Kenai, Sitka, and eight dogs in Canada. Whew!

In the middle of February we heard of a puppy mill raid described in the newspaper this way: “Last night the Oregon Humane Society’s Humane Investigators served a search warrant and removed 33 animals from a breeding facility in Canby … 19 golden retrievers, 12 Coton de Tulears, one Samoyed, and a duck …” We have known about this breeder for many years, and have taken many of their dogs into rescue. Finally the Oregon Humane Society stepped in to help. When seized, the dogs were as much as 50% underweight and living in terrible conditions.

Not long ago the breeder, Foxburrow Kennels in Canby, switched from Samoyeds to Coton de Tulears, which sell for double the price. They still had one Samoyed, and her health is still suffering. Her name is Fanci, and Melissa is keeping in close contact with OHS. Fanci is out of the shelter and in a foster home now, and if she becomes available we will take her and find a good home.

On April 8, 2011, Diane and Rick Cheadle pleaded guilty to animal neglect charges. They were sentenced to a day in jail, community service, probation, and for five years they are barred from owning any domestic animals.

Back in early 2010 we were asked to take two dogs in Montana. Their owner was missing and the person keeping them wanted to find them a new home. Sandy investigated and found out she actually knew the dogs. They were still co-owned by their breeder, so we were able to get a release. Ultimately Sandy kept them with her. This year we were contacted by a man who was out of work, lost his home, and his wife left him. That was his story, anyway. His two dogs were being kept by a friend who was about to move. Once again we called Sandy, and she knew him. He was the same owner that had the dogs in 2010. She asked him to sign a release, and the dogs went to her house.

Ultimately Sandy decided to keep last year’s female and send the female from this year (Sierra) along with this year’s male (Tolkeetna) and last year’s male (Puma). She drove them to Coeur d’Alene where she met Kathy, who brought the dogs to us. For the first time, because of the number of dogs, we were forced to use kennels we built in our barn. We would rather have dogs in the house, but that’s why we built them. Fortunately Sierra was quickly adopted and went to Kathi in Seattle, a previous adopter who will give her an excellent home.

Next was Tolkeetna, who was adopted by Sue in Des Moines. Sue adopted Biscotti years ago, and he recently passed away. Sue also adopted Sadie, one of Katie’s puppies four years ago, so we knew what perfect home Tolkeetna would have. Sue brought Sadie and her old girl Gracie to meet Tolkeetna, then came back a few days later to take him home. In the meantime the two boys were neutered.

Puma was with us several weeks until he was met by a great guy named John who lives on Vancouver Island. It was a two-day trip for John, who met Puma one afternoon, stayed in a motel overnight, and came back for him the next morning. Reports on all three of the Montana dogs have been excellent. All have settled in and are happily integrated into their packs.

Then along came Tundra, who appeared as a stray in the Everett shelter. As soon as we saw her listing we called and made arrangements to get her the moment she was available. Erin drove north and got her for us, meeting Kathy in Lakewood to drive Tundra back to our home. As we always do we checked for a microchip, and we found she had one. The shelter had completely missed it! That allowed us to trace back and find she is about five years old, but the home phone listed was disconnected and the work number was a dead end.

At this point we want to remind you to always be sure to update the chip manufacturer if you move or change phones. If a shelter gets your dog and can’t find you, the dog goes to an adopter or is euthanized. Fortunately in the case of dogs we have placed, we get the call and look up the adopter ourselves. But even that does no good if we can’t find you.

We learned over the first few days with us that Tundra is about 95% deaf. That’s unusual in a Samoyed. We need to find a very special home for her where people have the understanding needed to train a very active young deaf dog.

Five years back we adopted a dog to people in Everett, and that dog passed on. They loved the breed so much they bought two puppies, Kenai and Sitka. Now their lives have changed and they are in the position of finding homes for their dogs. Both are from breeders; one immediately wanted the dog back to resell, while the other said she would allow us to place him if we had a good home, and if not she would take him back. This is a breeder we consider a good friend, and we’re pleased we are trusted to do that. At the deadline of this report, the owner contacted us to say she is trying to work out a way to keep at least one dog. To be continued…

By way of Canadian rescue we heard of six dogs north of Calgary, Alberta. A Sammy breeder has been diagnosed with cancer and her husband is only willing to keep three dogs; the remainder are going to rescue. Three of those will be shipped back to a breeder in Colorado. One other is a female ready for adoption and the other two are males that rescue will keep for a short time to assess. In the meantime there are two males in Saskatoon, father and son, who need homes. The new Western Canada Samoyed Club is getting a baptism by fire. We offered to help if they need it, and we’re in frequent contact with them.

OK, it can slow down anytime now.

The next time I say it’s been slow in rescue, would someone please tell me to knock on wood? We just had the busiest month in history and it shows no signs of slowing down soon.

First was Kyoshi, a five year old male who lived with a woman in the Everett area. We have heard many stories over the years, but it’s not often someone truly surrenders a dog because they are thinking only of him. We have no doubt his owner wanted to keep him, but she was working two jobs and she knew he needed to be with people to be happy. Her name sounded familiar so we looked back through records and found emails from her. The first was an application and another was a message that she had put a deposit on a puppy. That told us the breeder, and of course we sent a quick email to her. Within five minutes the phone rang to let us know she would take care of her dog. We suggested that we had some great homes already checked and ready to go, and after some discussion she agreed to let us do the placement. Erin and Tom drove to get Kyoshi and brought him to us to foster. Two days later a couple from Portland came to visit and he left with them. They had recently lost one of their Samoyeds and it was exactly the right time for them. Kyoshi is getting along wonderfully with them, happy with all the attention he gets in his new life.

Next came Tasha, a four and a half year old female from a military home. Once again, Erin and Tom made the contact for us and made sure her owner knew about a group that fosters dogs during deployments. His wife had recently divorced him and he wanted to make a clean break from everything, including his dog, so they brought her to us. We could probably have passed her off as a one year old because of her energy level. She is affectionate, loved everybody and all the other dogs, and we decided she should go to a special home with Dennis and Terry. They adopted Jade almost ten years ago, one of the first dogs we fostered when we began with rescue. Jade is still doing well but was lonely after the passing of Sonoma. Tasha is fitting in very well.

Sometimes things are meant to happen, as in the case of Nakita. She was listed in Red Bluff, California, and only the day before we had been talking with people in Auburn who said they would drive to Montana or California if that’s what they needed to do to find another mix like the dog they recently lost. When Nakita popped up we wrote to them. It turned out they have friends in Red Bluff who could go check her out, and quickly they scheduled a drive south. On the way home they called to let us know they could stop by, and we were able to meet Nakita. She is going to need a firm hand, but they seem to know what they’re in for and willing to do the training.

Around the first of the year we heard the story of Shivers, a Samoyed on hold in the Great Falls, Montana shelter. He was being held as evidence in a case where he was accused of biting someone. After investigating they doubted it had happened the way his owner claimed, and since his owner was in jail on another charge a local attorney took on Shivers’ case. We heard about all this when the attorney wrote to another rescue and they forwarded the message to us. We placed a dog a few years back to a woman in SW Montana, and she had let us know she would like us to find another dog for her; when we heard about Shivers we asked if she would consider him. She said yes, so we wrote to the attorney to introduce rescue and give our adopter a reference. Recently the attorney went to court and was able to save Shivers, and he subsequently drove 200 miles to drive Shivers to a new home with our adopter in Stevensville. He is doing well and shows no signs of aggression at all. It’s heartwarming to know that an attorney would take on the case of a Samoyed and save his life.

You may have heard of a seizure of 35 dogs from a breeder in Canby. She was breeding Golden Retrievers and Coton d’Tulears, having switched recently from Samoyeds because the Cotons sell for more money. There was one Samoyed in the seizure and Melissa is staying in contact with the Oregon Humane Society, where the dogs are being held. We will attempt to get the Samoyed as soon as they allow her to be released.

As this is being written we have three Samoyeds about to come from Kalispell, Montana. Two are males about six years old and one is a female who is slightly older. We have quite a number of applicants still waiting we we’re hoping for fairly quick placements of all three.

What’s the most important thing in rescue? Volunteers. We couldn’t do the job without all those people who drop what they are doing to go look at a dog in a shelter, or provide a ride to get a dog from a bad place to a safe place. We thank all of you daily for the things you do to get dogs into good homes.

Surprisingly, there’s another thing that’s important in getting the job done and that’s paperwork. The bane of our life is also critical in getting the job done. E-mails are saved and indexed, applications are printed and filed, and each dog has both an electronic and paper folder with records. Everyone who has ever had a disk crash can understand the need for paper backup. For every hour we work directly with a dog we spend many, many hours with the computer.

Sometimes the records pay off. This month we were contacted by a woman who said she had a five year old male who needed a new home. She lives alone and is having to work two jobs, and her dog was beginning to rebel in his loneliness, chewing on things in his boredom. She realized he needed more human contact and reluctantly asked us to help. Her name sounded familiar, so a search through e-mails showed a series of communications beginning with an application to us in late 2005. Following that we learned that she had put a deposit on a breeder’s puppy, and she told us who it was. That means we could call the breeder right away and have been working with her since. With luck we will transfer the dog from his current home into rescue, and because we have several applicants who have had home visits and are approved, his stay with us should be brief. By the time you read this we hope he has moved on to his forever home.

We also heard from someone else asking for help with their son’s dog. He was moving to an apartment and couldn’t leave his dog there all day, so we said we would help. Then their son’s friends heard what he was doing and convinced him to keep his dog. They said they would help, and his boss said he could bring his dog to work. We still have all the information in case it falls through, but we’re hopeful things will work out.

The best part of doing rescue so long is all the happy dogs and happy people we’ve met. The other side of the coin is that the first dogs we placed are getting old. It seems every month brings news of another Sammy over the rainbow bridge, but we have to keep in mind what great lives they had. This month we heard of a dog we didn’t place, but he was the brother of Eddie, one of our rescues. Sam lived in Troutdale with Jennifer, Rick, and Taylor. When he came to the rescue picnic the first time we could hardly believe that he looked so much like our girl Katie. He had the same sweet temperament, too. Here’s a picture of Sam and Eddie.

Kathy Thomas first told us of a second-hand report there was a Samoyed in the Kent shelter. A friend of hers went to check for a lost dog (since found) and saw him, so she wanted to be sure we knew. He had been picked up New Year’s Eve in Enumclaw, and was a senior male. Erin went in right away to make contact and found he was available for adoption on the 5th if his family didn’t come and claim him.

Erin took the day off to help, and at noon she picked him up. It’s traditional that we ask the first person who transports a rescue dog to give him a name, and she chose Baxter. It seemed to fit him. She brought him directly to us because he was a mess and needed grooming. Erin and Kathy worked on him for a couple hours before he went to the vet for a quick appointment. They drew blood and decided to wait a day for x-rays. He had a noticeable problem walking that appeared to be neurological.

That evening Kathy bathed him and he continued to be sweet the whole time. He walked around the house and seemed very comfortable being with us. Some dogs immediately attach to us, and Baxter was one of them.

At bedtime he was still exploring and had developed a little cough, not serious enough for us to think anything of it. He still seemed to like being petted and talked to, so we gave him a big pillow and went off to bed. In the morning we discovered he had passed during the night. We were heartbroken.

We took him to the vet and asked for a necropsy because it was important to us to know what happened. The result was almost immediate: he died of bloat. He hadn’t eaten more than a small handful of food, so bloat was off the radar for us. The dogs we’ve heard of who bloated showed more definite signs, and of course since we didn’t know the dog we didn’t see the signs like we would have with one of our own dogs. The necropsy showed complete torsion (the stomach twisted 180 degrees) so even having a tube on hand wouldn’t have helped. The time of death was not long after bedtime, so it’s unlikely we could have made it to an ER even if we recognized what was happening.

Over the years the SCWS Newsletter has carried several articles or stories of bloat, but still we didn’t catch this one. We feel terrible about losing a dog in our care, and if we can use story this to save another dog then Baxter’s legacy will be positive.

PLEASE, PLEASE take some time to educate yourself about bloat. It happens too often in our breed and we need to keep it in mind any time a dog isn’t acting normally. The newsletter of July, 2003 featured an article about bloat along with a first-person column by Darlene about the bloat of one of her dogs. Rather than copying the full text here, we put it back online so you can read it again:
http://www.samoyedclubwa.org/newsletter_2003-07.htm

Our vet told us two stories; the first was a client who stopped by to make an appointment because his dog wasn’t behaving normally. They recognized the symptoms and told him to get the dog to the ER immediately. He did and surgery successfully saved her. The second story was from another vet whose dog bloated. He was two blocks from his own clinic, but his dog died on the way. Every case is different but all are emergencies.

Here is something you can do TODAY. Find out the location and phone number of the closest emergency vet. Put that number in your cell phone. Make sure you know how to get there in a hurry when every minute counts.

In mid-November Melissa received a call from a woman who wanted us to find a new home for her Sammy boy, Dakota. Her house had been foreclosed and she was moving in with her daughter, whose apartment did not permit dogs. Then she mentioned that he bit a child who was trick-or-treating on Halloween. Our policies are very firm on bites, and we can’t take a dog with a bite history. The dog was dropped off at the Troutdale shelter, where she gave a different story, then transferred to the Southwest Washington Humane Society in Vancouver. Both shelters contacted us, and both were told about the bite for the first time.

There is something we CAN do in a case like this, and it’s to contact each of the people who have applied to Samoyed Rescue wanting a dog of that gender and age. We gave them all the details, including the bite history, and one of them drove from Seattle to visit and subsequently adopt Dakota. They are dog-savvy people able to handle him, and it has turned into a win-win for all involved — especially Dakota.

At almost the same time we heard of Joshua in Eugene, a senior boy in the shelter there. Marjorie offered to do an assessment and let us know, and we also called an applicant in Waldport who went to see him. Unfortunately he had bitten a shelter volunteer, and it wasn’t trivial. During the mandatory vet check and isolation they discovered he was in kidney failure and in pain; the bite happened when the volunteer tried to pick him up and hurt him. He also had liver damage and they recommended he be euthanized. Sometimes it’s best for the dog and we reluctantly agreed.

A significant part of the month was spent dealing with an applicant we turned down. The people were nice, loving dog people who shared the home with someone who insisted dogs by nature don’t belong indoors. He represented himself as an expert, and wouldn’t listen to reason so we turned them down. That was in April and we have been unable to get the woman who filled out the application to understand why. This month she posted a negative message about us on Craigslist which resulted in many, many people contacting us to find out what it was about. Answering all of them was tedious, but all of them agreed with our decision. A number of people wrote to her on our behalf; we have some really great rescue friends and we thank them.

This was the third year WolfPacks donated calendars to Northwest Samoyed Rescue. It’s a significant source of income for us and we are grateful to have their support. This year they sold out in about a week, partly due to a public complaint on an e-mail list that there was a naked man on the December page. It was published as a joke, and the sled blocked the important parts; the publicity meant the remaining calendars sold out the same day. It confirms our experience that 99.9% of Samoyed owners have a good sense of humor and that Paul and Linda are firm rescue friends. Please support them at http://www.wolfpacks.com.

Several months back we were asked for help fostering a dog owned by a woman going through some tough times. For the second time, Danna stepped up to the plate and volunteered. She gets a Samoyed in the house for a few months and a woman who needed a friend found one. We can’t express how great a friend the breed has in Danna.

This month ended up with a remarkable success. Tara has been back with us for almost a month after her adoption didn’t work out. The root of the problem was a dad who was a first time dog owner and couldn’t quite “get it” that Tara needed strong alpha humans. He ended up a little afraid of her because she isn’t an easy dog to live with. Her personality is strong and she needs direction.

Fortunately we found someone who will be perfect for Tara. On the date of this writing we visited an applicant in Rainier and found a match for her. He is dog savvy, home most of the time, and his yard is enormous. He had two dogs for their whole lives and the second passed away earlier this year. He has been lonesome and Tara came along at a perfect time. Best of all, Tara told us she likes him. His name is Brad and we are making plans for her to move in with him. By the time you read this they should be a very happy couple. Tara had ACL surgery early this year and now her other leg needs fixing. Brad agreed to nurse her through recovery, and Northwest Samoyed Rescue will fund it. This is good for everyone, but most of all Tara. Her Christmas came a little bit early this year.

Since last month’s report we have not had any new dogs in rescue. There have been several dogs reported to us that we have watched or asked about, but none that showed a need for our help. There was, however, a past dog who came back to us and her name is Tara.

Tara first came to us last December after her family moved and left her behind. Neighbors kept her fed while the house was being foreclosed, and eventually called us for help. Since we need legal ownership to take a dog into rescue, we worked it out with the Lewis County shelter that she would go there and we would pick her up immediately after her 72 hour hold. In the meantime the neighbors left a note on the door of the home saying where she was. During her time at the shelter the note was removed, so we believe the former owners chose to leave her there.

When we brought her home we found a thoroughly dispirited dog, but after a few hours in the house and a little attention she began to respond. In only two days she was a different dog, glad to be with us and happy to be an inside dog. It was obvious she had a weakness in a rear leg, and our vet diagnosed a broken ACL. That meant she definitely had a lot of pain, so we found a specialist and Tara went for surgery. Recovery was several months long, and she patiently bore leash walking for most of it. Most of the time she spent dozing at our sides, enjoying that she didn’t have to live outside in the winter.

In June we had an inquiry about Tara from a family and they seemed just right for her. They took a lot of time researching and deciding, and in August Tara went home with them. Until recently we didn’t hear anything from them, until suddenly the first week of November we were asked to take her back. Apparently the first week with them Tara had snapped at their young daughter. Her father, a first time dog owner, didn’t understand that taking a bone out of her mouth would get that result with just about any dog, let alone one in a new situation. Since then he hasn’t been willing to trust her, and the situation never got any better. Tara tolerated the child, but other children visiting the house seemed to make her uncomfortable, so we agreed she should come back.

We will keep Tara here for a few weeks to assess whether her temperament has changed, then look for a more appropriate home. She has always been a super sweet girl, and we’re sure another home will work for her.

Every time we think a dog is too old or too sick to be adopted we are pleasantly surprised. There are a lot of good people who can see past a current problem and see what a dog will be. That’s the case with Kenai, the mix we got from the Tacoma Humane Society two months ago. After testing he was diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease, and began on a strong chemo drug. After five days he completely lost his appetite; it took a change of medication and seven days before he wanted to eat again. About that time we got a call from Michael, who adopted Braun from us three years ago. He had seen Kenai’s story and wanted to meet him so we invited him to visit.

Let’s flash back to 2003 and the first dog we fostered, Mori. We witnessed something unique back then when Mori went to Hans and Holley the instant they came through the door. He stayed close to them and totally ignored us, telling us in effect “these are my humans.” Seven years later, Kenai showed us the same thing when Michael walked in. Kenai went to him immediately and stayed at his feet while we visited. Then he hopped up on the sofa so he could put his head in Michael’s lap. It’s a magical thing when it happens, and brings home the saying “the dog chooses the people.” They left together, and Michael promised to continue Kenai’s treatment with the same vet.

A month or two ago one of our volunteers did a home visit on a family in Eugene and found a great home for a rescue dog. All we needed was a Sammy for them. Late last month we had a call from a woman who said she had only a few days before her home was foreclosed and she needed a home for her dog. It turned out she was just south of Eugene, so we arranged a meeting and Eddie went to his new home. This is a perfect example why we ask for help with home visits; having a family ready for a dog meant life was much simpler for a dog who needed help.

A special thanks goes out this month to the great folks who frequently donate to Northwest Samoyed Rescue. Kenai’s medical bills were almost $2,000, but we were able to take care of him because we had the money in the bank. Maybe it goes without saying that we appreciate our friends, but we’ll say it anyway. Thank you!

Here’s a great way to help: Do you buy things from Amazon? If you go to our website first and enter through our Amazon link, we automatically get a small percentage of what you purchase and it costs you nothing! We’ve been getting $20-$40 monthly from just a small number of people using our link. Just think what you could do for rescue if everyone you know went to http://www.nwsams.com/amazon before buying from Amazon.

In a typical rescue month we talk to people about many things. Sometimes we’ll hear of a dog who needs help, only to find out the owner wants us to give them leads so they can sell their dog. Other times we hear about a training issue a past adopter wants to talk about, or a medical issue that has cropped up. Our friend Holley monitors Craigslist posts nationwide, and another friend named Heather in Illinois checks Petfinder several times a day so we don’t have to do it. Those usually bring a number of messages each month we need to address. Sometimes another rescue group will let us know about a dog they have and need help placing. Of course we get applications constantly, and those need to be answered and home visits arranged. These are some of the administrative tasks, the part of our work that doesn’t smile back at us or shed hair or ask for a scratch. All of these came our way this past month in the usual numbers.

What’s unique this month centers around our newest foster dog, Kenai, who has the most significant health issue we have yet encountered. He came from the Tacoma Humane Society after being picked up by Lakewood Animal Control. His owners moved and abandoned him, but before that they ignored significant symptoms that should have been addressed. They may also have abused him but that can’t be proven. He has a tongue that is extra long, but whether it’s from trauma or something neurological is unknown. We know he was a strictly outdoor dog. Kenai has hair on his head and legs, but not elsewhere on his body except for tufts here and there; what hair he has was all matted. We heard about him because of friends at Old Dog Haven, a group that we’ve worked with before. Our first call to the shelter was met by surprise because they thought he was very old and should be euthanized. Happily for Kenai we talked them into letting us see him, and we found a dog who is sick but definitely not old. He is mostly Samoyed with what may be a little Malamute mixed in. The Lakewood Animal Control Officer has asked for updates because he sent Kenai’s case to the Pierce County prosecutor.

Our vet suspected Cushing’s Disease right away because of his general appearance, so we tested and found it was likely. Because our vet has limited experience with the drugs needed to treat it, he referred us to a specialist in Tacoma. Tests there confirmed the diagnosis, and Kenai has just begun receiving some seriously strong drug therapy. Lysodren (Mitotane) is also used for chemotherapy. After a week he will be re-tested and we expect the treatment will taper off to a weekly or monthly dose. The usual treatment is drug therapy for life, but with that comes the strong probability of a normal life. Because he has such a mellow attitude toward life, and genuinely seems to love people, we think Kenai is worth the cost. Lysodren is about $180/week, and to date the tests and meds have set us back over a thousand dollars. Kenai is also on three different Chinese herbs for organ support and an antibiotic for his skin.

Cushing’s Disease (Hyperadrenocorticism) is the overproduction of the hormone Cortisol by the adrenal glands. It is usually caused by a tumor of the pituitary gland, which produces a hormone that directs the adrenal glands to produce cortisol, or by a microscopic tumor of the adrenal gland itself. Symptoms are usually hair loss, a pot bellied appearance, and increased drinking and urination. The testing is centered around how well the dog’s body handles an injection of dexamethasone, which in normal dogs will decrease in level after eight hours; the level in a Cushing’s dog will remain constant. The testing is not an exact science so other tests and observation are a big part in diagnosis. The usual treatment is with Lysodren, a chemotherapy drug that results in shrinking of the tumor, which lets the dog return to a normal life.

Kathy spent a lot of time grooming the mats out of Kenai’s hair and getting him used to being handled. He tolerated it well and most of the nasty stuff is long gone. Now we’re working on getting him used to having his feet handled. Most of the time Kenai can be found snoozing next to one of us, and he sure enjoys the attention he gets here. We anticipate he will begin growing noticeable hair within a month, and when that happens and his medicine is regulated we will begin looking for a home for him.

Northwest Samoyed Rescue sends a special thank you this month to Rod and Button Cook of Atlanta, Georgia, whose family foundation sent a donation that covered a substantial portion of Kenai’s medical bills. We are blessed with wonderful friends.

More pictures of Kenai are at http://nwsams.smugmug.com/rescue/Kenai