Neglected senior dog receives care, blossoms
She only has one eye, three legs and a bad haircut, but the little poodle mix saved by Española Humane doesn’t mind. Lilly arrived at the shelter in a breathtaking state of neglect. She was hardly recognizable as a dog because her filthy fur was long and matted; the staff couldn’t tell which end was which. The matted fur covered her feet, and trapped beneath that, her long nails had curled over, growing into the bottoms of her toes. During surgery to remove the mats of fur and trim the nails, shelter vets discovered Lilly was also missing an eye, and she had suffered a broken femur. The twisted, dragging leg wasn’t repairable.
Lilly wasn’t strong enough right away for amputation surgery, so Española Humane placed her in foster care, where she gained more than a pound of weight in a very short time, gained energy and her sassy, senior personality bloomed. When she was healthy, Española Humane’s veterinarian team amputated the broken leg — the last reminder of the trauma and neglect she endured — and after more recovery time with her foster family, she is now home, forever, with her adopter, Liz Cop of Santa Fe.
“When I saw her picture on Española Humane’s Facebook page, I was instantly in love,” Cop said. “I haven’t had a tripod dog before, but my prior two poodles — including another senior adopted from Española Humane, Lilo — were deaf and mostly blind. Senior special needs poodles are my love; I’m not sure exactly sure why I am drawn to them, but I think it’s because Lilo imprinted on me.”
Lilly is now with a pack of five senior dogs, and Cop said she is thriving and a bit spoiled.
“She deserves to be spoiled after all that she’s been through,” Cop said. “She has her own stroller, car seat, spot on the couch and even a baby crib. Yes, I know she’s a dog, but she’s one of my babies, too.”
Most of all, Lilly gets love.
“She has the funniest one-eye stare when she wants something — mostly to be picked up — and as soon as she sees you’re reaching to pick her up, she basically leaps into your arms,” Cop said.
Mattie Allen, communications director at Española Humane, said: “I have so much gratitude for our entire team, from shelter staff to the foster team and our veterinary magicians who welcomed this itty bitty mangled ball of matted fur into our care, knowing it would be months before she could be adopted — if she was even strong enough to survive. Lilly didn’t want to give up, so neither did we. We all have so much gratitude for her foster and her adopter for welcoming this senior survivor into their hearts and homes.”
If people would like to meet Lilly, she will be at Española Humane’s Fur Fest as an ambassador dog. The event will be held 6 p.m. Sept. 23 at SITE Santa Fe. Tickets are on sale at espanolahumane.org.
Tracks
Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society: Buddy has been at the shelter for more than 150 days, or almost five months. At 10 years old, Buddy exudes a stoic vibe and a chill nature that calms everyone in his presence.
Sebastian is an adorable 1-year-old dog who has been at the shelter for 170 days, or more than five and a half months. He may be shy and reactive to strangers, but once he’s acquainted, it’s all fun and games. Sebastian loves playing ball and running off extra energy in the play yard.
The dogs are available for adoption at the animal shelter, 100 Caja del Rio Road. The shelter’s adoption hours are from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, call 505-983-4309, ext. 1610.
Española Humane: Clementine arrived at the shelter in a breathtaking state of neglect. Her collar was so deeply embedded she required emergency surgery to remove it and repair the gaping wounds and medications to heal the infections. Clementine has never stopped smiling and wagging her tail.
The 2-year-old dog weighs 42 pounds. Her adoption fee is waived. She is spayed, vaccinated and microchipped and comes with six months of heartworm prevention.
Tiana, who has been at the shelter a long time, is an adorable and sweet cat. At 1 year old, she weighs 6 pounds. Tiana is spayed, vaccinated and microchipped. Her adoption fee is waived.
The shelter is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Contact it at espanolahumane.org or call 505-753-8662.
Dew Paws Rescue: Dew Paws Rescue has mixed-breed puppies who are 8 weeks old, vaccinated and will be spayed or neutered. If interested in fostering or adopting, call 505-412-9096 or email infodewpaws@gmail.com.
Felines & Friends: Three-month-old kittens Heron, Swallow and Falcon were born and raised in foster care along with their mother, Owl. Heron is a sweet solid gray kitten, possibly a Russian Blue mix. It is important Heron is adopted with a sibling or into a home with another young cat to play with.
Four-month-old kittens Flan and Dulce are sweet, purring machines. Dulce is a sable brown tortie, while Flan is a gold-and-gray dilute. Dulce and Flan are bonded and should be adopted together.
Apply at FandFnm.org to meet any of the more than 150 kittens and cats awaiting adoption. Cats are microchipped, spayed or neutered and vaccinated. Visit the adoption centers at Teca Tu in the DeVargas Center or at Petco.
The Horse Shelter: Aspen is a 25-year-old gray mare who has received a lot of groundwork training. She picks up her feet, is respectful when leading and backing, will walk over obstacles and loads into a trailer quietly. Aspen is even-tempered and gets along with most horses. She is a companion/nonriding horse. Call 505-577-4041 or go to thehorseshelter.org.