Recent Rescue from Animals Taiwan
Lazarus…. there are many more out there…you can make a difference!
Animals Taiwan has rescued, rehabilitated and re-homed a number of dogs since forming this year, but perhaps none have generated as much attention as Lazarus , a stray Akita rescued about two months ago by Animals Taiwan after being spotted on the main road to Wulai in southern Taipei County. He was one of the worst looking dogs we had ever seen. Besides being emaciated, Lazarus could barely move and was stained in puss and blood from his gaping open sores. Most of his fur was gone, leaving large patches of raw rotting skin. When we rushed him to the vet, we were told he was suffering from the most advanced stages of Demodex, a severe skin disorder, together with a badly compromised immune system.
Now, thanks to your support, Lazarus is a completely different dog. Formerly a hopeless case covered in blood and open sores, Lazarus has fought his way out of his grim past and looks forward to having a healthy and happy life. He is regaining his strength and will need some time to grow back a new soft coat of fur, but once he does, what an absolutely beautiful dog he will be. None of this would be possible if it weren’t for the attentive treatment and care from all of our friends and especially the generous and invaluable assistance provided by our expert friends; Barbara Bouyet at the Akita Rescue Society of America and Elliot Harvey at Great Life Performance Pet Products. Together all of you are helping make a difference for Lazarus and the cause to help stop the suffering of Taiwan’s animals.
April 5, 2005 - Lazarus was rescued on Tombsweeping Day, of all days, and the only Vet we could find open on this national holiday didn’t want to treat him. Not a chance he said. Still, we begged to let him stay overnight and promised to take him somewhere else. The next day we dragged him to the car in a blanket soaked in blood, urine and feces leaving a trail of blood before heading off to visit Dr. Yang at the Yang Ming Veterinary Hospital.
“He really is in a sorry state, but has plenty of life in his eyes. The only way I can describe it to you (you may not want to read this next bit if you’re squeamish) is imagine if you saw the carcass of an animal that had been cooked over a fire. It’s fur was all gone and it’s skin was burnt in places, in other areas pink and raw. Then imagine the horror when you notice that the animal’s eyes are moving, and they lock on you. It’s still alive. Then it tries to stand, but can hardly move because of the state of it’s flesh. But it wants to live. That’s the only way I can describe it. Then realise that the animal enjoys attention and will eat whatever you put in front of it. You could put it out of its misery, but for whose sake would that be .” The dog’s? Or yours? That’s how it felt for me, anyway”
- Sean from Animals Taiwan
April 13, 2005 - “I went to go see Lazarus tonight. I wanted to cry and vomit at the same time. When I walked into the room where the vets keep him, I was greeted by an incredible odor. I held my breath and walked up to him. He got a little excited and tried to get up but could not quite find the strength. I could see by the look in his eyes that he still had so much to give. I could not touch him. I was too scared that touching him would be too painful for him. I talked to him for a while and he started howling. This sounded kind of funny and strange. I felt like he was telling me not to give up on him. I quietly vowed to pay him regular visits. As I was leaving, he tried again to get up but to no avail.”
- Natasha from Animals Taiwan
April 18, 2005 - “I went to go see Lazarus today. We went for a short walk. This was really good for Lazzie. He did what all dogs do … sniffed everywhere, peed, and pooped twice. You should have seen how people looked at us. Of course people are horrified by what he looks like, and people gave me even stranger stares. We had to keep the walk very short as his muscles are still relatively weak. Anyway, I will try my best to take him for walks every night. It is very easy for me to stop by the vet after work every night. I told the vet I will come by daily after sunset”
- Natasha from Animals Taiwan
April 21, 2005 - “Laz went for his 4th walk tonight. He climbed all the stairs from B1 to 1st floor by himself. We walked slowly for about 20 minutes and when we returned to the vet, he managed to walk down the stairs by himself - very reluctantly though… I think he is starting to realize that life outside is much more interesting than being stuck in a hospital room…with a soprano Scottish terrier. I spent about half an hour cleaning/disinfecting Laz’s kennel and the room in which he is staying. I wanted to do more but the terrier drove me crazy and the smell in there is unbearable. I was not surprized when Laz did not want to go back into the room. He probably has to listen to that wannabe opera singer 24/7″.
- Natasha from Animals Taiwan
April 23, 2005 - “I paid a visit to Laz this morning and the Vet decided it was time to take him to the beauty salon for a good cleaning. It must have been his first bath in years. He sure smelt nice when he got out, but we couldn’t too much about that hair style…yet! The good news is Laz is recovering very well. He can stand up, walk around and likes to bark a few words at the cats! He wags his tail whenever we stop by and he really enjoys some conversation and a good petting. It’s really remarkable. He is just a completely different dog in less than three weeks. His appearance is of course still very thin and fragile, but it may just be a matter of time before we get some meat on those bones and a brand new coat to boot as well.”
- Eric from Animals Taiwan
May 6, 2005
May 18, 2005 - “I took Laz for a walk tonight. We went to one of the parks here where there was one of many Golden Retrievers. The GR was not on a leash and extremely playful. First I was worried that the owner of the GR would not want Laz to go near him but the owner was almost as friendly as the dog. Because Laz was on a leash, I could not let go and was dragged around by Laz and knocked over several times by the GR … providing comic relief for all those around. It was fun though … irrespective of being covered in doggy drool and looking like a fool. Oh, and Laz had fun, too. It was the most I have ever seen him play with another dog.”
- Natasha from Animals Taiwan
May 26, 2005
June 5, 2005 - “Dr. Yang at Yang Ming Vet Clinic has done an outstanding job with Lazarus, the volunteers really boosted his spirits by walking him, cleaning up his living space, giving him healthy treats, and baking cookies to raise funds to help finance his needs. And all of YOU who gave so generously to cover his expenses — if YOU hadn’t supported us so generously and so quickly, we really, really would not have been able to do it. You should have seen him tonight; he was particularly playful, and kept hitting my knee with his paw and demanding a head rub. He’s the happiest dog I know!”
- Sean from Animals Taiwan
