Hattie (the name I gave her) was found abandoned in St. Paul and brought to a shelter. After much effort, it was determined that Hattie was not adoptable due to her age, estimated to be 12, and her physical and medical condition. She found her way to me and Top Dog Foundation.
Hattie was in tough shape. She weighed 56 pounds, more than double the weight she should have been. As a result she could hardly walk. The weight was not from too much food and too little exercise, but rather, was the result of medical issues that had not been diagnosed or treated. She had a baseball-sized tumor dangling from a string of skin on her neck that hung down to her chest. She had 4 teeth sticking straight out the front of her face. Upon looking at her I was quite certain that she had Cushing’s and was hypothyroid which were confirmed by my veterinarian. We scheduled surgery to remove the tumor, which was benign, and several teeth. Hattie was started on a regimen of exercise, Vetoryl for the Cushing’s and Thyroxine for the thyroid condition. I put her on a quality, grain-free diet and she went from a sickly and sad dog to a beautiful, sweet, and happy dog with a new home and a new lease on life. The ongoing medicine is quite expensive and therefore no one wanted to adopt Hattie.
She lived with me and my Sheltie pack for more than 5 years .She lost 24 pounds and she was a happy girl who just wanted to be loved. Hattie was the type of dog that will benefit from “Bentley’s Place”, a permanent sanctuary, not a shelter, but a senior living facility, where she could live out her golden years in the company of other senior dogs, have the daily activity and care that she needed, and be surrounded by people to love and care for her. Because of Top Dog Foundation, Hattie had an opportunity to live a full life . . . 5+ more years than she would have had!