 Whisper's
Story
Traumatized. Neglected. Abandoned. These words describe this beautiful young dog's life. Yet,
she holds no grudges. She greets everyone she meets with a kiss and
cheerful smile. She reminds us that huskies love unconditionally no
matter how mistreated!
Whisper's story begins with an email
from a Visalia Animal Shelter volunteer asking for SNO's help in
rescuing a very sweet young female Siberian Husky. The shelter named her
Whisper because she was unable to make sounds above a whisper when she
tried to talk or bark. Whisper had been brought to the shelter by her
owner's just days after weaning a litter of puppies. The owners kept the
puppies and "dumped" the mom. The situation became desperate
as her scheduled time for euthanasia was fast approaching. An urgent
plea for help was sent to Siberian Husky rescue groups.
Siberians Needing Owners (SNO) was
informed that Whisper's breathing was very raspy, possibly caused by
scar tissue formation from a surgical procedure to "debark"
her. When Whisper arrived we realized her breathing wasn't just raspy
but that she had a serious breathing problem. She struggled for each
breath and we were very concerned she was not getting enough oxygen.
Whisper was immediately taken to the
Atascadero Pet Center for evaluation. The veterinary staff felt her
problem was potentially very serious. They did not want to speculate on the cause
until they
could anesthetize her and examine her throat. The following day it was
determined that she had a severe stricture (narrowing) of her trachea
and that she needed surgery. We were instructed to keep her cool, calm
and quiet until this very difficult and delicate surgery could be
performed (no easy task with a young playful Siberian Husky!).
During
surgery, the cause of Whisper's troubles became apparent. She had been
shot in the neck and the damage to her trachea was caused by the pellets
and subsequent scar tissue formation. The veterinarian was amazed that
Whisper survived this traumatic injury.
With her surgery behind her, Whisper is
now recovering in one of our foster homes. It will be weeks before
we know how successful the surgery was but she is already breathing much
more comfortably. We are looking forward to watching her play with other
dogs and to lead a normal dog life. When she is fully recovered we will
be seeking an adoptive family.
How you can
help
As with most dog rescue groups our funds were limited. Fortunately for
us, and especially for Whisper, some of the surgical costs were donated
by the veterinarian performing the surgery. If you are interested in
adopting Whisper or assisting with her medical expenses you may contact
her foster care provider, Jeanette Stone, (805) 462-0643. All donations are tax deductible.
If you
would like to send a donation please send a check made out to S.N.O.
Mailing
Address
8685
Casanova Road
Atascadero, California 93422
(805) 462-0643
or donate using PayPal
Thank you!!
Volunteers and Dogs of S.N.O.
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