OSHAWA -- Mitch Nadon has
much to say to the former owners of Missie, a German
shepherd mix, that she has fostered for the last two months
and is about to adopt.
"I don't know why you couldn't care for and love
this little girl," she said. "But I'm so glad she
managed to get herself away from you."
Like most of the pets who are turned into Oshawa Animal
Services, Missie had no identification. Manager Kathy Duncan
said she came to them in May in "deplorable
condition" after being found running at large in Oshawa.
"It was at the end of the day on a Friday afternoon
and her ears were infected so badly that we sent her to the
vet right away," she said.
Missie returned to the shelter but staff struggled to
care for the animal's infected ears.
"She was a lovely dog with an absolutely wonderful
temperament but she wasn't gaining much attention for
adoption so we decided to contact German Shepherd Rescue
Toronto," explained Ms. Duncan.
The Toronto agency, in turn, contacted Ms. Nadon, who had
recently fostered a German shepherd, Max, through a terminal
illness before he died in February.
"Her symptoms were a lot like Max's. So I felt
comfortable taking her in to foster," said Ms. Nadon.
Missie was 15 pounds underweight, and her back knees were
"shot," which Ms. Nadon said told her that the dog
had been exposed to the elements. She feels Missie would
have likely been put down if not for German Shepherd Rescue
Toronto getting involved.
"We could tell she had been short-chained because of
the condition of her neck and her teeth had been worn down.
We think she tried to bite her way off the chain," she
said.
Under Ms. Nadon's care, Missie has endured two surgeries
on her ears, which were badly infected. During one of the
last surgeries, her vet found dead tissue from an old case
of frostbite.
"I'm very definitely adopting the dog. She's just so
beautiful and breathtaking inside and out," Ms. Nadon
said. "This little thing - all she wants to do is make
you happy."
Missie has gained back seven pounds since May, her ears
are starting to stand up again, and she's learning not only
how to relate to other dogs but also to trust humans again.
"It's just great to see her opening up and becoming
the dog she was meant to be," said Ms. Nadon. "We
still don't know how old she is. They thought she was about
eight at the shelter but I think she's a badly used
five."
Ms. Nadon has been keeping Oshawa Animal Services up to
speed on Missie's recovery and staff there are thrilled with
her progress. It's not often the shelter sees such a
neglected and abused animal, said Ms. Duncan.
As is typical this time of year, the shelter is packed
with about 20 dogs and 50 cats. All of those animals are in
good shape, said Ms. Duncan.
"We have to assume they're just not wanted. None of
them have ID and the majority aren't spayed or
neutered," she explained.
If an animal has no identification, isn't spayed or
neutered, Ms. Duncan said she considers that pet to be
mistreated.
"We're seeing huge litters of cats. Obviously, they're
not getting the message (about spaying and neutering),"
she added.
Should you see an animal running at large, Oshawa Animal
Services will pick up wandering dogs and cats during
business hours.
The department only asks that you try to confine the cat
until a staff member arrives for the pick-up.
For more information or to make a report, contact
905-723-3488.
