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A Dog Named Delta (Part 1 of 2) An NHS Success Story
The weekend Hurricane Katrina hit, I was at a veterinary conference and had no idea how devastating it was until I arrived home the following Monday. I immediately started thinking about how I could help the animals. I looked on various web sites and saw that they were in need of veterinary technicians to help at the make-shift animal hospitals. They required all volunteers to have the Rabies vaccine, which eliminated me from helping! What now?
My answer came several weeks later. I work for the Nebraska Humane Society, and I knew we would be helping in every way possible. First, we sent staff down to Mississippi to help in various temporary animal shelters that were set up to help the major influx of animals who had lost their families. Later, I found out we would be sending down a caravan to bring home cats and dogs. I knew I wanted to be on that caravan, and my wish came true! The caravan itself was quite interesting. Ten staff members drove down five conversion vans. The drive was about 24 hours. When we finally arrived, we were shocked at not only the heat but also how well the Humane Society of the United States had organized and cared for these hundreds of animals in the Hattiesburg, Mississippi fair grounds! Our first round of business was to assess the dogs the HSUS had selected for us to take home. We were to take what they chose for us. We set out to look at the dogs chosen for us, assess their temperaments, and assess their physical health. All the dogs were in better shape than I had imagined. One dog in particular kept me thinking about her. I am a devout lover of Golden Retrievers. I was shocked to see a small “Golden mix” selected for us to take home. She had little hair on her face and head, no hair on her tail or back legs, and was about 15 pounds under weight. The notes on her records said she wouldn’t eat unless someone sat with her. When I touched her food bowl, she froze—the classic action of a dog who is probably food aggressive. Darn. I love those Goldens! The trip home with the 43 dogs and 40-odd cats was interesting. The reception we had when we pulled into the shelter melted my heart. All the staff and many volunteers were there cheering us on, which was just what we needed. After a couple of days off, it was time to figure out what to do with these dogs. They would need medical attention, and we were to hold them for 30 days waiting for their owners. Of course, I loved all the dogs but was particularly worried about the Golden. I checked on her daily. She had severe heartworm disease and severe skin allergies. She was assigned to me for walks and socialization, as everyone knows about my love for Goldens. I decided to foster her, and I needed a name for her. A friend and volunteer at the shelter had the perfect name: Delta! |
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