RECENT RESCUES
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All of the animals that you see on this site come to ARF in various ways. Rescuing animals is not just simply taking them in, feeding them and placing them in new homes. It is more complicated than that. ARF is often called to assist with animals that have been abused, are in distress or have been neglected. This includes a visit to the site or home where the animal is located, and an evaluation of the situation. If an owner is involved, they are spoken to regarding the condition of their animal and if steps are not taken to correct the situation, their animal can be seized. In many cases, animals are just found wandering the streets in a poor state. We try to help as many of these animals as much as we can. Often, it depends on if there is a foster available to take them in. They can be in our care for only a few days or as long a year. We are responsible for the health care and the socialization of each of our animals. This is necessary for a successful adoption. All of this takes time, money and foster homes. Below are Recent Rescues in our care and their progress. If you would like to donate your time, money or be a foster home please contact us. |
8/17 Update on Julian
Julian was found dumped on the side of the road by one of our volunteers. He is improving as each day goes by. He can now stand on his hind legs! His skin is healing slowly. He keeps scratching so he is getting pills to remedy this.
His weight is now on target (as you can see from the picture).
The lump of fluid on his elbow has shrunk in size to half. He is bathed twice a week and treated for his leisons every day with anti-fungus cream. He is still getting daily food supplements, Caclium and Glucosamine. His eyes are now totally clear, no longer infected.
Although these pictures are a little alarming, have faith that he is doing much better and on the road to recovery.
Thank you La Casa de los Animales for looking after this little guy for us.
If you would like to donate to Julian's expenses, please visit our website at: http://www.arf-boquete.com/donate.html
His weight is now on target (as you can see from the picture).
The lump of fluid on his elbow has shrunk in size to half. He is bathed twice a week and treated for his leisons every day with anti-fungus cream. He is still getting daily food supplements, Caclium and Glucosamine. His eyes are now totally clear, no longer infected.
Although these pictures are a little alarming, have faith that he is doing much better and on the road to recovery.
Thank you La Casa de los Animales for looking after this little guy for us.
If you would like to donate to Julian's expenses, please visit our website at: http://www.arf-boquete.com/donate.html
Luis, Elena, Victor, ARF volunteer Lorie and Chomba
Meet Chomba
At the end of March, about to give birth, Chomba was voluntarily surrendered by her Nobe family with the understanding that she and her puppies had a better chance at survival if she received proper food and medical care. She had previously lost one litter and the family was heartbroken about that. Chomba’s family shared with ARF volunteers that they love their dog, understand that she needs better care, but they simply do not have the means to do so at this time. So, ARF agreed to step in to lend them a hand. This led to our current situation, which has turned out to be an emotional roller coaster for the family and the volunteers.
Sad consequences
The day Chomba was removed from her home the family confided that they were very worried. Victor, the youngest boy told us Chomba had been vomiting and not eating for at least two days prior, something they had not observed during her previous pregnancy. She was taken immediately to our local vet who announced that she was already having contractions and was likely to have her puppies that evening. We quickly installed in her temporary foster home and awaited the arrival of the puppies.
The next day when she still had not delivered her litter, she was rushed to a vet in David where there are emergency facilities. It was there that we were informed that without immediate surgery, all of them, puppies and mother, would be lost. An hour later the vet emerged from surgery to inform us that the puppies had likely been dead since the previous evening, but that luckily Chomba had survived the surgery. When asked why this had happened, the vet explained “the father must have been at least twice her size.” She and her puppies were the victims of indiscriminate breeding, the consequence of not spaying /neutering.
A temporary “silver lining”
After that tragic event and informing the family of the fate of the puppies a small silver lining appeared. Someone called ARF to let them know that six orphan puppies had been rescued after their mother was apparently poisoned. It seemed like a natural solution, a mother dog without puppies, and puppies without a mother. With approval from the vet who performed the surgery, the puppies were introduced and Chomba was successfully nursing them. That lasted until several of Chomba’s surgery sutures came undone. At that point she was no longer able to nurse. (A pic here of Chomba and the puppies nursing)
Fortunately for the puppies, she was able to give them enough nourishment that they are now thriving on their own and beginning to eat soft food. Sadly for Chomba, however, she has continued to struggle to recover from the surgery. The past two weeks have seen repeated visits to the vet for re-suturing, despite wearing a cone, having her stomach swaddled in bandages and constant supervision. This is a sad situation; one which we hope ends happily, but it illustrates the efforts that ARF volunteers are willing to go to help an animal in need and the emotionally draining nature of this kind of work.
What is “Soft Fostering” - Outreach and Education through Family Support
The agreement between ARF and Chomba’s family was, and still is, that taking her from their home would be a “temporary rescue.” When she is well enough her return will be considered a “soft foster.” What this means is that once back home, Chomba and her family will receive continued support from ARF in the form of food, wellness checks and consultation, and any follow up medical care. In return for ARF’s support, the family must agree to follow ARF recommendations for feeding and appropriate care, with the understanding that failure to do so would result in Chomba being removed.
There have been questions raised about the effectiveness of “soft foster” situations. Yet, the fact remains that there are simply more animals that are neglected/abused and in need of good homes than there are fosters or adoptive homes available to fill the need. Therefore, ARF considers “soft fostering” a viable and preferable alternative in the cases where it is an option. Such an option exists when a family shows they are willing to give adequate care, but need support in doing so. It is the organization’s view that giving that kind of support is ultimately better for the animal, and the community at large. In many cases, it is just a matter of educating the owner on the proper care.
In this instance, as one of our volunteers pointed out, Chomba knows this family and they love her. If we were to take their dog from them, with no promise of returning her, they would likely simply go out, get another puppy. Without ARF’s support and training, that new puppy would likely suffer the same or worse fate than Chomba. Instead, the desired outcome is that with adequate support, this family will have the opportunity to experience what it means to be responsible pet owners and avoid a bad situation for yet another dog. Through ARF’s efforts to keep pets in their homes, families learn about responsible pet ownership through:
At the end of March, about to give birth, Chomba was voluntarily surrendered by her Nobe family with the understanding that she and her puppies had a better chance at survival if she received proper food and medical care. She had previously lost one litter and the family was heartbroken about that. Chomba’s family shared with ARF volunteers that they love their dog, understand that she needs better care, but they simply do not have the means to do so at this time. So, ARF agreed to step in to lend them a hand. This led to our current situation, which has turned out to be an emotional roller coaster for the family and the volunteers.
Sad consequences
The day Chomba was removed from her home the family confided that they were very worried. Victor, the youngest boy told us Chomba had been vomiting and not eating for at least two days prior, something they had not observed during her previous pregnancy. She was taken immediately to our local vet who announced that she was already having contractions and was likely to have her puppies that evening. We quickly installed in her temporary foster home and awaited the arrival of the puppies.
The next day when she still had not delivered her litter, she was rushed to a vet in David where there are emergency facilities. It was there that we were informed that without immediate surgery, all of them, puppies and mother, would be lost. An hour later the vet emerged from surgery to inform us that the puppies had likely been dead since the previous evening, but that luckily Chomba had survived the surgery. When asked why this had happened, the vet explained “the father must have been at least twice her size.” She and her puppies were the victims of indiscriminate breeding, the consequence of not spaying /neutering.
A temporary “silver lining”
After that tragic event and informing the family of the fate of the puppies a small silver lining appeared. Someone called ARF to let them know that six orphan puppies had been rescued after their mother was apparently poisoned. It seemed like a natural solution, a mother dog without puppies, and puppies without a mother. With approval from the vet who performed the surgery, the puppies were introduced and Chomba was successfully nursing them. That lasted until several of Chomba’s surgery sutures came undone. At that point she was no longer able to nurse. (A pic here of Chomba and the puppies nursing)
Fortunately for the puppies, she was able to give them enough nourishment that they are now thriving on their own and beginning to eat soft food. Sadly for Chomba, however, she has continued to struggle to recover from the surgery. The past two weeks have seen repeated visits to the vet for re-suturing, despite wearing a cone, having her stomach swaddled in bandages and constant supervision. This is a sad situation; one which we hope ends happily, but it illustrates the efforts that ARF volunteers are willing to go to help an animal in need and the emotionally draining nature of this kind of work.
What is “Soft Fostering” - Outreach and Education through Family Support
The agreement between ARF and Chomba’s family was, and still is, that taking her from their home would be a “temporary rescue.” When she is well enough her return will be considered a “soft foster.” What this means is that once back home, Chomba and her family will receive continued support from ARF in the form of food, wellness checks and consultation, and any follow up medical care. In return for ARF’s support, the family must agree to follow ARF recommendations for feeding and appropriate care, with the understanding that failure to do so would result in Chomba being removed.
There have been questions raised about the effectiveness of “soft foster” situations. Yet, the fact remains that there are simply more animals that are neglected/abused and in need of good homes than there are fosters or adoptive homes available to fill the need. Therefore, ARF considers “soft fostering” a viable and preferable alternative in the cases where it is an option. Such an option exists when a family shows they are willing to give adequate care, but need support in doing so. It is the organization’s view that giving that kind of support is ultimately better for the animal, and the community at large. In many cases, it is just a matter of educating the owner on the proper care.
In this instance, as one of our volunteers pointed out, Chomba knows this family and they love her. If we were to take their dog from them, with no promise of returning her, they would likely simply go out, get another puppy. Without ARF’s support and training, that new puppy would likely suffer the same or worse fate than Chomba. Instead, the desired outcome is that with adequate support, this family will have the opportunity to experience what it means to be responsible pet owners and avoid a bad situation for yet another dog. Through ARF’s efforts to keep pets in their homes, families learn about responsible pet ownership through:
- One on one conversations with volunteers about proper treatment, preventative care, and the Panamanian laws regarding animal welfare and owner responsibility
- Access to resources in the community that help provide free or low cost veterinary care, in particular spay and neuter services.
- Appropriate pet food support (too often pets exist on table scraps becoming malnourished in the process). An added benefit to families of scarce means is that less human food being given to pets means more food in the bellies of kids.
On Sunday, March 19th we were contacted by someone who found a very sickly, skinny dog wandering the streets in Los Naranjos. Pluto was taken to a foster and a vet visit scheduled for Monday. He was drinking Pedialyte during the night and we were very optimistic about this.
Pluto tested positive for Distemper and unfortunately, had to be put to sleep. Pluto was only about two months old. From the condition of this pup, it was apparent that he had not eaten for quite some time. This poor dog had a very rough and short life.
Much of what we do can be emotionally draining and frustrating but we press on because we do feel we are making a difference in some small way.
February and March 2017 have been very costly months for us which has resulted in draining much of our financial resources (our expenses exceeded our donations by $1,700 and March is not looking much better).
We can only carry on our work if we have the funds to do so. Please consider making a donation so that we can continue to help the animals in the Boquete and surrounding areas.
Pluto tested positive for Distemper and unfortunately, had to be put to sleep. Pluto was only about two months old. From the condition of this pup, it was apparent that he had not eaten for quite some time. This poor dog had a very rough and short life.
Much of what we do can be emotionally draining and frustrating but we press on because we do feel we are making a difference in some small way.
February and March 2017 have been very costly months for us which has resulted in draining much of our financial resources (our expenses exceeded our donations by $1,700 and March is not looking much better).
We can only carry on our work if we have the funds to do so. Please consider making a donation so that we can continue to help the animals in the Boquete and surrounding areas.
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We need your help again!
This is a deplorable situation! UPDATE: Mar 23, 2017 In total 23 adult cats and 7 kittens were rescued. So far, 9 have tested negative for feline Leukemia and were sterilized at the February spay and neuter clinic. Ten are scheduled to be sterilized at this month's clinic. The kittens will be sterilized when appropriate. In addition there were three dogs on this property, two adult dogs and one puppy. Unfortunately, one of the adult dogs remains there because there is no foster home for the dog to go to. All the cats are lovingly being cared for by two rescue organizations in David. Without your compassion and financial assistance these innocent animals would not have had an opportunity for a better life. Thank you so very much to those who donated and your concern is deeply appreciated. Please see the following pictures - no more chains around their necks and one of the remaining dog. ARF is trying to assist financially with this case as we do not have anywhere to put these animals. There are now several people involved in trying to find a remedy for this horrible case. The person who is asking for help is the Corregidora of Volcan, Mariana Escudero. It is believed that the woman who is “hoarding” these animals may be mentally ill. 30 cats (yes, 30) and one adult dog and one puppy have been found at a residence in Volcan. All of the animals are tied up as you can see in the pictures. There was also a closed cardboard box found with 10 kittens and no food or water. They have now been removed. We are trying to raise funds to get the cats tested for Feline Leukemia, as they cannot be placed with healthy cats if they are infected. Also, funds are needed to spay/neuter and feed all of these animals until homes can be found. If you are interested in helping out with this community effort, please go to the "support" tab on top and click on the donate button. Please indicate your donation is for the Volcan cats. |
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