Melanie Findlay writes from Michigan, USA:
A special kind of rescue from some VERY special people! I have an honorary Wombat from Oz who sits amongst the Airedale memorabilia I have. Wombats are Airedale memorabilia, when they come from the A's in Oz!
Much ZEN to Forrest, and God is smiling down on you! One little life, as valuable as any. Every sparrow . . .
For all of Little Baby Forrest's dear and caring friends, here is his progress on Day Three.
AireZen is working!!
No phone call early this morning, which was GOOD. I knew Porscha (correct spelling, as I now realise ... and boy, is she special like a Porscha) would have called me if Forrest had crossed The Bridge last night, so it was with hope in my heart that I visited Porscha & Forrest at lunchtime today, on my way home from shopping in Yarra Glen. She only lives ten minutes from us, down the highway a bit, which is perfect for visiting Forrest any time I like.
He is so unbelievably adorable.
His present burrow is a big crate, in a bedroom in the house. He is tucked up in a little warm nest in a basket, with a heat pad beneath to keep his body temperature elevated, simulating being "in the pouch" of his mother. He needs slight humidity too, since the pouch is humid from the mother's own warmth.
Last night, in great jubilation, Porscha had phoned me to say he had suckled an entire bottle of formula, about 50 ml. That doesn't sound much, but his stomach has to re-adjust to food, and the fact that he sucked vigorously without spilling a drop was an excellent sign. She is feeding him every hour, even throughout the night. That is the kind of girl she is, completely dedicated, and she just loves him to pieces.
We gently lifted him out of his cradle, and Porscha wrapped him in a soft blanket so I could cuddle him whilst she dressed his wound again. It is horribly deep, and the spinal cord was visible when she & the vet were cleaning it on the first day. There is some speculation that it could be a bullet hole, but to my eyes it even looked like a stab wound with a long knife blade. Whatever caused it, it is an awful wound.
But today, the smell of infection was less, and Forrest had been quite vocal and busy during the night, even producing a few nice neat moist little poo packets. Porscha was so excited with these! What they mean, of course, is that his system is functioning normally, something we had all been deeply concerned about. He has lost a lot of weight for his size, and there is much ground to be made up once the infection clears up - in four or five more days, we hope.
As I cuddled him close, his little body snuggled up in a ball against me, and his bare-soled paws curling and flexing around my fingers as he relaxed into sleep, I felt so privileged.
These next couple of days will be the real test of his survival, but I came away cautiously hopeful. And so full of admiration for Porscha, who thinks the world of little Forrest.
And a final good piece of news for the night - Porscha phoned at about 8 tonight to say that Forrest had consumed another two bottles of formula during the afternoon, and had in fact clambered out of his "burrow-basket" and was toddling around inside the crate, mumbling about lack of service and where was his dinner, if she didn't mind? He even played with her for a spell after another feed, and I rather think Porscha is looking forward to a slightly less broken night than the previous one.
So, dear friends, keep those paws crossed and the AireZen coming for our little sweetie. And for everyone who has donated dollars as well as love and Zen, we thank you for your extreme generosity. It is rather unbelievable that one tiny baby wombat called Forrest, in a little valley way down in southern Australia, should receive the rich blessings of all your hearts.
More tomorrow
Wombat Bend in Spring
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Monica Mahn sends this from Canada:
A Rescuer's Creed
I shall be a believer of all that is good in man and of all that is
deserving in animals.
I shall plead for their lives, campaign for their safety and uphold their right to a natural death. I shall seek out the injured and the maimed, the unloved, and the abandoned and tend to them in their last days.
I shall not forget their place in the hierarchy of life, nor that we walk in each other's paths. I shall bear witness to the wonder they bring into our lives and to the beauty they bestow upon our souls. I shall renew their spirits when they are waning, bind their wounds when they bleed, cradle them when they whimper, and comfort them when they mourn. I shall be near them in their hour of greatest need -- a companion and friend when their time has come.
I shall watch over them and console them and ask that the angels gather them in their arms. From the creatures of the earth I shall learn the fruits of compassion and undying love, and I shall be called the beloved of God. In their company I shall indeed be blessed.
-- Susan M. Person --
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