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Enya

ONE STARFISH REHOMING CONNECTIONS PRESENTS STARFISH BRAVEHEART 26 MARCH 2011
Marti Houge writes: Braveheart came to us from Kentucky on March 26. He was brought in to the pound by an animal control officer, who had found Braveheart IN A PUBLIC DUMPSTER! Because Braveheart wasn't adoptable "as is" - and a rescue couldn't be found to take him (because he looked like he might have sarcoptic mange, which is very contagious) - the pound was going to euthanize him immediately.
Fortunately, we found out about Braveheart before he was euthanized. And, being the "softies" that we are, we told the pound that our rescue group would take him, because we didn't think his condition looked "hopeless" at all! Having done rescue work for many years, we've seen the miracles that can result from good vet care, quality food, and lots of love. We have always believed that where there is life, there is hope. As it turns out, poor Braveheart does, indeed, have mange, but it is demodectic mange, which is not contagious, and is usually the result of poor care and a compromised immune system. He has sores on his body from either dog bite wounds or maggots. He is terribly emaciated and infected with roundworms, hookworms & whipworms. He also has pressure sores on his body; our vet thinks these sores are from Braveheart being confined to a small cage for an extended period of time, without the ability to reposition himself. In spite of all his medical problems, Braveheart is a VERY sweet, loving dog who gives very gentle kisses, and he seems to be VERY appreciative of everything we're doing for him. Braveheart will need a lot of extra medical care, but he is a young dog and we believe he will make it through this. And - once he is well - he will make a wonderful companion for a qualified adopter! We're guessing that by the time we have his skin problems treated, along with neutering him, worming him, testing him for heartworms, and immunizing him, our vet bill will be at least $800. [When this page was written, we had NO IDEA that Braveheart would have to stay in the UW Veterinarian School ICU for many days, at a cost of $500/day. Needless to say, the vet bill has greatly increased. See the next page for full details.] We appreciate the fact that these are difficult times for everyone, but if you can help us with even a small donation to help us pay Braveheart's vet bills, it would be much appreciated. Thank you so much!

	WHY A STARFISH?
The Starfish Once upon a time there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean. As he got closer he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?" The young man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish in the ocean." "I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?" "The sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I don't throw them in they'll die." "But, young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!" The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said, "It made a difference for that one." -- Adapted from "The Star Thrower, by Loren Eiseley (1907-1977)

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ONE STARFISH BRAVEHEART HERE