1/21/20 – Dahlia was pulled from a municipal shelter by a friend of 4p1h who we’ve worked with for a long time. She was very underweight. At first it was thought that she had ‘happy tail syndrome’. This occurs when a strong tail repeatedly hits solid objects with force during a wagging session, resulting in the thin skin of the tail splitting open. Dahlia was treated as directed but that didn’t work. She ended up chewing the end of her tail off. The rescuer then took her to two other doctors and it was finally determined that the tail was actually broken in 3 places. Dahlia was returned to her foster to heal and was later spayed. It took an extra long time to heal. Then Dahlia went to live with her rescuer. It was learned over the course of time that she was a ‘basement’ dog and had no real house manners. She is still learning. She is clumsy and has no boundaries. Her ears get infected often and she has a food allergy. Not many people want a dog with so many issues going on so she’s remained with the rescuer in hopes a forever home will some day be found.
A couple of weeks ago when she was getting her toenails cut, it was noticed that Dahlia seemed to be drooling a lot. It turned out that a canine tooth was bleeding. We were contacted and an appointment was made to have Dahlia see Dr. Zalac. Dr Z found 3 broken canines. Dahlia had surgery and is now doing well. Dahlia is in good hands. – diana
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P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI 48080
Category Archives: Dogs/Puppies
Piper – Living in the Woods But Saved Through the Relentless Efforts of Two Women
1/17/20 – I know this story is a little long but this journey just needed to be shared. Thank God for the rescuers. I just can’t (and don’t want to) imagine what this dog has gone through in her life and what would have happened to her if these young women wouldn’t have been so dedicated. After hearing this story and seeing this beautiful face, I couldn’t say ‘no’. Please say a little prayer for a positive outcome and hug your fur baby just a little longer, and be thankful that your pet is warm and loved during what appears to be another tough weekend of cold and snow in our area. ~ diana
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“Good afternoon my name is Emily Schaff. I have recently taken in a stray dog who now goes by the name Piper. I am currently a nursing student and not working so I can focus on my studies. I was seeing if I could receive any assistance for vet bills for this poor pup. First let me tell you the story of this poor girl. July is when I first saw her. She is a polish hound or hound mix we believe. I would see her on my game cameras every once in awhile. I live in China,MI in the country. I kept seeing this dog and it broke my heart. The first photos from the game cameras showed how emaciated she was. Eventually neighbors in about a 5 square mile radius were seeing her. Another woman and myself posted pictures on Facebook and eventually we had a woman (Sharon Hansen) from macomb come out to help capture this girl. Just before my semester ended, the first week of December is when Sharon came out with a big live trap. During the week of my finals I would get up every morning and night to refresh the trap. We were close but unfortunately she never went in. The trap moved to various houses. We tried it at my house but still no luck. We made fliers and printed them off and handed them out. We were in touch with animal control the whole time. I gave up every single day of my break in between semesters trying to get her to safety. We wrote down all her sightings over the 5 week period to get an idea of her daily routes. We had feeding stations set up at my house in hopes we could get a different type of trap. It took her 3 weeks before she would even touch the food us humans left out for her. Last Tuesday was my last day I could devote to trying to capture her. So Sharon and I set up the collarum snare trap at 12pm. We said we would give it until 9pm since this trap had to be monitored the whole entire time it was set. At 8:40pm, 20 minutes before we were going to give up the trap went off!! I can’t even explain what I felt at that moment! I ran so fast to the back of the woods to that trap. I was so scared! Scared I’d didn’t work, scared she got out.. but when I walked up I saw this beautiful pup that stole my heart 7 months ago when I first saw her! I cried!! I couldn’t even believe that we finally got her on my last day! I was just in shock. She just stood there almost like she was relieved. It was a good thing we got her that night. It was so cold and windy that night. For 7 months at least this poor dog was all alone fighting to survive. There are so many coyotes in our area. I am grateful she survived. The next day we took her to animal control for vaccinations and then straight to the vet because we noticed her leg was injured. We got xrays done and the vet assumed she was hit by a car. She had a lot of scar tissue built up around her left hip and it was permanently dislocated. Riverview veterinary (Dr. Robyn) said she needed an FOH surgery. We did some research and decided to take her to see an orthopedic surgeon in Flint. His name is Dr. Degner. We see him February 7th at 11am. That was the soonest he could see her. That is her surgery consultation. Piper is estimated to only be a year to a year and a half old. Due to me being in school I am unable to pay for all of her vet bills. I started a little fundraiser on Facebook and have raised about $1,500 so far. I was hoping I could maybe receive some assistance for her. I just know that she deserves the surgery. She deserves to be in no pain. This poor girl has zero human contact, was outside her whole life, and was never shown love! I officially adopted her yesterday when her stray hold was up. I did her stray hold because I knew going to animal control for that would be too scary for her. It will take months for her to heal. Decompression for her will take a long time but I have so much time to devote to her. I love this girl with my entire heart. I want to give her a great life. I’ve already gotten to see her wag her tail for the first time (I cried) and she even tried to play. Right now she is taking pain meds to keep her comfortable until we see her surgeon. Thank you so incredibly much for considering us!
Emily Schaff and Piper”
Dash – Goes to See Dr. Kern of Pawsitive Steps
1/18/20 Dash Update♡
Tuesday we saw Dr. Kern at Pawsitive Steps. Dash was a very good patient and slept through most of his measurements and physical exam. The staff adored him and I was able to see Hercules (pictured with the rear leg prosthetic).
The tendons that control flexing and extension of the toes are damaged on Dash’s left rear foot. Therefore, his toes are at full extension causing him to walk flat footed. He has lost nearly all of the large pad that helps bare weight. His toe nails are starting to grow back a bit abnormally. His foot is slightly smaller than normal, but he is growing fast and he is happy.
He will require are rear leg prosthetic like Hercules is wearing but without the heel. This will provide cushion, support, and a much better quality of life.
He is already starting to develop sores on the bottom of his foot. 😞 He will need a temporary shoe until he can be casted at 8 months old. He cannot be fitted for a prosthetic now because he is a growing large breed puppy and his growth plates will keep developing until about 12 months old.
I’d like to try and raise money for the prosthetic which is between $800 – $900. This is something he will use for life.
Every few months the shoe will need to be sent in and inspected for wear and tear which is about $300.
We will also be taking Dash for his recheck appointments once every 4 to 8 weeks to make sure there are not anymore healing concerns.
Dash has a very good home lined up when he is ready, but I’d like to help get him started..
The open area on the bottom of his foot has closed and formed scar tissue.😊
If you’d like to donate towards Dash’s medical you can do so by going to our PayPal link on our website. Just put DASH in the note area! Thank you all so much!
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Gina
Leo – Goes HOME!!
1/16/20 – Great News!!! After 3 days of fluids with lots of in-hospital care including force feeding and antibiotics, the great staff at Center Line Veterinary reported that little Leo is bouncing off the wall and eating and drinking and having normal bowel movements. This past Monday he was put on oral antibiotics and was vaccinated and dewormed. His rescuer is ecstatic!!! Miracles can happen when a village comes together. – diana
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Misha – Found With Severe Abscesses in a Very Dangerous Neighborhood
1/14/20 – Misha was another found on some very dangerous streets. She had a severe abscess which needed quick attention. 4 Paws 1 Heart was contacted and we took care of all of Misha’s needs including treatment for the abscess, heart worm test, spay, and vaccines. She is a very sweet dog and we are thankful for her rescuer. ~ diana
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Leo – Rescued From an Abusive Home Where He Contracted Leptospirosis
1/12/20 Leo Update – Leo is eating and getting stronger.
1/11/20 – Leo Update! As of 2:30 this afternoon, Leo is holding his own. He is eating and performing necessary body functions. I think your prayers are working. Keep them coming. Thank You, diana
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1/10/20 – Prayer warriors needed. This is Leo. I received a call from one of the veterinary hospitals we work with asking if we could help this 10 week old puppy. He was rescued from an abusive home where he was kept in a closet and rarely fed. After being rescued, he became very ill and was brought into the vet. After spending all of the money the puppy’s angel had, more money was needed. The vet suspected the puppy had contracted the parvovirus or leptospirosis. The staff contacted us and I agreed to cover the medical help needed.
I now know that Leo contracted lepto and that is what he is being treated for. The staff loves this little guy and told me he has been constantly giving the staff kisses. When Leo’s rescuer learned that the medical care for Leo would be covered he cried. Your donations save lives. ~ diana
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Sparrow – Very Emaciated and Found Rummaging Through Trash Cans; May Have Recently Had Puppies
1/8/20 – Meet Sparrow. She was going through the trash cans of a neighbor — very emaciated and may have just had puppies, although none could be found. The rescuer attempted to find an owner without success and 4 Paws 1 Heart paid for her to have x-rays to ensure there were no puppies left, have a heart worm test, get her vaccines, and be spayed. The rescuer said she is very sweet and was already feeling very comfortable in her bed. ~ diana
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Whiskey – Living in a Yard Without Human Support
1/7/20 – Whiskey was living in a yard without any support from the homeowners. Their hope was that she would run away. She appears to have lived most of her life outside but yet she is very sweet. Our friend, Shelley E. contacted me because she had found a foster and was going to pick her up. Whiskey was immediately taken to a vet to be examined and vaccinated. She will be spayed and receive any treatment that is needed. Fortunately, two very kind people also donated towards Whiskey’s medical care. Anyone interested in this girl, should contact Shelley at: [email protected] – diana
4paws1heart
Dash – Update
1/5/20 – Dash update..
This little puppy has been through a whole lot in his short little life so far.. These are pics of what his foot looks like as of today. I haven’t posted pics of his injury prior because the photos from 3 weeks ago were very graphic.
My goal was to prevent this puppy’s foot from further infection, prevent amputation, get some weight on him, get his age required shots, and make sure he knew he was loved by everyone he meets.
His foot is healing nicely, he has doubled in size (3.5 lbs to 10 lbs) in 3 weeks, and he is a fearless puppy with an entire future ahead. Unfortunately, we will never know the cause of his injury.
We can only assume he experienced a major traumatic event causing him to lose a large portion of the underside of his foot involving tissue and tendon loss, sloughing paw pads and toe nails, and a dislocated toe. Also, 3 of 4 back toes are totally fused together and the section between what’s left of the big pad and the small pads is flattened.
He puts weight on the foot, but when he is in pain he turns his foot outward to shift his weight.
I haven’t made a decision on his placement because my focus has been his immediate healing.
Now, my plan is to consult with a veterinarian who specializes in this area.
Even tho Dash is doing wonderful I cannot ignore the injury he sustained to a part of his body that can be the most difficult to heal because of weight bearing and because he is a large breed growing pup.
He may need nothing major, or he could have special needs with that foot for the rest of his life.
I have spoken to several Veterinarian’s over the last 3 weeks and everyone has been helpful in one way or another. Now, I am thinking of his future and what he may need longterm. It’s all about him and giving him the best opportunity to thrive.
Thank you all for your support and prayers. He is one very special boy. I will update again once we know more.
Happy 2020 to All of Our Friends
1/1/20 – Happy New Decade to our over 13,000 Friends. I know most people make resolutions in the new year but the Board of 4 Paws 1 Heart has already resolved, back in 2010, to reduce the number of abandoned/stray/abused animals by funding medical treatment and thereby helping to find forever homes. For 2020, our prayer is that all of the work done by 4p1h and the many other rescuers in our State will result in less cats and dogs being born alone on the streets. 2019 was a very tough year with an unbelievable number of heart worm cases, broken limbs, eye removals, and not too mention the spay/neuter of any animal we touched.
Once again, we sincerely thank every person who has rescued, all of our financial supporters — small businesses and individuals, and the many great veterinarians who continue to work with us. We wish all of our friends a 2020 filled with much love, laughter, good health and many doggie/kitty kisses, Here is one of those animals who because of the Village will have an amazing life. He was left behind by his owners after they moved from their home. – diana
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P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI 48080