I’ve been thinking about how I’m going  to write this entry for a while. I apologize it wasn’t written earlier, but Mr. Bones finding his forever family has been complex for me to process.

On May 28th, Mr. Bones got the greatest gift that I, or anyone else could have possibly given him; his forever home. His family consists of a couple that are about the same age as Dave and I, and another dog named “Tuna” who is a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix (he’s absolutely stunning!). They had actually chosen and been approved for Mr. Bones before he fell ill and they waited for him through his treatments and surgeries because in their hearts they knew that he belonged with them. They helped us spread the word about him for the fundraising and prayed for him with all of us.

Once they got him home, the first weekend was a little tough as he was scared to be in a new environment- but that quickly subsided and he is adjusting well to life with them now. I told them that since I cared for him so much when he was sick, he was likely very attached and may have a little trouble transitioning- but as soon as they’re the ones feeding him, he would forget about little ol’ me

Here’s some pictures of him, and his brother Tuna, enjoying the good life. (These pics were taken by Courtney, his Mom. I’m borrowing them from her page, I hope she doesn’t mind!)

I won’t put any of him with his Mom and Dad in here (because I don’t know if they would love that) but you can tell by those pictures how happy he -and they- are to have each other.

So, mostly, I just want to say Thank You. Thank you to every single person who said a prayer, donated resources or donated time to help us get Mr. Bones to his ‘Happily Ever After’. You might think that this wasn’t a big deal, but it truly was. Every year an estimated 2-4 million cats and dogs are put to sleep in American shelters, and of those 1 million are pitbulls and pitbull mixes. Every day in Los Angeles County alone- 200 pitbulls are put to death. That’s every day.  Hundreds of thousands of dogs are living tethered on chains 24 hours per day, 7 days every week and many of those dogs die without ever feeling the love of a real home. They are forced to live a life of solitude, often suffering psychological and physical effects only to die forgotten and alone. I know that everyone reading this blog is a part of the solution and not the problem but I really want you to understand the impact that you have made. You are the reason Mr. Bones, and many more dogs just like Mr. Bones gets a second chance. You saved a life and many more lives because the funding that we received helped to free funding that will save more just like Bonesy.

Just so you know, you also made a significant impact on me and every other person that loves Mr. Bones. You showed us that we aren’t alone. You showed us that what we are doing is making a difference and it’s worth all the frustration and heartache that we sometimes have to go through as part of the job. Sometimes, just knowing that there are people out there that appreciate what you’re doing can get you through the hardest times. I know that the other people in our rescue that were involved with him all felt the immense love and support that we received from family, friends and some people who were complete strangers.

I just wanted to take this last opportunity to try to express my gratitude to Helping The Helpless, Courtney and Chris, Veronica, Sarah G., my wonderful husband Dave and every contributor who helped make Bones’ recovery possible. No one gave up on him. In life, we are hit with so many disappointments and difficult times… I am truly thankful that Mr. Bones was able to be blessed with a happy ending to his story.

Thank you so much,

Juliet

Hi Everyone!

We had a crazy weekend and I was unable to update since his surgery, but I sent all of our sponsors an email letting everyone know how he did. You can read below…

…AMAZING NEWS from the doctor! His surgery is finished and everything looks GREAT! The suspected “mass” that was seen on the xrays and ultrasounds is no longer there! The vet isn’t sure if maybe it was some type of obstruction that was able to be broken down once the inflammation was under control from the meds… but his lymph nodes that were abnormal are also looking great now !!!

The only thing that was found to be abnormal during the surgery was a funny shaped kidney, but the Dr said it looks healthy- it was likely just a birth defect and it shouldn’t cause him any problems.

This means he will be able to proceed to get heartworm treatments, and Mr. Bones should be able to GO HOME- to his REAL, FOREVER home in about 3 weeks!!!

As for me, I just cannot possibly express how grateful I am for each and every person who donated to be able to have this surgery done, and who has been thinking of him and praying for him for the past week. Thankfully, it looks like his story is going to have a happy ending! So many times, dogs like Mr. Bones don’t get that 2nd chance.

Thank you all again, so much! I will continue to keep you updated as he moves forward to get his heartworms treated!

Juliet & Mr. Bones

Hey Everyone!

Normally we don’t get to see where our foster dogs come from before they make it to us… in the case of Mr. Bones- he had angels looking over him for nearly 1 year before they were able to take him out of the horrible conditions he lived in. They would throw him food as they were able a few times each week. They took these pictures of him when they FIRST started trying to help him a year before he was saved. If you look at the pictures of him then compared to when we got him- you can see how his condition deteriorated because of the neglect. No dog deserves to go through what he went through. No dog deserves to live a lonely life of despair on the end of a chain. Please visit the website www.dogsdeservebetter.org to check out this amazing organization.

Before Rescue…

THE DAY OF RESCUE

TODAY <3

I cannot wait until the day that I can post pictures of him living a happy, healthy life with his forever family! Thanks to the help of the donations made by so many generous, caring people; I think we will be able to make it happen for him soon!

It’s amazing to be able to see the whole progression of a dog that has been through what he has been through. The sad fact is there are a lot more like him out there waiting for someone to save them.

Thank you all!

Juliet

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to give a quick update on how Mr. Bones is doing.

The medications he is on really seem to be helping a lot. His attitude continues to improve though he is still sleeping more than normal (but that’s good!). When he does wake up though, he just wants to play and be his crazy old self. We are still keeping him isolated from the other dogs though, because it’s important he doesn’t get excited. Instead of the usual game of ball which he adores, I have been playing more low-key games with him. One is to hide pieces of treats under jars so he can figure out how to turn them to get to the treat. Another is to fill up his kong with lots of peanut butter and let him go to town

His bowel movements are back to normal which is awesome because it means internally he is also getting back to normal so we will have a better shot at an uneventful surgery next week! I’m so excited to get some answers as to what this big ugly thing in his abdomen is and find out if we can just get it the heck out of there! That way we can move on and get rid of the nasty heartworms, too.

He is eating well and staying nice and hydrated. He hasn’t put on any more weight this week- but because of the heartworms that isn’t a surprise. He still has a long way to go, but he is off to a great start.

Thank you so much to everyone who has made donations and is continuing to keep him in your thoughts! He has a big week coming up next week and we will definitely keep everyone updated.

Thank you!

Juliet and Mr. Bones

This morning, I took Mr. Bones to my regular vet, Alan Schwartz D.V.M at Cove Mountain Animal Hospital. He kept him to do repeat xrays and an ultrasound to determine if there were any internal changes over the weekend, and also if he could get a better look at what the mass in question looked like. I went back this afternoon to pick him up and discuss what was found.

It was confirmed that he does have a grapefruit sized mass at the pyloric region of his stomach. It is currently unknown whether the mass is within the stomach, or outside. Dr. Schwartz also found that the tissue where his lymph nodes are have a series of circular patterning and it is questionable whether they are more masses or inflamed tissue. His intestines are enlarged and inflamed, so he is going to stay on the medication prescribed over the weekend because we are unable to get a clear picture of what they look like and whether they are healthy or not.

At this point, we are going to try to give the medications 7 days to do their jobs and see where we are at the end of the 7 days. As long as he continues to not vomit, Dr. Schwartz is comfortable with that time frame and that gives us time to try to get the funds together to continue on to our next step.

Our next step is to do an exploratory surgery. The surgery will tell us exactly what is going on in this guy’s abdomen. We will be able to tell if the large mass is operable or not. We will also be able to tell even if it may not be operable; if we are safely able to take a sample for biopsy without running the risk of causing internal bleeding or rupture. We will also be able to look at the lymph nodes and see if they are healthy or if they have been affected as well.

Unfortunately, the exploratory procedure will cost $500-$800 and if removal of the large mass is possible, it will likely bump the price of the surgery to the $1000-$1500 range because of the increased length of time and anesthesia needed. This is an expense that the rescue does not currently have the funds available to be able to cover. We are going to start reaching out for help. I have added a like to the right of the screen that says “DONATE TO HELP MR.BONES”. It is setup through paypal and we just ask that you specify that the donation is going to Mr. Bones. I am also working on other fundraising ideas, and if you have any suggestions or you would like to volunteer your time; I cannot tell you how much I would sincerely appreciate it.

Mr. Bones had a really rough start. He finally has the chance to live the life that every dog deserves. We are begging for help so that we can determine what we need to do to make his life the best that we can possibly be. Thank you, so much, in advance for your time and consideration in helping this great guy. If you know of anyone who would like to donate resources or time, please direct them to me. Thank you so, so much, God Bless.

Juliet Lightner

Juliet.Lightner@gmail.com

***CLICK TO DONATE TO MR. BONES’ CARE***

The decision was made for me to pick him up Sunday because of my previous experience as a vet tech. I could continue supportive care at home. I braced myself when I picked him up Sunday morning for the worst; but I was greeted by the old Mr. Bones. His whole butt wagging, licking, licking, licking self. When I took the leash from the tech, he immediately turned back around to give her kisses like he was saying, “Hey, thanks lady!” and then he was ready to run home. Just like that, he seemed totally fine again.

When I got him home, he snuggled in bed with myself and my husband and took a nap. When they got up, Dave put him in the bathroom to keep him isolated from the other dogs so he wouldn’t get too excited while we got some housework done. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, until late that evening.

At approximately 9 o’clock pm, Bones passed black, tarry, bloody diarrhea. I called the ER vet back and told her what happened. She told me to continue fluids, meds and break up his feedings into very small amounts regularly given so I wouldn’t stress his system. I started feeding him 1/4 cup rice/hamburger mixture every 30-45 minutes. I also gave him an anti-nausea injection at approximately 10pm. His attitude was still great, so I told him goodnight and just checked on him throughout the night.

Friday April 23, Bones had a great day. He had visitors who wished to see him off, as he was supposed to be going with his forever family and some of the people who already loved him wanted to play with him and say goodbye. He played ball, ran through the yard, and rolled in the grass for quite some time. That night, after everyone left, he ate his dinner and went to bed.

The next morning, Saturday, he seemed a little sluggish. I thought he was just played out from the night before, so I let him do his business outside and put him back into his kennel so he could get a little more rest, away from my other crazy dogs. I ran a couple errands and came back to the house about 2 hours later. When I returned, Bones had taken a serious turn. He was extremely lethargic, dehydrated, and disconnected. When he would drink, he would just sit and drool afterwards which he had never done before. He also just sat and shook. I was extremely concerned, and within about an hour, I decided to take him to the emergency vet.

Before I could take him, he started vomiting and had diarrhea. He was throwing up undigested food, which alarmed me because he had not eaten since the night before. He also felt cool to me. His gums were pasty and seemed pale. At that moment, I honestly believed there was a chance I was going to lose him that day. I was in shock because just 18 hours earlier- he was completely fine and just 2 hours earlier- he was just a little more sleepy that usual.

When we got to the emergency clinic, the vet got his history from me. I told her when his shots were given, when a stool sample was last done, and that he had a heartworm test done in January that showed he was negative. The vet advised his intestines felt thick to her and she felt enlargement in what she thought to be his spleen. She said they would do full bloodwork, xrays, get him on an IV and once they started seeing results they would update me. We also discussed his weight, and I told her that while he has gained weight since I have had him (approx 10-12 lbs), it seems as though he has trouble keeping it on…his weight always yo-yo’s (but hey, so does mine!).

A few hours later, one of the workers with my rescue called me to tell me they had their first result. The vet tested for heartworms on a hunch, and sure enough- he tested positive. I absolutely lost it. My heart started breaking right then and there. For the months that I have had him, I’ve exercised him, given him heartworm preventative, taken him for walks… basically everything you should NOT due to a dog with heartworms. I immediately felt as though I spent the last 3 & 1/2 months slowly killing Mr. Bones.  All I wanted was to tell him how sorry I am that I’ve made it this hard on him, and ask him why he didn’t ever let me know. Now, I know why.

Bones loves life. He loves his ball. He loves my husband and I. He loves EVERYONE he meets. He figures he has got it made, and I think no matter how bad he might feel- he doesn’t show it unless it’s absolutely taking him over. His spirit shines through any situation he is in. That’s why, although he spent 2 years isolated on the end of a chain… the people who rescued him saw so much more. His spirit is unbreakable.

His bloodwork showed slight abnormalities, but nothing too bad. His xrays are another story. The vet found what she thinks to be a softball sized mass in his abdomen. It may be an enlarged spleen, or it may be something entirely different. It may be caused by the additional stress being put on his system by the heartworms, or it may be something completely unrelated that we just coincidentally found.

Mr. Bones is a foster dog who was rescued from a life of being condemned on a chain in South Carolina in January, 2010. The volunteer who rescued him had seen him for quite some time and while she brought him treats and food, when his condition seemed to deteriorate, she took action. Finally, after some convincing and a $50 bill, she got the owner to release Bones to her. She said she had always just looked at him at a distance and had no idea how nice he was until she took him that day. She said he kissed everyone, and jumped and played as to say “Thank you! Thank you! I’ve been SO lonely!”.

With that, the rescue chain got working and word of Bones made it’s way to Veronica Henson with Helping the Helpless Pets in Coatesville, PA. That’s when I get in the picture. Veronica contacted me because I had let her know I was ready for another foster and my wonderful husband and I have lots of bully breed experience. Bones is thought to be an American Bulldog/ Pitbull mix. When I got the pictures of him, there was NO WAY I could possibly say ‘No’ (not that I normally can anyway…). Within a few weeks, Bones got neutered and had a cherry eye repaired in South Carolina- and he was on a transport to PA to come live with us.

I remember the day I got Bones. I went to a gas station to meet the transport, and out came this skinny, dirty, poor-looking excuse for a pitbull. He slowly jumped out of the van and looked around blankly. He gazed at the cars and his body was limp. I practically ran to him and said, “Mr Bones! Hey big boy!” and he looked at me like, “And you would be?”. When I got to him, he leaned into my legs and accepted my petting. Slowly, his tail started wagging followed by his whole butt wiggling back and forth. All at once, as though a shot of life was put into him, he turned around, jumped up, and started licking me in the face. The driver said, “Well Bones, looks like you’ll be fine, take care!” and with that- he was mine.

On the car ride home, he kept trying to get over the seat to sit in my lap. Finally, I had to use my arm as a block between my front seats, so he just laid his head on my shoulder. From the first day, he was the most affectionate dog I have ever seen. No matter what, he wants to be with me, touching me. I’m sure it’s because life on the end of a chain is bleak and isolated. He never had anyone who made him feel as though they were his. Every dog needs a person, and not so the person can rule them- but so the dog can feel as though they have a purpose. I am now Bones’ purpose, and you can tell how happy that makes him every time he looks at me.

Mr. Bones, the night we got him <3

Now, how did he become “Mr. Bones”? Well… my Mother has a sick obsession with the movie “White Christmas”. A sick obsession. She starts watching it every single day- multiple times each day- around the end of October and it continues until a few weeks after Christmas. So of course, I had also seen the movie hundreds of times. The one part in that movie that sticks out, is a funny little song that one of the lead singer performs with one of the guys. It goes:

Girl: Mr. Bones? Mr. Bones? How do you feel, Mr. Bones?

Guy: Rattlin’!

Girl: Mr. Bones feels rattlin’. Ha ha. That’s a good one. Tell a story, Mr. Bones!

Guy: How do you stop an angry dog from biting you on Monday?

Girl: That joke is old. The answer is to kill the dog on Sunday!

Guy: That’s not how you stop a dog from biting you on Monday!

Girl: How do you bring a thing about?

Guy: Have the doggy’s teeth pulled out!

Girl: Oh, Mr. Bones, that’s terrible!

Other guy: Yes, Mr. Bones, that’s terrible!

It’s just a silly little song that I thought of when I first heard the name Bones, and I also thought Mr. Bones sounded much more gentlemanly. Now that I have introduced you to Mr. Bones, my next post will explain what he is going through and why he needs your help. Thank you for taking the time to learn about Mr. Bones!

<3 Juliet, his foster Mom.