This morning, I wrote about Perdita, an (approximately) four-year-old Boston Terrier found starving in the woods in Southern Arkansas. She was found wandering, she is emaciated from hunger and suffering from exposure.
Perdita, named by FOHA rescuer Joyce Johnson after the lost princess in Shakespeare’s “Winter’s Tale”, weighted 9.3 pounds when Carol picked her up and brought her to the Southern Arkansas Veterinary Clinic today.
Her ribs are sticking out.
About fifteen minutes after I wrote about this dog on the blog and my own temptation to adopt her, Debra Otto, a Farm Journal reader from the Minneapolis Area, wrote to me and Carol saying she wanted to adopt Perdita, and would wait as long as it takes.
She said she loves the breed, and she and a friend will be happy to drive as far as necessary to get Perdita and bring her to her home. She has two dogs already.
More good news came this afternoon when Dr. Jonathan Bradshaw, the vet that has treated Bud, the Boston Terrier who is hopefully coming home to us on Saturday, tested Perdita and found she tested negative for heartworm.
She is emaciated and weak, and Carol said she needs some support just to stand up, but Dr. Bradshaw said she was otherwise in good health and ought to be able to go home to Debra soon.
This story – like the Winter’s Tale – has a happy ending. The lost princess finds a good home.
Debra is a passionate dog lover and a gracious person. She said she didn’t want to adopt the dog if I wanted her, and I told her that I couldn’t imagine a better fate for Perdita than living with her in Minnesota.
This makes me quite happy. It is just what I hoped for when Carol first told me of this poor creature over the weekend. I said I wanted to try to help get her adopted, and if I couldn’t, I would consider taking her.
Three dogs is the right amount for me and for Maria. We also have two border collies, sheep and donkeys and barn cats and chickens. That’s enough.
Maria thought this was a bad idea, and I could see her point, but I also knew she would take Perdita in a minute once she saw a photo of her and saw the condition she was in. And if necessary,I know we could have found a good home for her.
This story, this dog, this name all got to me. It got to Debra too, and right away. She experienced that magic moment of hearing about Perdita, and then seeing a photo. It was her dog.
Carol will take Perdita home from the vet in a couple of days and fatten her up. She and Debra will work out the adoption and transportation details. I am standing by to help. Carol cautioned that the rescue group might ask for a lot of money for Perdita.
I told Debra we – the Army Of Good – would help her if she needed financial assistance, she said she could handle the fees.
All told, I’m getting Bud for nearly $900, including the standard application donation of $200 plus medical fees. I don’t think Perdita would cost that much, given that she has no need of heartworm treatment. In any case, Debra doesn’t want or need the help.
FOHA (Friends Of Homeless Animals) usually takes dogs that need expensive medical care, and the fees vary in respect to that. Bud needed a lot of medical care.
This is wonderful new use of the blog, and I am enthusiastic about this. We have added vulnerable and lost cause dogs to our list of good deeds, including the Mansion residents, and the refugee soccer team.
And if feels especially good to have helped getting this poor dog adopted into a loving place. She has suffered plenty. And I love those ears.
I hope Debra will grace us with a photo or two once Perdita gets settled.
And hats off once more to Carol Johnson, one of our Better Angels. She saved another dog, and made another dog lover very happy. Carol and I have become good friends and working partners. We will be making more dog music.
Audio: Saving Perdita