Success Stories
Or as we like to call them…Happy Tails!
Marley and Dakota
Submitted by Susan Skowronski
The original owner of collies Marley (a female white factor) and Dakota (a male tri) transitioned into a nursing home leaving the two dogs at their home for a lengthy period of time, mostly alone. The owner’s caretaker and caretaker’s family visited the dogs to feed them and provide playtime, but for the majority of hours in a day, the dogs were left without companionship behind a high fence that made them non-visible to passers-by at the neglected property. At the time of pickup, the property was weed infested and the grass was overgrown.
Neglected and mostly alone, the dogs were void of vet care and their fur became severely matted and overgrown. An internet map view of the property detailed a bald path worn by the dogs around the circumference of their lot where they mostly likely paced to combat boredom and loneliness.
Pam Demko from of NorthEast Ohio Collie Rescue was contacted by the caretaker’s daughter and worked patiently with her for several weeks to collect details and determine arrangements for intake of the two dogs. Pam, along with Leon Skowronski, met with Shari Somogyi to pick up the dogs and transport them to the vet for evaluation and follow-up.
The vet determined Marley to be approximately six years old and Dakota two-three years older. Dakota was suffering from significant dental deformities that later led to extraction of three teeth. Shari and Frank Somogyi, former owners and lovers of collies, were happy to be contacted to foster the dogs as the last of their collie family had passed away several months earlier.
Shari immediately began devoting great care and attention to her new fosters. She shaved their matted fur and crafted coats for sun protection to cover bald spots when the dogs were outside. Dakota, at time of pickup, exhibited limited mobility. Shari and Pam discovered that the fur on his neck was so matted by urine and feces that he was unable to turn his head. Following shaving, he began moving more freely.
Dakota was shy and withdrawn at time of intake, but Shari has worked with him to socialize him to his new family which includes horses and cats. With time, Dakota has become more independent and outgoing.
Marley was friendly and outgoing at time of pickup, and she continues to share her sunny personality with the Somogyis, now freely roaming her multiple acres of fenced yard and never void of attention or care.
Shari and Frank were thrilled when the topic of transition from foster to adoption was discussed and have decided to provide a “forever” home for them. Marley and Dakota will enjoy roaming multiple fenced acres, a quiet country environment, and sharing their new lives when outside with two horses and three felines.
Shari and Frank have provided excellent care for these two special dogs. A recent visit to the Somogyi home found the two dogs happy and content, enjoying dog beds and long walks through the fields. Not only do they look forward to their nightly walk around a large fenced side yard with their new owners and feline siblings, but Dakota enjoyed a recent walk on his own one night when Shari held back due to threatening rain.
Marley and Dakota now enjoy frozen treats, bubble baths, endearing new owners and the safety of never being neglected again. Much gratitude is extended to Pam for her devotion to this successful rescue, and to Betty Hodgson for securing these wonderful fosters.
Neve’s Story
On March 15th we received a call about a collie mix that was found lying in the snow, That’s news you never want to hear. My mind became filled with so many questions: Has anyone posted anything about a lost collie mix? Is she injured? Has she been hit by a car? Does she have a collar? Microchip?
This is where Neve’s story starts. I made a call to the family, who I will refer to as J & J, who found her in the snowbank, to see exactly what we were dealing with. She was found with a collar on and was taken to the police department to scan for a microchip. When no chip was found, J & J then contacted the local animal shelter to see if anyone had been looking for a dog that matched her description. When the shelter showed no real interest in rescuing this older dog found abandoned, J & J were discouraged and started trying other options. That’s how they found us, the Northeast Ohio Collie Rescue. After getting a picture of the dog, my heart broke for her. She was pitiful. I made arrangements with J & J to pick her up after I got off work. They filled me in on what she had ate, her personality, etc. They had also spent their day off loving and cuddling with ‘Snowflake’, as they had been calling her.
I became infuriated inside, just like they were, that a person could let a dog live like this. It was obvious from looking at her that she was emaciated, severely matted, her nails had grown around her paws (the vet said over 2 years of nail growth), and something was wrong with one of her hind legs. On top of that, she was suffering from vision and hearing loss.
I brought her home with me and we spent all Wednesday evening cuddled up by the fire while I gently worked on getting some of the mats & hair out of her as best I could. I also trimmed enough of her overgrown nails to where they weren’t curled around her feet. The poor sweet girl laid right there and never said a word. You could tell by looking in her eyes what a sweetheart she was. During this time, I also started calling her Neve, which means snow; bright and radiant. I thought that fit her.
First thing Thursday morning I made a call to Akron-Medina Vet Hospital. Due to the situation, they were able to squeeze Neve in to see the vet. She spent the day with them getting checked out and pampered. They went above and beyond what most clinics would have done. Because the veterinarian did such a thorough examination on Neve, we ended up getting a lot of questions answered. Unfortunately, the prognosis was not good for Neve. The bloodwork showed she was in renal failure. The x-ray performed on her hind leg showed that the leg had been broken in the past. Due to the leg not being tended to, it healed improperly. The x-ray also showed Neve had Osteosarcoma in that leg. An additional X-ray of her chest confirmed that the cancer had spread to her lungs. She was also half the weight that she should have been. She weighs 19 pounds. After speaking to the Vet, we decided to let Neve enjoy the weekend snuggled up by the fire with me and being pampered with love and her belly full with whatever her heart desired. And we did just that until early Saturday morning.
Friday evening Neve refused to eat and was showing signs that her time was near. That night we curled up in my recliner next to the fire and snuggled until her first seizure came. She continued to seize on and off throughout the night. It was a long night for both of us. We shared lots of heart-to-heart conversations where I talked and she listened about what doggie heaven was like and how much she was loved. I prayed all night that her life on earth was filled with more happy times than sad.
At the crack of dawn, I loaded her up and was out the door to North Ridgeville Emergency Clinic. I kept thinking all through the night she would pass, but she did not want to give up her spot by the fire. With her in my lap we started our drive to North Ridgeville. While on the phone with the emergency staff she proceeded to have her final seizure. It was heartbreaking having to drive and not be able to do anything until the seizing stopped. We made it to North Ridgeview Animal Clinic and were treated with such compassion and care. Neve was wrapped in my embrace when she took her last breath.
Deanna Carroll
