Bobbi and the Strays

Poor Eba.  Just being in a shelter is difficult for the dogs, but for this 7 year old rotti girl, it has been particularly hard.

Eba’s original owner had passed away and the person he wanted to care for Eba could not do it so she surrendered Eba to our shelter. When Eba first came in, she was very attached to her current caretaker and didn’t want anything to do with us.  One of my new workers was a little worried.

“Lets just take a walk together,” I suggested and we all walked Eba around outside the shelter. Eba got into her walk and she didn’t even notice when I took the leash from her caretaker.  I then ignored Eba and just continued on the walk. Most people think you should give the dog a lot of attention and talk and pet the dog when meeting, but for a dog like Eba, who was clearly uncomfortable with us and her suroundings, the best thing to do is to ignore her and let her feel you out. So that is what we did. By the next day Eba was our best friend.

She quickly became known as the dog who walks right at your side, gazing up at you in adoration, or the dog who just flops over for belly rubs anytime or place. Her little stub of a tail goes crazy in excitment when meeting other dogs. She usually has to be bribed to go back in her cage with a treat and it breaks out hearts everytime to put her back.

Eba was lucky enough to go to a wonderful foster home but when the foster parents had to start working more they returned Eba to the shelter because they didn’t want her to be alone all day.  Eba was adopted out not long after but returned the next day.  Some people have the best intentions and try to compensate for the dog being in the shelter with tons of affection and attention right off the bat but for a dog like Eba who has been through so much, she needs space to adjust.  It doesn’t take her long but her new home was too overwhelming too soon and they brought her back when she went to bite a vister to the house on the first day =(

When I give Eba to new volunteers to walk, I always tell them the same thing. “Ignore her for awhile. No petting. talking etc. When she is ready, she will come to you.” They look at me with uncertainity as they take the leash but when they come back, they usually say the same thing. “She is the best dog! She is so sweet! She just rolled over for belly rubs on the grass and didn’t want to get up!”

When Eba started limping one day, a caring volunteer took her to Howard Beach Animal Clinic where we found out the bad news. Eba had a torn ACL in her leg.  She was in a lot of pain and would need surgery.  To make matters worse, they found a lump on her belly that could be a cancer tumor. They would have to do a biopsy. If she had cancer, they would have to do another major surgery.  On top of that, she would need 16 weeks recovery for her leg.  Just the thought of her having to recover in a noisy, stressful shelter brought me to tears.

The day I brought Eba back for her surgery we had to wait because it was extremely crowded. In a room full of strangers and strange dogs, Eba decided to flop over for her belly rub.  It was the cutest thing. She seemed oblivious to everything else! She seemed relaxed and content to be pet in a crowded vet waiting room, waiting patiently for her turn to be called. When I left her there for her surgery, it was hard not to cry. She was such a good dog!

After the surgey, Dr Weinstein called us to say that everything went well and that Eba should spend a couple more days at the vet recovering before going home.  They did a biopsy but didn’t have the results back yet.

We prepared for her return at the shelter. Someone donated a large comfortable orthropedic bed for Eba to rest on.  The staff knew they couldn’t let Eba run or play. She could be leashed walked only.

Then we got the good news! The biopsy came back and Eba didn’t have cancer! When I went to pick up Eba from the vet, Dr Weinstein brought her out and said, “This is a nice dog!”  It seemed he really taken a liking to her.  He gave me detailed instructions about her recovery and told me she would have to come back in ten days to get her staples out.

Eba didn’t seem like a dog who just had surgery. She was happy to see me and I had to keep her on a very short leash because she wanted to hop and run out to my car. I had to use all my strength to stop her from jumping in and allow me to lift her gently into the back seat.  She wanted to put her head right near mine as we drove back to the shelter.

In the days to come, staff and volunteers would take extra special care in dealing with Eba. When the weather was nice enough we would take her out on the grass and just sit with under a nearby tree. She couldn’t walk very far and sometimes she would just lie down and rest.  We would wait patiently till she felt strong enough to get back up. She would lie there, rolled over, asking to be pet, her paws straight up in the air. She was goofy, loving, playful. 

When I took Eba back to the vet for her check up, Dr Weinstein said her leg was healing well. They took the staples out and instructed me not to let her run or play yet. She was still healing. Then in the middle of her check up, she flopped to the floor again for a belly rub!

Eba is almost completely healed now. I am sad that she had to recover in the stressful shelter environment but I am proud of the strength and grace she possessed.  I pray every night that someone will come along who is able to adopt and see Eba for the wonderful dog she is.  She has to be one of the most devoted and loyal canines I have ever met- and I have met a lot! I know whoever adopts her will be extremely lucky. Someone just needs to give her a chance.

I want to sincerely thank Dr Weinstein of Howard Beach Animal Clinic for performing the surgery and taking special care of Eba for us.  We would also like to express our deepest gratitude to the Pedigree Foundation for giving us a grant that helped make Eba’s surgery possible. Also thank you to the volunteers and staff who also donated special items and their valuable time in helping Eba recooperate after her surgery. Thank you!!

IF you are interested in adopting or fostering Eba please email Adopt@bobbicares.org  or click here for more information on this special dog. 

Tags: adopt, dog, donate, Eba, foster, help, sponsor, surgery

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 at 9:45 am and is filed under Happy Tails, How To Help, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.