Parker County Today March 2016 | Page 57

her heart melted instantly and she knew it was fate.  “My pug had just died probably three or four weeks beforehand, so I was like, ‘It’s mine!’” Sarah told Parker County Today.  The shelter was full at the time the little pug was brought in, but Sarah had grown attached to the sweetheart and decided that she wanted to keep her despite the fact that the 10-yearold pug was almost completely blind. She was overjoyed at her luck and named her Patsy, declaring that nothing mattered except the fact that she would love the sweet little fur ball more than anyone. Things seemed to be looking up, until the volunteers realized just how bad the situation was when things took a dark twist in the operating room. She hadn’t looked well to begin with; it was clear to everyone she was in pretty bad shape. But in the midst of a routine spaying operation, the shelter vet, Dr. Glenn, made a gruesome discovery. “She wasn’t doing good, healthwise. She was really struggling,” Dr. Glenn said of his first impression of the pug. “She really hadn’t been cared for in a long time.”  Sarah recalled that the pug’s nails had been curled over into the padding of her paws when she first arrived at the shelter. It had been immediately evident she hadn›t been taken care of, but during the spay session Dr. Glenn noticed she had a hernia in an unusual place. Poking around, he realized that the hernia had been pushed right up through the center of her abdominal wall.  “The only way it could have happened is by sodomy, sexual abuse to that little dog,” Dr. Glenn said. “Something shoved it (the hernia) through the uterine wall. The uterus was outside the skin — no telling how long it had been like that.” Dr. Glenn explained, shaking his head at the traumatic event. Nobody wanted to believe it, but there was no other possible explanation. The poor animal had been badly abused.  After the surgical removal of the hernia Patsy began to feel better and become more comfortable around people. Her toenails were still bad, but Sarah continues to bring her in to get them clipped until they’re back to normal. Being so old, and also almost completely blind, not many people would want to adopt such a dog, much less one with such a traumatic past, a pet who might have trouble dealing with people or other animals. But Sarah loved her instantly. When asked what made her want to adopt a dog that would otherwise have little to no chance of being adopted, she replied with a bright smile, “I have a soft spot for pugs. Mine had just passed away, and I just wanted someone to bring back to the apartment.”  Sarah’s love for the traumatized pug was evident to all who were around the two. One of the volunteers even commented on the way she always lit up when talking about Patsy. That first moment when Sarah saw her led to a beautiful friendship which has allowed Patsy to experience a fur-ever home in a safe environment, where she can relax and spend her retirement basking leisurely in the affection showered over her. w e N of ity e il t a St Fac t r A e th MARCH 2016 small animal x-ray machine for dental panoramic views 8283 FM 920 • Weatherford, Texas • 817-458-3355 PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY Dr. Hutchins • Dr. McLeod • Dr. Sweatt 55