Gigi - Just a Dog Pit Bull Rescue

Gigi was not treated well in her former life and she has the scars to prove it. Neglect and abuse by her previous owner left her with a permanently damaged eye, scars on her face and body, no ears and a nasty case of heartworm. She will see a specialist immediately to determine the extent of the damage to her eye, and when her poor little body can tolerate it we will begin her heartworm treatment. In spite of her crappy life thus far, her genetics have given her an optimistic, people loving, resilient personality. Boy do we love these dogs.

So, here we are as usual, too many dogs, not enough adopters, rescues already pushed to their limits, national financial crisis, and now 400 cruelty victims…we took a deep breath and raised our hand to help. Just A Dog believes in the statement of support we are making by providing a spot for even one of these dogs. With the help of people willing to provide a foster home to a dog already in our program, we might be able to squeeze in a second, very deserving dog from this case (hint, hint). In the meantime, we are enjoying the company of Gigi (briefly called Beauty). She is quite a luv bug.

The news back on July 8 was the story of a multi state, dogfighting bust that eventually netted over 25 suspects and 400+ victims…that’s four hundred neglected and abused dogs… staggering. With a small sigh of relief, we knew that if and when the dogs are released to the authorities, they would get the evaluation for adoption they deserve. This current group of victims will get their evaluation thanks in no small part to the organizations that rallied for the evaluation of the Vick dogs, BAD RAP & ASPCA, and every organization that made room in their programs for a Vick dog. For those who followed the Michael Vick case of 2007, you will remember the significant success of those victims and the remarkable shift in public perception of the dogs confiscated in fighting busts. But, that’s still a whole lotta dogs to deal with.

Gigi Update!

First the good news. We found out that Gigi’s left eye, is permanently damaged and without vision, however, it causes her no pain...while we wish for her sake that she had never been injured, it is what it is, as they say. And yeah, that’s the good news.

The bad news is that Miss Gigi arrived with a pretty nasty infestation of parasites. Three different types of intestinal worms, and, of course, heartworm. We are currently awaiting test results to determine if she is clear of the gut bugs, and if she is, we can proceed with her heartworm treatment. That’s the part that is really gonna suck.

ok, so here’s the skinny on our favorite little minx...

Up until now, her life has been pretty normal...walks, obedience training, playing in the yard, etc. Once her heartworm treatment starts, all that other stuff ends. Gigi will have to be crated for about two months because as the worms die, if she is too active it can kill her. So we will have to find ways to keep her mentally stimulated and happy while she stays calm and crated through her treatment. Ugh! talk about pressure, luckily we have been through this before...successfully. So we feel confident that we can shepherd her through this with minimal difficulty. If you are a sucker for a pretty face (no judgement, we are too) and would like to discuss the possibility of adopting Gigi, or would like to offer support by helping with her mounting vet bills please let us know. many thanks.