UPDATE 28/2/13: Today I was able to pay the vet clinic $2,000 towards our outstanding bills. Due to two large donations and dozens of others, Yeppe's bill was paid in full, the costs were met to professionally secure the gate on his property and enough was left over to chip away at our bill. It's a relief to have our account at less than $1,000 for the first time in years! My deep gratitude to everyone who has been part of Yeppe's rescue team - and therefore, part of our rescue team too.
Little Yeppe has made a full recovery and I am enjoying walking with him in local parks to ensure he doesn't lose confidence with other dogs following the attack he suffered. His stitches and Elizabethan collar have been removed, all medications have stopped, he has had his last post-op vet check and he has been given clearance to resume life as normal. It's been a pleasure to help this dear little dog and his family.
Yeppe is pictured with his loving young mistress during one of our walks together.
Thank you so much to our supporters and the media for allowing us to act from the heart in situations such as Yeppe's - that call for immediate life-saving action.
ORIGINAL PLEA: $1,000 URGENTLY NEEDED FOR YEPPE’S LIFE-SAVING SURGERY
When my husband and I rushed Brie to the after-hours emergency vet clinic, we had no idea that another helpless canine would capture our hearts…
It transpired that Brie was suffering with geriatric vestibular syndrome which affects balance, and that she would likely make a full recovery within two weeks. Once she was more stable, we noticed a deeply sedated Miniature Pinscher shivering on the operating table with gaping chest and shoulder wounds and an internally haemorrhaging eye.
While taken out for an evening walk this little rescue dog named Yeppe had been severely mauled by a large dog a few streets from his family home. Although the attacking dog was on a leash, Yeppe could not be freed from its mouth. With valiant attempts by his guardians (Mina and her 11-year-old daughter Hana) and the help of a local resident, the screaming 8-year-old dog was finally released. The man with the attacking dog ran off into the night.
We could hear distressed and constant sobbing in the reception area and asked the vet if the dog was dying. Mina was absolutely distraught while her little girl, feeling overwhelmed, had run back to the car where she was wailing for the pending loss of her loved pet. Tragically, the cost of the necessary surgery to treat and close Yeppe’s wounds was beyond their means - so euthanasia was being discussed.
With Animal Re-homing’s own outstanding vet bills at just over $3,000, we watched helplessly as a heart-breaking decision was made. Paul and I acutely felt their grief and desperately brainstormed for a solution.
Suddenly unable to ignore the situation any longer, we offered to take responsibility for Yeppe’s vet care, trusting that our supporters would come to the rescue. The vet was extremely relieved that this friendly little dog would be saved and his blood-spattered family cried all over again at the news of his last minute reprieve. (Hana is pictured with Yeppe in the back of my car before I took him for his surgery).
Back home, I slept on the floor beside Brie while Yeppe remained at the clinic and was monitored throughout the night. I collected him early the next morning and took him to Forrest Hill Vet Clinic. Fortunately he was the only emergency patient at the time, so Dr Kevin O’Meara began surgery immediately.
X-rays revealed that there were no obviously broken bones, and by mid-afternoon this dear little dog, whose name means ‘handsome’ in Korean, was awake and eating his first post-operative meal.
Yeppe’s injuries are extremely painful so he stayed overnight at the hospital and will be closely monitored throughout his recovery.
Kind-hearted Dr O’Meara almost halved Yeppe’s vet bill, trimming it down to $1,000 plus follow-up costs. This is not the first time veterinarians have generously discounted expenses for the animals we rescue. It’s a beautiful experience when people rally together to bring about happy outcomes for animals and their guardians. These essential gestures keep me going in this endless work and I implore our supporters to once again come forward to help me with this animal emergency. (Dr O'Meara and I are pictured with Yeppe following his surgery).
Yesterday I took Yeppe back to Mina and Hana and provided a crate to contain his blood drops and to keep him still during his rehabilitation period. He is eating from our hands and spending a lot of time sleeping. Because he pulled at the drains in his wounds, he is currently wearing an Elizabethan head collar. Tomorrow I will return him to the vet where his wounds will be checked and the drains removed.
The vet clinic and I will remain intimately involved in Yeppe’s recovery. It’s possible he may need a new home or long term foster care - if Mina is able to go to Korea to visit her mum in Korea who is, sadly, suffering with cancer.
Donations for Yeppe’s bill can be posted to Linda Nunn, Animal Re-homing, PO BOX 35-298, Browns Bay, Auckland 0753. Counter and online donations can be made to ASB Account Number 12 3059 0650626 00. Credit card payments may be made to our FundraiseOnline account. Please click here.
I look forward to your generous contributions with heartfelt appreciation. Please visit this news page for updates on Yeppe’s progress.
 |
Note: If anyone knows the identity of the man whose dog attacked Yeppe at about 9.30pm in Killybeggs Road, Pinehill, Auckland on the evening of 28th January, please contact us. He is described as a tallish, slender Korean, over 50 years old with a long face and short, thinning black hair. He was clean-shaven and wearing a white, round-necked, short-sleeved T-shirt and wasn’t wearing glasses on the night. The dog with him was medium-to-large with a very short tan coat, pointed ears and a black snout. Thank you.