Before & After

Sophie

Sophie is an 8 year old pitbull who was found tied to a fence at 4 months old, and adopted by TAF's Medical and Rescue Director, Bridgid. Sophie is our "leader" of all our rehabilitation dogs. Gentle, firm and very tolerant, Sophie helps us decide if a dog's temperament is good and will quickly flee if she feels threatened or uneasy. She teaches dogs how to play and shows them what is appropriate (or not.) 

Ned

Walking down the aisles at our local shelter, we were stunned to see an itty bitty little chihuahua puppy. He was riddled with fleas and terrified, but we knew if we didn't get him out immediately he didn't stand a chance.

We named the little peanut Ned, and he went to foster with some of TAF's Canine Rehabilitation Team members, Antler and Geiger.

After weeks of recovering and gaining weight, Ned was neutered, and quickly adopted by his wonderful new family!

Sheldon

TAF found Sheldon coughing and struggling to breathe at a local shelter. We took him to the vet where he was immediately hospitalized and treated for pneumonia. After 10 days at the vet, Sheldon went to a foster home where TAF Canine Rehabilitation Team dogs Antler and Geiger could keep watch over him as he recovered from his illness.

Once Sheldon was fully recovered he was neutered, vaccinated and listed for adoption! He quickly met his new family and happily went to his new home.

Coach Q

TAF was contacted about a sad little balding chihuahua whose owner had died and no one in the family wanted him, so he was taken to a local shelter. There was no way we could leave his sweet little face at the shelter, so the pup, whom we named Coach Q, was taken directly to our vet. 

His initial bloodwork showed he was dehydrated and anemic, but also showed his thyroid hormones were low. Q was also suffering from a grade 4 (scale of 1-4) bilateral luxating patella which was causing him pain. We hospitalized him on IV fluids and antibiotics to stave off any illness and started his thyroid medication and pain medication. Within a few weeks he had started to bounce back and underwent surgery to correct his knee problems.

Because Q was only 6 pounds, we needed him to have physical therapy after his surgery. He was too used to holding up his legs funny, and needed to develop muscle to hope support his little frame. 

Well...while at physical therapy he met a woman who was looking for another little chihuahua...it was an instant match and Q was adopted!

Arthur

TAF came across a 14 year old, emaciated golden retriever boy at a local shelter. He had been surrendered by his owners, requesting euthanasia. He was so sweet and affectionate that the TAF asked if we could transfer him into our program to give him the love and attention he deserved in his last weeks.

After taking him to the vet, our boy Arthur was hospitalized for dehydration, anemia, and a slew of other issues. X-rays and ultrasounds, along with a series of blood tests, showed he had a testicular tumor, a large mass behind his bladder, and a terrible upper respiratory infection. Once healthy enough, Arthur was neutered to remove the testicular tumors, and had abdominal exploratory surgery to try to figure out what the mass was behind his bladder. He regained some strength and was sent home with us, cancer free. After a few weeks we repeated his bloodwork and learned Arthur was in the final stages of kidney failure. We tried everything we could to keep him comfortable: a special home cooked diet, medication, sub-cutaneous fluids...our Arthur was treated like a king! 

One day he just wouldn't eat, and barely could stand up. It was then that we knew our adorable boy was ready to make his final trip to the vet. He snuggled into a pile of blankets, looked at each of us and passed as peacefully as you can imagine. 

We were sad to see him go, but very happy he had an amazing, loving last few weeks with us. He didn't die alone and scared in a shelter, and was treated with dignity when he deserved it most.

Leica

A good samaritan witnessed a dog who was hit by a car. She picked the dog up and brought him to a local vet. The damage to the dog's leg was severe, and the vet decided to amputate the dog's leg. Soon after, the vet had no where for the dog to go so he was taken to a local shelter.

TAF was contacted about the tripod dog in the shelter. We raced to get him and after spending a week at the hospital to be sure he was safe from infection and further illness, Leica went to a foster home where he was cared for by Trio. After making a full recovery, Leica was neutered and found his forever home!

Clover

The Trio Animal Foundation would like to introduce you to Clover. Clover had a severely injured leg that had been broken in the past and had received no care by her prior owners. Clover's leg was crooked and dangled from her body when she walked. It turned your stomach trying to see her walk around the room... it was horrifying. Even knowing how financially draining Clover's medical expenses would be, TAF brought Clover immediately over to our vet. After x-rays and a thorough exam, Dr. Hartwig determined that Clover's injuries were too extensive and that she needed to have her leg immediately amputated. We agreed with Dr. Hartwig's decision and Clover was brought in for surgery. 

After making a full recovery, TAF was thrilled to learn that Dr. Hartwig wanted to adopt his patient!

Marlin and Nemo

We have wonderful news... TAF sponsored Marlin and his son Nemo have found their forever homes!!! PRC and TAF fished these two out of a local open access shelter after they sat there for months. Being a senior, Marlin needed alot of medical attention as most of his teeth were rotting after years of neglect. Once Marlin and Nemo were both healthy, they were neutered, vaccinated, heartworm/parasite tested and microchipped. These two beat the odds and we are so happy that we could be part of their happy ending!

Adeline

FANTASTIC NEWS... TAF sponsored Adeline has found her forever home!!!

With the help of some of TAF's Canine Rehabilitation Team pups (Antler, Miller and Geiger), I had the pleasure of fostering this scared little peanut.

By the time that we found the perfect forever home for Adeline she was playing with the big dogs and was having a ball! 

At first we thought that Adeline should go to a home with small dogs but after seeing how much she loved to play with Antler, we knew that she would do just great in another home with a pitbull. We are so glad that we took the time to learn more about Adeline so that we were able to place her in the home that would make her happiest!

Well, as fate would have it, Adeline found her new best friend and forever home just down the street! 

Opus

Opus was brought into an open access shelter on a cold February day after being confiscated.  His cage card simply read, “DOG IN THE BACKYARD. NO FOOD OR WATER. ALSO NO SHELTER. DOG IN EXTREME TEMPERATURES.”

As many of you know, this past winter was ruthless with its “Polar Vortex” and sub-zero temperatures. We will never know what gave Opus the will to live as his body parts began to freeze to the ground and break-off or, as a result of starvation, why eating part of a garbage can and a glove became his best option… the abuse that Opus endured is unfathomable to most and unconscionable to all.

Opus was diagnosed with advanced, untreated Cushing's Disease, also known as hyperadrenocorticism. He had secondary skin infections, frostbite and a foreign body in his belly that required an endoscopy by an internal medicine specialist. After weeks of non-stop attention, vet visits, special diets, a slew of medications…one day Opus woke up with a golf ball sized lump above his elbow. Fine needle aspiration and a consult with a pathologist comfirmed that Opus had soft tissue sarcoma. There was nothing else we could do.

At this time, Bridgid, TAF’s Medical and Rescue Director, decided to adopt Opus and give him the best last few weeks as possible. He lived with her and her other dogs, including some of TAF’s Canine Rehabilitation Team, played in the yard, ate special home cooked meals…and stayed by her side 24-7.

As I live and breathe, I don’t think that I will ever come across another dog like Opus. I feel so blessed to have witnessed such courage, acceptance, strength and love from an animal that, by all rights, should have hated the world.

In the end, our sweet old man went out with dignity and grace. Opus walked into the vet, sat himself down on his mom’s lap and ate treats out of the palm of her hand. Though his body appeared tired and worn out, Opus couldn’t have been happier as his mom wrapped her arms around him and repeatedly kissed his muzzle. It was then… that Opus passed on. Though our hearts are broken that Opus is no longer with us, we rejoice knowing that he left with a smile on his face and in the arms of the person that he loved more than words can express.