Ark Animal Sanctuary News

By Loraine Monfils
    On Monday March 26, we received a phone call about a dog named Shakira. The phone call came from a very concerned acquaintance of the owner. The caller was extremely upset and concerned about the welfare of the dog. I listened while the caller gave me the horrible details, Shakira was in a home where she was not being taken care of, she had a growth on her that had gotten so big it had ruptured and she was loosing quite a bit of blood. Shakira had been in this condition for months and the owner did not have the finances to take care of her, nor did she even care about Shakira’s condition.
    That same day The Ark went to the home and the owner willingly surrendered Shakira to us, but not before she had told us that she had stuck pins in the growth to try and pop it, when that didn’t work she told us that she was just waiting for her to die. It was clear she had no feelings for the dog.
Contributed photo
SHAKIRA’S STORY — Efforts to save Shakira were not successful for the Ark. If you know of an animal in need please contact the proper authorities for help. All it takes is one simple phone call. 
    Day after day Shakira had laid there becoming more sick. The growth had gone from a small lump to the size of a baseball. It had become infected after being stuck with pins and finally it ruptured, the smell was indescribable and the discharge was just as bad. Pain was a constant part of Shakira’s life, I guess you could say Shakira thought pain was a normal part of life. Her gums had turned white and she was becoming anemic from the blood loss. Through all of this, Shakira still wagged her tail.
    As soon as we took Shakira from the owner she was taken immediately to the vet, where the wound was properly cleaned and Shakira was started on antibiotics for the infection and scheduled for surgery that Friday. The growth was removed and sent away for biopsy, the results were not what we had hoped for.  The growth was cancer and in the advanced stages. She was scheduled for a second surgery to go in and clear the margins. When she went back for the second surgery, the cancer had spread so fast the surgery wasn’t possible. Shakira was sent home. At this current time Shakira is not in pain. She is acting like a normal healthy dog.
    Shakira will spend her final days in a loving home, where there will be no more pins stuck in her, where her pain will not be ignored. She will be loved and properly taken care of. She will receive the proper medications to manage her condition and she will let us know when it is her time and we will be honored to help her with her final journey to the rainbow bridge, where she will never be mistreated or feel pain again.
    It took the courage of a third party to care enough about Shakira to make the necessary phone calls to get Shakira the help she needed. Thank you for caring enough to do that for Shakira. You made a difference and Shakira is forever grateful.
    Shakira’s whole situation could have been avoided if the lump had been removed by a vet when it first appeared. A simple surgery that cost maybe $200. Unfortunately Shakira was in a home where the owner could not financially afford this.
    If you take nothing else away from this story please consider this: responsible pet ownership is so much more than simply providing food and shelter, it is providing the necessary vet care when your pet is ill or injured. It is neutering and spaying your pets and providing a safe, clean environment for them to thrive in. No dog should go through what Shakira experienced. Stories like Shakira’s will continue as long as people get animals that they can’t afford to properly care for. Help us make a difference if you know of an animal in need please contact the proper authorities for help. All it takes is one simple phone call.  Be a part of the solution.
    For the month of April, the Ark took in $2,209 in fundraising and donations. Our expenses for April were $ 2,023. In April we took in five dogs and adopted two. We currently have six dogs. We took in no cats,  adopted two and one passed away. We currently have 54 cats.
    Please join us on May 12 and May 26 outside Hollywood Pet Salon for a bake sale.