‘The dog who wouldn’t die’: Attacked and left for dead, Addy lived to love again

Addy at bedtime, recovering nicely / Photo: Llasa Happy Homes

"It is far worse than I could imagine," said Randee Goldman, Executive Director/Founder of Lhasa Happy Homes. She had just met Addy. "This little six-pound, emaciated angel, matted to the bone (probably under six pounds when the mats come off), has a broken jaw, a bad eye, neurological damage, and still she is a trouper."

Few of us have faced the type of cruelty and neglect that Goldman says the diminutive Lhasa apso endured, and even fewer of us would be resilient and forgiving enough to come out the other end of it as plucky and loving as she is now.

Sometimes, when we’re feeling drained, as if we’re just not up to the challenges in our lives, a story like Addy’s rings in with a wake-up call.  

An email interview with Goldman provides a follow-up to the story first covered by San Diego Animal Advocacy Examiner Naida Austin.

Interview with Randee Goldman, Lhasa Happy Homes

The Dozen Dog Diaries (DDD): How did Addy’s injuries occur?

Randee Goldman: She was rescued from a backyard breeder. The SOB “didn't allow dogs in the house.” And she hadn't been groomed in over a year.  But that wasn't the worst of it. 

He had a German shepherd who had recently delivered puppies. The assumption is that the German shepherd attacked Addy. He found her lying in a pool of blood coming from her mouth.

He left her for dead in the backyard.  Then eventually he decided to bring her in the house to "die peacefully,” but never took her to the vet!

After a few days, "she got up and started walking around, then started eating," he told us [Llasa Happy Homes]. "She was like the dog who wouldn't die.”  That is a quote from his original emails.

DDD: What exactly are Addy's injuries?

Randee Goldman: She has a broken jaw that has now been repaired by Dr. Robert Olds, she is blind in one eye from previous trauma that was never treated, and she has some neurological issues from being attacked by the German shepherd, who probably had Addy's head in her mouth.

DDD: What does the vet say about her chances for recovery?

Randee Goldman: Surgery was done last week and she is doing great. Not sure about the neurological damage.

DDD: Is this one of the worst neglect/cruelty cases in your experience? 

Randee Goldman: Sadly, I have rescued dogs who were thrown from cars and then hit by another car, dogs who have broken pelvises, heart problems, or mange so bad they look like alligators. But this is the first time I've actually known that the owner truly left the dog to die because he didn't have the money to take her to the vet.  A six-pound helpless dog, who he didn't have groomed for over a year, and all she wants to do is give and receive love.  It's about the top three in terms of horrible.

DDD: Do you know if any charges will be filed against her former owner? 

Randee Goldman:  The dogs are our first priority.  Getting neglect charges to stick is difficult. We are still working on what and how to do this effectively.

DDD: What's her personality like? Any particularly sweet traits or funny quirks? 

Randee Goldman: She is a survivor.  She is cuddly and curious, loving and outgoing. While she has some neurological issues, they don't seem to bother her.  She loves to cradle herself against your body when you pick her up.  Because of her issues, any expression of love is endearing.

DDD: What does it mean to you to be able to rescue her?

Randee Goldman:  I'm a rescuer, it's what I do.  Addy is the hero, not me. I am blessed to have been involved with rescuing her from a terrible place, but she is doing all the work.  I'm just paying the bills!

UPDATE from the Lhasa Happy Homes Facebook page yesterday:  

"At this moment," Goldman writes, "I am in tears. ADDY IS A NORMAL DOG!!! I watched this video in awe of this little lady who has literally come back from the dead and is prancing around like a little show dog. Dog bless you Ian and Eva [Addy's foster parents]. YOU are MY heroes. This little baby girl has stolen my heart and THIS IS WHAT RESCUE IS ABOUT!!"

To apply to adopt Addy or the many other dogs who Goldman has rescued, or to make a 100% tax-deductible donation to help with those bills with the bills for their care (Addy’s medical bills are nearly $3,000 so far), please contact Lhasa Happy Homes.

Thanks to San Diego Animal Advocacy Examiner Naida Austin for the original coverage of Addy’s story.

Please note:  In a separate incident involving a different owner, Miss Tallulah, a four-pound Yorkshire terrier, was also severely injured by a bigger dog. Her owner, like Addy’s, did not take her to the vet for treatment.  Now Miss Tallulah has been treated and awaits adoption through Lhasa Happy Homes. 

For more articles about a wide range of animal issues please visit Animal Policy Examiner (APE).

ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT BY KATERINA LORENZATOS MAKRIS (unless otherwise noted) 

COPYRIGHT 2012

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