HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS…

"I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams…"  Many of us have heard artists sing a rendition of this song. For some of us, its meaning really hits home.  With all of us trying to hustle around holiday time to plan trips to be with family or having to accept the fact that there will be no way to get home for the holidays except within our own hearts and souls, this phrase can be quite poignant.  Similarly, this past August, MARS volunteers met two such dogs that are very pleased to be spending the holidays with their foster family this season.  This year's festive time will be quite different than any other they have experienced of holiday past.

We were all in the midst of trying to survive the muggy heat of August when I received an email from a West Central IL shelter that had been contacted about a pair of Akitas in a starvation/neglect situation.  The group was unable to assist with the Akitas, as they were full to the brim with animals, but they wanted to refer the concerned individuals to us for assistance.  At the time, MARS had 10 orphans in foster care, but I encouraged the shelter to have the individuals contact us about the situation to see how we could help.

A congenial man named Tom Mason contacted me about two intact male Akitas that were starving and neglected in the next town over from him.  Many times he himself had found or was given animals that he cared for and re-homed but he was quite engaged with his own fosters and wanted to know if we could help.

Mr. Mason told me that the local Animal Control had visited the situation the dogs were in, but since the dogs would be an owner-give up (the owner was more than willing to have the dogs removed, they had stopped feeding them long ago) and the local pound was full, the dogs would have to be euthanized upon arrival.  The officer encouraged him to contact Akita Rescue for assistance in order to avoid having to euthanize the dogs.

After hearing all of what was going on with these dogs, I emailed an owner relinquishment form to Mr. Mason, which he had the owner sign.  We then found out that the dogs were a father and a long-coat son.  There was a third Akita, the mother, but she had died last winter of unknown causes.  She had been bred quite a few times in the past and her puppies had been sold to local families.
 
We were the closest, Kevin Small and I, since we lived in Urbana, IL and the dogs were thirty minutes east of St. Louis in IL.  After a few construction "detours" we met Mr. Mason and followed him to where the dogs were being held.

The two dogs were housed in an outdoor run with no shade, cover, shelter, dog houses, and only received food and water intermittently.  The run was full of feces and debris.  According to neighbors, the dogs would go days without food or water.  Their ears were bloody, scarred and decomposing from severe fly bites.  The two dogs were terribly thin, dirty, and had injures from the fly bites, but they thought that getting out of the run to see people was a grand idea!

We immediately drove "Harlan" and "Frankie" to Chicago land for veterinary care.  One week later, Kevin and I began fostering the pair.  The two passed their temperament evaluations with flying colors and continue to enjoy de-stuffing toys, emptying out Kongs, and gnawing on Nylabones.  Every night I watch them play with all of their toys and try to fathom that before these two came to live with us, they had nothing.  Now it is as if they have been having the holidays for three months!  Therefore I imagine they must be home for the holidays, even in their dreams!
-Lisa R. McCluskey