CORKY

As I crested the hill of the bridge over the Kissimmee River in Florida, I spotted what looked like a ferret scurrying across the road. When you run an animal shelter, your eyes are trained for glimpses of fur or ears.
I was technically on lunch (eating while driving) so I pulled over to get a closer look.

The small creature ran into an old shell rock quarry, his little brown body was easily spotted against the glaring white hills and valleys. I picked him up with my binoculars and was shocked to see, it was not a ferret but a small dog. A very skinny small dog. His head was down and he was running as though scalded.
Pets that have been in the wild for as little as three days can become so stressed and fearful that they are very difficult to capture. Sometimes it took days to finally catch a dog.

This area was many miles from my home so I was determined to capture him that day. My usual tricks did nothing but keep him moving so I finally resorted to full out chase. The only thing in my favor was his stubby legs and his being in terribly poor condition. When I finally was able to grab him, he did what every dog I have ever found does, he sank against me, totally limp and in submission. It is like they are saying "Ok, now it is your job. I am just too tired to care."

What I had captured was a stinking,little, mangy, miniature Dachshund. He had hair but it was in sprigs and he was nothing but bones. My veterinary was on the way back to the office so I dropped him off for exam and said I would pick him up after work.

When I came for my prize, Jim said that he couldn't do a fecal exam for worms as the dog had nothing but rocks and sticks in his bowel. He did have heart worms and Demodectic mange. The little guy didn't have much going for him. We put him on Ivomec for the heart worms and Jim gave me Mitaban for the mange. It was going to be a long haul.





Terrible picture but you can get the idea.

I named him Corky for when he got some groceries in him, he had a corker of a personality. He had little reason, but was such a happy little fellow and was Mr. Congeniality. The treatment for the mange worked but in a way I had never seen before. Corky became a hairless dog. His skin was smooth, healthy and silky but no hair. He was completely bald, and with his gray skin he looked a bit rat like, but somehow with his personality, he was really cute.

I was afraid I wouldn't get to adopt him out though in such a condition. Then we both got lucky. The Humane Society put me in touch with a woman looking for a pet for her little girl who had allergies. I took him to their house to see if we had a match. I usually did that so I could check out the living conditions. They had a lovely home with a large fenced in yard. That was always a plus. When the child and dog met, it was a pretty sight. The child saw no flaws and Corky was intent on washing her whole face.

Over and over the little girl kept saying,"He is so soft and warm." Without fur, a dog's 102 normal temperature feels really nice. We set up a trial period to make sure she would not be allergic to Corky. He sailed through the trial period and he became a family member. They were delighted with the strange little dog who slept on beds and roamed all the furniture, leaving no hairy trace.

These endings made all the effort so worth it.