4th January 2013
My friend Angie Mccready, who lives inland from Alicante, saw Mona on the Costa Blanca Dog Homing page on Facebook. Angie, & her husband Phil, already had NINE rescue dogs & a rescued cat (not to mention a duck & some chickens) and had drawn a line at that, but these lines have a habit of being rubbed out in their lives and a new one being drawn!
Mona had touched Angie's heart. 12 years old, in a shelter in Alicante, and not likely to survive the bitterly cold winter. Angie could not bear Mona suffering in there & arranged to get her out and adopt her. What she didn't realize was that she has the most terrible skin condition. (It turned out to be mange contracted in the pound). Her little body was covered in sores and lesions. She had lost most of her fur around her rump, and had none on her belly. She scratched persistently all day and all night. Angie cut an old tshirt's sleeves off & put that on Mona to try to stop her scratching. Someone suggested babygros & Angie's local charity shop had some when she checked later.
Angie took Mona to the vets the following morning where she had skin scrapings, blood tests, etc.. No mites showed up on the scrapings, but Angie has learned since that this is not unusual. Mona was treated for sarcoptic mange but, after 2 weeks of treatment and daily baths, there didn't seem to be any improvement. The vet decided to keep her in their hospital for a week to try and control the scratching. She was tormented with it. After the week was up Angie went to collect her and she had improved massively. Her sores had healed, and, although she still did scratch a bit, it was nothing like before. Although her bloods had come back as negative for leishmania, the vet had decided to treat her for it, and it was this that marked her improvement.
Mona's vets bill is rocketing out of control for Angie to pay. The first week it came to over 160 euros, and they still have to wait for the bill for the weeks stay at the vets, and now the leishmania treatment! To top it all off, the other nine rescue dogs are now scratching like mad. Angie had to ferry them all to the vets 27th December so they could all be vaccinated against sarcoptic mange. It's a living nightmare.
Angie has rescued many dogs, new born puppies, she has bottle fed pups and kittens, but this is the first time she has rescued an old dog. It hasn't put Angie off. She says Mona is the sweetest little old lady you could ever wish to meet, and she doesn't regret a minute of it. Mona loves her & Phil, and they adore her.
They do, however, need help with the vets bills if anybody can find it in their hearts to donate. Of all the dogs, puppies and kittens Angie has rescued over the years she has NEVER asked for help before. Angie & Phil live on a bare pension, and it's a real struggle, but the dogs come first EVERY TIME.
Angie was one of those who helped look after the 40 Beagles who were rescued from a laboratory in Nov 2011 too. These Beagles were flown from Madrid to Los Angeles to Beagle Freedom Project. It was a MASSIVE operation. Here is the video I made of it ...
If anybody would like to make a small donation to help her with these vets bills, please send it to her paypal angie_mccready@hotmail.com
....thank you xx
IF THERE IS A PROBLEM DONATING KINDLY COMMENT.
Although Angie has fostered many dogs these ten had a very special place in her heart & she couldn't let them go & adopted them all. Here's seven with Angie.
Below: This is Charlie the day after Tina Wales Solera of Galgos del Sol, Murcia, found him.. he was on deaths door, chained to a metal drum, starved, and unseen by the general public. The vet had to put Charlie to sleep in order to shave off what was left of his fur & to treat all his sores. His ears were a right mess, full of maggots & fly eggs. He was castrated whilst he was under too.
Below: This is Charlie today.
Below: Billy was one of 5 new born pups found in a plastic bag, which had some kind of ammonia substance in it. Billy was the runt and the only survivor.
Below: Pickle was just 4 weeks old and was found dumped in a pine forest, Angie & Phil fell in love with him at first sight.
Below: Dolly found at the door of Angie's local pound, tied up in a plastic sack, traumatized, and in a right mess.
Below: Dolly now!
Below: Angie found Sara wandering in the campo, very heavily pregnant.
She took her home where she safely had 7 pups, all homed in Germany.
Below: Lucy was found in a petrol station on a motorway, around 3 months old, and skin and bones.
Below: Megan was born in the campo, she was a very unwanted and unloved puppy, she's now 8 years old.
Below: Lady was left tied up at a dog boarding kennel, she was heavily pregnant and with a very badly broken leg (now sorted). Her puppies were homed.
Below: Dino was tethered by a 3ft chain, he was just 4 months old & destined to spend his whole life there...till Angie saw him.
Below: A feral cat gave birth to 5 kittens in Angie's hen house and abandoned them, Angie hand reared them, but only Percy survived & she kept him.
New arrival in September 2013
BELOW: Luca had been a street dog from being a puppy, he was rescued and brought to Angie's for the purpose of being sent to a fosterer in UK, except he never quite got there! Angie fell in love AGAIN!
Bills since Mona arrived...
PLEASE NOTE: Angie has asked me to add this "UPDATED.. thanks to a facebook appeal, help has come in to almost pay for Mona's vet's bill up to a certain date - before the cost for her lengthy stay - but vets costs currently are ongoing for caring for Mona (& these other 9 dogs who have had to be vaccinated against mange that Mona gave them, costing 110€ with further jabs in 3 weeks then 6 weeks costing the same again each time) so, IF you do care to donate, please be certain it WILL be used for their unexpected vets bills"
To anyone sending a small donation it is extremely welcome & Angie thanks you. Angie is the most amazing lady who does without herself, her dogs ALWAYS come FIRST!
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Just added:
3rd January update: This is the result of taking in a dog with sarcoptic mange! Angie's got a terrible rash all over her body now, and it itches like crazy. All of her dogs have been affected and now so too has she & her husband.
She has to go to the doctors on Monday for a prescription, he wouldn't see her till then. The expense has been astronomical, and they haven't finished yet. Its been in total in excess of 500 euros for treatments for all 10 dogs!
Please be aware of the implications of taking a dog in that has this as it's very contagious to other dogs and humans. It's miserable, stressful, and expensive.
I made this video based on Mona's story.