An education
Thursday, April 9, 2015
By: Wendy Welch

... is sometimes all that's needed

When a woman called HSHV stating she was concerned about her neighbor's dogs, whom she knew were there but hadn't seen in months, we were worried, too. "The house is unsafe," the woman said, "and should be condemned." She stated there were boxes of old, used puppy pads piled high on the porch, and she occasionally heard the dogs barking from inside.

Our HSHV Cruelty Investigator arrived to find two dogs living there. One was slightly overweight, but otherwise in good condition.  The other, a Shih-Tzu, was severely matted. 

Characterized by densely tangled clumps of fur, matting happens when animals' coats aren't properly brushed. Sometimes--and especially if caught early--mats can be combed out. But sometimes mats include not just shed, dead hairs, but also live ones still attached to the skin. So when they're combed, these mats are extremely painful! And if mats are left too long, they can actually harm the animal-- cutting off blood supply and circulation to the skin, and even gathering external items like weeds, sticks and even fecal matter or fly larvae.

After the HSHV Investigator explained this to the woman, she began to cry. The dogs had been with her for nine years; she'd had them as puppies. She had tried to take her Shih-Tzu to a local grooming salon, she said, but was turned away because she was told the dog would need to sedated-- something that would need to be done by a veterinarian. The dogs hadn't seen a veterinarian in years because her previous one went out of business. She would be willing to pay to have her dog groomed and seen by a vet, she said; she just didn't know where to turn. Luckily, we did.

The veterinarians in the HSHV Outpatient Clinic took her dog in, safely removed the mats, administered vaccines and a heartworm test. We also supplied her with needed medications as well as contact information for a local grooming salon for the future. She and her dog left happy customers. Our Investigator left happy, too.

"Sometimes, all it takes is a little education," HSHV Cruelty & Rescue Manager Michele Baxter says, "and people will do the right thing. We're not always the 'bad guy.' People need to know that we're here to help, and that's what we love to do."