Here's the blog of Lilly, a Fort Myers dog with a story to tell.
UPDATE:
I wrote to the reporter covering the story. Lilly did not get adopted during Saturday's big Pet Fest.
UPDATE II:
I called out to the pound and then my mom called out there too. Mom's going out to there to talk to Lilly to see what's what.
I thought 20 people would have called to claim her after the newspaper and TV coverage. What happened? Is it because one of her back legs doesn't work? They wouldn't put her up for adoption if there still wasn't some sweetness left to her personality.
UPDATE III:
I've been writing back and forth with the reporter who's covering Lilly's story. She said that the dog was working the crowd at Pet Fest, wagging her tail and letting everyone pet her. It was the leg that put people off. It's missing the foot and the leg itself is twisted around in the completely wrong direction. It needs to be amputated. So, that's very good news. I was hoping it was just the leg. Three-legged dogs are some of the best dogs out there. People shouldn't be so choicy. Most of us aren't beauty pageant material either.
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The original story from the Fort Myers News-Press:
DOG BLOG: Lilly tells her tale
Editor's Note: This Weblog, as told through the eyes of a 2-year-old German shepherd at Lee County Animal Services, was written by The News-Press reporter Karen Feldman
Sept. 13
I got lucky today. I got loose and started to explore the neighborhood.
A woman saw me on her lawn and realized I needed help.
Soon a man showed up in a big white truck.
He told the lady that he was Ricky Martinez, an animal control officer. His voice was soft and gentle. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t hurt me.
He picked me up, put me in the back of his truck and took me to a big building where there are lots of dogs and cats. I heard someone call it “animal services.”
More nice people came over to see me. They petted me and a man with a ponytail checked me over from snout to tail.
They gave me my own dog run and a big bowl of food.
All around, it’s been a pretty good day.
Sept. 14
I’m really sleepy, but I wanted to tell you what happened today. The man with the ponytail turned out to be veterinarian David Fancher. He and vet tech Maria Raiche put me on a table and put a mask over my nose.
I slept for a while and when I woke up, that awful choker chain that had grown into my neck and hurt so much was gone.
My neck is still very sore but it feels better without the collar.
Sept. 25
Boy, do I feel good! My neck isn’t sore anymore and my fur is growing back. I look pretty darned attractive, if I do say so myself.
A television crew came to see me and my story was on the news tonight.
The reporter talked about the horrible chain that dug into my neck and got so deep they had to cut it out. They showed a picture of me just after the chain was removed and then moving pictures of me now, with lots of fur and a fuller figure.
I’m a star!
Oct. 20
I met a man and woman from the newspaper today. I was so happy to be getting attention that I had a hard time sitting still for a picture. I think they got my good side, though.
Oct. 22
It looks like there’s going to be a party here tomorrow. All the people are running around setting up tents and signs. A lot of us got baths.
My fur feels soft and thick now and has mostly grown back on my neck. I hope someone notices how pretty and loving I am and doesn’t mind that one of my back legs doesn’t work.
Maybe tomorrow will be the day I find someone who will take me home and love me.
Lilly's surgery at Animal Servies to remove the embedded collar
Lilly during her recovery phase at Animal Services
Lilly at Animal Services Pet Fest
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Text from Cruelty Page on Lilly at Lee County Animal Servies
"Lilly"
On September 13, 2004 Lee County Animal Services responded to a call involving an injured dog that had wandered into the caller’s yard. The Animal Control Officer who responded found the dog with a choker chain type of collar that was severely imbedded in its neck. An imbedded collar is when the dog’s neck has been cut by the collar it is wearing. Most often it leads to an open wound that becomes infected. In some cases the animal’s own skin begins to grow around the collar as it tries to heal.
Lilly was brought to Lee County Animal Services immediately for treatment by the Animal Control Officer. She was anesthetized and the imbedded choker chain removed. The gaping wound was sutured. Animal Services continued its cruelty investigation to find the owner and determine how the animal came to be in this condition.
The owner was located and claimed to have given the dog to a second party three to four weeks earlier to care for until she could move. The caretaker subsequently turned the dog loose after his landlord said he could not keep the dog. It was determined that the severity of the wound from the collar could not have occurred in just three to four weeks. The owner is being charged with cruelty under Lee County’s ordinance as the injury must have been present when the dog was given to the caretaker. The caretaker may be charged as well for not providing care and for abandoning the dog.
Lilly, is available for adoption from Lee County Animal Services. Besides recovering from the imbedded collar, she also has an old leg injury that may require additional care. Anyone interested should come to the shelter at 5600 Banner Drive in Fort Myers to visit with this special pet. Adoption hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 am to 4:30 pm, Tuesday from 10 am to 7:00 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 2:30 pm.
Posted by floridacracker at October 22, 2004 10:07 AMHow long did it take you to stop crying after you read that, Donnah? I can't stop...
Some people just SUCK. Complete waste of oxygen. I'm gritting my teeth so hard right now I'm afraid they might break. I believe I might have done/would do grievous bodily harm to that "person" (and I use that term loosely) if they lived next to me...
Keep us posted if Miss Lilly finds a home, okay? If my inn wasn't already full I might drive down there and try to get her myself.
Posted by: Amy at October 22, 2004 10:46 AMThe Lee County Animal Care Trust page doesn't have an online donation form, only a snail-mail address. I wrote them to say they need to fix that. I'm mailing them a check, but they're missing out on donations by not having something clickable.
Poor Lilly. I could never do Animal Control's job because having to deal with stuff like that would make me insane. I think Lilly's going to find that good thing she's hoping for because she's gotten media attention. The cruel bitch who treated her like this needs to be in prison. I'll keep you updated.
My dog Shiloh is here getting petted. We got her from Broward Animal Control. You should see her "before" pics. The vet said she needed rest and lots of good food, and she's been following that regimen pretty much ever since. The world of difference you can make for an animal is amazing.
We need to go get another dog.
>Maybe tomorrow will be the day I find someone who will take me home and love me.
That is not fair.
You first, huh?
Posted by: Donnah at October 22, 2004 08:58 PMlol
That wasn't what I meant, but yeah, that too. I'm housebroken and I don't have fleas (but I do sometimes root through the garbage).
I agree with you about animal control. Hospitals don't bother me much; but the most depressing place I've been (and I know there are worse) is the animal shelter. Because you know no matter what you do, you can't save them all.
Posted by: James at October 22, 2004 11:42 PMdonnah wrote: I could never do Animal Control's job because having to deal with stuff like that would make me insane.
Same here. It's bad enough having a vet tech son, with some of the stories he tells about the animals that are literally dumped at the hospital on a regular basis. The best dogs, perhaps because they're so grateful, are often those that have been hurt the most.
I know this for a fact because four years ago, after numerous leg surgeries to repair his two broken front legs, one of them was adopted as a companion for an older lab: mine.
Posted by: Doyle at October 26, 2004 04:53 PMGood for you, Doyle.
I don't know how grateful Lilly is. She's set a new record for discovering what a pillow is for. I was laying on the floor with her last night, and when got up and then came back, she'd already layed her head in the middle of it and crashed out.