From commentor Felonious Wench:
This came to me from a friend. This poor little guy was brought to Noah’s Ark after he was found crying on the side of the road. He had been dragged behind some vehicle on purpose and his skin was just stripped off. He also had a broken leg where the bones were completely out of his leg…the dragging had stripped away everything. He was emaciated, 100% septic…just a horrific situation.
But, he’s been fighting to live. The staff at Noah’s Ark has dipped into their own savings and credit cards to save him because his care has been horribly expensive. But, he’s such a sweet little guy, and I think saving him has become, to them, saving all of these dogs that are so horribly abused.
Amazingly, looks like he’s going to make it. But they are left with very high bills. This seems like something our wonderful BJ community may be able to help with. I am chipping in some $ to help defray the costs that the staff has paid for THEMSELVES to save him.
Here’s the pictures and his story. They are graphic. But, miraculously, looks like he’s going to recover:
Here’s where he is today.
Here is how he started. Graphic pictures.
This is a heck of an organization. They take in badly abused dogs and save them.
Freckles has his own PayPal donation link, you can chip in right there and you don’t need a Facebook account. And per Noah’s Ark, “We are a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible”.
CaseyL
That poor boy – and those amazing people! The ones at Noah’s Ark, and the vets, and techs, and everyone else trying so hard to save his life.
I’m in – just sent some money.
sb
I’m taking a dog that I’m sitting for to the dog park every day along with Puddle and I hear stories, some of them horrific (Puddle herself has been through it) but *nothing* like this. Come payday, Noah’s Ark is getting a portion of my money. Bless them.
michelle
I’m in for $20, even though I put out $700 just today for two weeks worth of treatment that will only show a response in 6 weeks for my own pup.
Pity that this young pup can’t tap into the BJ spoof pot of money.
This pup could have been my baby boy pup.
lojasmo
in
MattR
You can’t get me to look at those pictures, but I am in for 50
maye
When dogs are this injured, the kindest thing that can be done is to put them down. Dogs are not people. They are not waiting for a better life. They live in the moment. End their suffering. Geez Loueez. Enough.
Maude
@MattR:
I can’t look either. Won’t sleep if I do. I know I’m a coward, but I can’t help it.
ruemara
Sonofabitch. Fucking evil ass people. I have to wait for payday, maybe next week, if I have enough for rent, but I’ll be in for a fiver. And I hope whoever did such a wicked thing gets a wallop of Karma in the face.
Esme's Mom
In! Thanks for bringing this organization to our attention. Mine trying to get her head between my hands and the keyboard while I’m typing in my donation. Precious pups.
Jebediah
Can’t look, but I can send some money.
ETA: Went to donation page, accidentally scrolled down, and so I saw anyway. But there are some happy pics, too.
Cain
I’m in for 30, more if things are going south in terms of funding.
Maude
@ruemara:
You know how you hear what goes around comes around? I hope it’s true. Evil is the right word.
Cain
@maye:
As you can see, he fought for life and people came and saved him. He’s going to be better. I don’t mind funding that. I hope they find a forever home for him.
michelle
@maye: The decision between trying to treat and putting down is much more deliberate than you seem to grasp.
Animals, including pups in this instance, have a love for life. Knowing when all attempts to save them and the return on those attempts lies with their owners — and in this pup’s case their case givers and not you . . . unless you are one of them.
I’m glad I’m not related to you. You wouldn’t save me if you looked skeptically at some situation I might be in.
Let’s help this pup.
Violet
Oh, that poor baby! What amazing angels those folks at Noah’s Ark are. What a sweet face Freckles has. I hope he continues his miraculous recovery and finds a wonderful forever home.
Esme's Mom
@michelle Amen! I’m glad I’m related to my dog.
Yutsano
Finances are really tight, but I’ll see what I can manage. Might be a couple weeks though.
OT: Google Doodle. Go look naow plz.
Arclite
WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE. How could a human being even contemplate tying a dog to a car a dragging it, never mind following through with it. That’s just so fucked up and infuriating.
Summer
@maye: i think this woman offered the best explanation: if you can bring a helpless creature out of pain and fear and to a world where they know love and kindness and feel a peace, then it’s worth it. for us and for the brutalized animal. we built dogs to love us.
the photo of him with chelsea is beautiful. plus, i think this little guy might make it.
i donated $20.
michelle
Just an FYI AL, I trust this commenter. The other one, not so much.
dewzke
Holy shit, this pup is on the mend from a horrible situation and Maye wants to put the lil dood down. Fucked up.
MJ
Aww, poor Freckles. I’m just getting back on my feet, but I’m in for 20.
MomSense
Ok, I’m going to find something to give. That photo where he is cuddled up with one of the rescue workers–tears. Whatever happens (and I want him to live!!) I am grateful that he has experienced that people can be loving and kind.
YellowJournalism
Similar case happened here this week. Poor guy was dragged behind a truck until the pads of his feet wore off. The local law enforcement started a collection for his recovery, they were so moved by the case.
Joy in FL
Thanks for getting this dog our attention so we can help with finances. I’m in for a bit of a contribution.
Please update us on Freckles’ progress.
xane
I’m in, with healing thoughts to F. and his sweet new people…
paa
The Noah’s Ark site wouldn’t load for me – I saw no text or pics, just black boxes where I could click to play a video. Anyone else having trouble? Did we break it?
Beeb
Happy to help.
The prophet Nostradumbass
That’s horrible whoever did that to the poor dog. I don’t understand what makes people do things like that.
When I clicked on the “where he is today” link, it seemed like every single thing on that page was some sort of image, even the text. It actually caused my web browser to lock up.
Southern Beale
OMG.
I’m going to take the fact that I couldn’t get on the PayPal site to make a donation as a good sign … hope beaucoups of donations are flooding in for this little guy.
Damn but people are sick.
This hits me because Freckles is obviously a pit bull, and he looks too much like my beloved Riley. People need to stop doing this shit.
Will try the donation page later when traffic dies down…….
paa
If you are having trouble with the site it is because the whole thing is images, even the text is part of a pic. He looks sweet and like he will be okay. I am in for 20.
DavefromOz
Those eyes are filled with such sadness. I’m in for $250 and I hope he recovers as best he can.
Katie5
I remember listening to an FBI agent ages ago who said that one of the best predictors of someone becoming a violent rapist is past harm of animals. So these are dangerously ill people.
I’m in.
DanR2
I understand that contributing to help this dog is a way people can feel better about balancing out the sick fucks that tortured the animal… but, I’m with Maye @#6 on this kind of situation. There’s no reason the dog should suffer another minute to make me feel good.
Izzy
Happy to help.
Reading through the comics reminds me that, while some people are truly monstrous, there are lots of wonderful people in the world, too.
dexwood
I’m in.
One of my rescue dogs is a gunshot victim. Happy and in good health now. Expensive, but worth every penny. We ate a lot of beans, got creative with budgeting, but he’s doing great. A trouble-free year since his last surgery.
seaboogie
What I want to do right now is get the name and address of the subhuman who did this to Freckles. And then get a bunch of SPCA folks dressed up in white robes and pointy hats (with dog ears attached to them – not real ones!) and drive that mofo out to a really gravelly country road, and make him disrobe at gunpoint, chain him to the back of a pickup truck and tell him, “Son, we’re going to drive real slow at first, and then we are going to pick some speed, and go faster and faster ’til you are down to the bone…unless you want to sign over every possession you own for Freckles’ care. Vroom, vroom…we are Freckles’ avenging angels!
MomSense
@DanR2:
I understand what you are saying and that it comes from a place of compassion for Freckles. The people at Noah’s Ark are heroes. I have to trust their judgment since I have faith in their good intentions.
gsp
In. Thanks Noah’s Ark.
ellie
Jesus Christ I hate people. Who the fuck would hurt an animal? Thanks for the link.
InfectionControl
I’m an old ED nurse who’s seen everything, and the pics made even me wince. Poor brave dog. You can tell he’s a fighter by the look in his eye. It’s enough to make me give up my lefty pinko pacifist nonviolent Quaker ways and go pound on someone.
I’m in when I get paid next week.
Bubba Dave
This is why I live with cats and computers. Because humans suck.
I’m in, thanks for the link.
And Maye/DanR2, I think you might be right depending on the circumstances– but that’s a judgement call, and I trust the judgement of the people who have seen/met/treated Freckles better than those of us (myself included) who are armchair quarterbacking from hundreds of miles away.
Grover Gardner
I’m in. I should also be giving money to injured Bangladeshi workers, but I thought the t-shirt I bought at Walmart was ensuring they wouldn’t starve/die-in-a-fire/get-crushed. Silly me.
Loneoak
Just spent $800 on my own dog this week. Fucker. But I’m in for this one too.
Mnemosyne
@DanR2:
From what I’ve seen of good veterinarians, they aren’t going to do surgery on an animal if they don’t think there’s a decent chance that the animal will have a good quality of life afterwards. I know that when both of our late cats were sick, our vets steered us away from heroic measures that would do no good in the long run. As other people have said, I think this is one place where we can trust the professionals to make a judgement call about how likely it is that the dog will make a full recovery.
BTW, did anyone know that there was a follow-up to Oscar the Bionic Cat? They gave him very cool new feet.
Baron Elmo
I’m definitely not a violent guy by nature… but damn if I wouldn’t pay twice what I donated for the chance to take one good shot at the face(s) of whoever tortured this beautiful dog. Preferably with a two-by-four.
Thymezone
I cannot look at pictures of abused animals. Too upsetting. But I hope that whoever did this gets his dick caught in a meat grinder and then dies in a fire.
PurpleGirl
I couldn’t look at the pictures of Freckles injuries. Nope, just couldn’t. Next week at bill paying time, I’ll send something to Noah’s Ark because Freckles looks like he could make it and they (Noah’s Ark) are showing him loving care and he feels it.
(I’ve been in on the decision to put a pet to sleep; it’s hard. I know doctors are serious when they evaluate a dog’s future. I trust the doctors and caregivers.)
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
Thanks AL. I just sent $50.
For those who question the wisdom of saving the poor dog – Even if Freckles ultimately didn’t make it, the experience gained in treating her will be useful for the staff at NAR. So it, and the donations, will help those who will follow her. They have helped dozens of dogs already and seem to be a good group. (I have no association with them.)
My $0.02.
Cheers,
Scott.
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
@I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet:
Yes. This.
The pics at the “where he is today” link aren’t too bad, but OMG he’s thin. I knew better than to look at the other set.
Completely OT, it’s odd seeing the name Grover Gardner pop up here the day after a discussion about audiobooks. It can’t be the same guy…can it?
tofudog
In for $20. Everyone and every dog deserves a chance!
Woodrowfan
done….
Tata
I’m in.
noodles
The violent fantasies I am having right now about what I would like to do to the person or person(s) who did this would make Donald Rumsfeld blush. I will only say a baseball bat imbedded with spikes is involved.
I can see maye’s point for certain situations, but just donated. I want this little guy to have the opportunity to experience being consumed by waves and waves of TLC so that he may know that not all humans are sick, twisted, evil pieces of filth. Heal this little one’s heart. Let him play and love and be loved.
Gus
I am against capital punishment, but I’m willing to make an exception for scum who treat the helpless like that. I’m talking about children as well as animals.
noodles
@seaboogie: I like the way you think
noodles
The person who did this has a squirming, maggot-filled hole where his heart should be.
Biscuits
Will send some money and a virtual hug for Freckles and staff. Heartbreaking but happy ending.
Genine
I’m in.
Mystical Chick
Can someone post the paypal link for me? I clicked over to the site and saw some gruesome pictures that made my heart cry. I can’t go back and scroll down again. Help a chick out, wouldya? I want to donate some cash money.
Please either post the link or email it to me: lisa (at) practicallyintuitive.com
THANKS!
Signed,
Way way too much of an animal empath to even go near pages like that
hedgehog the occasional commenter
Just donated. Glad the little guy is doing better, and I’m grateful to the vets and techs for their heroic work.
Felinious Wench
@I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet:
Exactly. They have already found new antibiotics and used a hyperbolic chamber to stop a non-responsive infection. These things will potentially benefit ALL of our pets in the future.
Noah’s Ark says it best:
“I know a lot of people do not understand the degree I will go to save an animal. I go as far as I can until the quality of life for an animal is not there and then I help them cross over knowing they were cherished and loved. Freckles’ medical care has gone beyond anything I have ever experienced before. When you have to raise your limit (which is already very high) on your AMEX card, that is never a good sign. It is what it is and if I had to do it all over again, I would not change a thing. For an animal to be as mentally and physically abused as Freckles was to know love and to show love as he is in the top picture is the real miracle here. It takes one man to destroy an animal and a village of Guardian Angels to save one.”
This dog still has more to give to the world. I have no doubt they’d put him down with a lot of tears if he crossed that point all of us with pets have seen…when they start to fail and it’s time to let them go. This little guy is still fighting.
And saving him is a big “fuck you” to the people that did this. I’m good with that.
FW
Felinious Wench
Here is the link to their Paypal account for those of you who don’t want to click through. Believe me, I understand.
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=1okQPgHGvPLjJzDk2J5Tsm9ntSBZNGkOZIvTpfBLNUHmj0opJWZ4reQ_b0y&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d96fc0752e9614158f04872d2f2ae25dc
Seanly
Maybe I should be glad that my work laptop doesn’t want to load the pictures. Not sure why pictures need Quicktime…
RE: putting a dog down – we put a beloved dog down 3 years ago. Our decision to put down our sweet girl still haunts us. We were almost out of treatment options and she was in lots of pain that we didn’t realize. I won’t fault any person or organization that fights to give a dog a reasonable chance to live with some quality of life.
I better list some of those old Xbox games & electronics on eBay to fill up my PayPal so I can donate…
WereBear
I was so moved by Freckles’ plight and the courage and awesome hearts of those who help him that he is the subject of my post today.
The World Entire
Just to help spread the word!
Felinious Wench
@WereBear: What a beautiful post. Thank you.
For some reason, this one hit me in the gut. I grew up with dogs and currently have a rescue dog and a rescue cat that is generous enough to allow us to share her territory. This puppy will make it through.
Mystical Chick
@Felinious Wench:
That link leads to a dead end. :( I couldn’t even copy and paste. Poots.
I did google the Noah’s ark page but their front page is full of pictures that, again, make my heart cry and I can’t even scroll through it to find the PP link. I want to donate but just can’t look at pictures of hurt animals. I just can’t.
Felinious Wench
@Mystical Chick: If you go to this page, the link is at the top and the only picture you see (unless you scroll down a bit) is the same one AL used for this post.
I completely understand. I can look because I used to rehab injured wild animals and I saw some very, very hurt creatures.
FW
Karen in GA
I looked at the pictures, read some of the story, and… um… now my desk fan is blowing right in my eyes. Dammit. $50 for the pup.
It’s like humanity made a promise to animals we domesticated — “You’ll live with us and meet our practical/emotional/psychological needs. Your survival skills might suffer, and you might lose the ability to protect yourself as well as you used to. But in return, we’ll always look out for you.”
I remember having to puncture my cat’s ear to check her blood sugar. I needed repeated attempts, because I kept missing the vein — so I was stressing and hurting my cat. Finally I hit the vein, checked her (normal) blood sugar, and then left her alone. A few minutes later she walked into the room where I was sitting. I called her, and she came right up to me, purring, like the fear and pain I had just caused her never happened.
Fuck anyone who hurts animals for kicks.
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
@Felinious Wench:
If you run with javascript off, be sure to turn it on before you load the page. The paypal link only shows up if javascript is on.
HelpThe99ers
In. And when I get home tonight, extra hugs (and treats) for the Critter Collective.
Gravie
In for $25 and shared Annie Laurie’s post on Fb. I have lots of animal-loving friends and family.
BarbCat
In. Slay me. Why do I think he’s already got too many offers for a forever home. Quite a dog; horrible and great people.
satby
@Gravie: Same here! I’m in and betting at least a few friends will be too.
(Though they’re probably getting sick of me, yesterday I hit them for donations to Donorschoose for a special ed teacher I know and World Malaria day)
Kyle
@Gus: I too don’t favor capital punishment, but I’d shoot whoever did this myself and sleep well ever after. In for $25.
Dennis Munro
Hope this boy makes it (in for $40).
Comrade Colette Collaboratrice
@maye:
This, times a hundred. Misplaced priorities + anthropomorphizing = prolonged suffering by an animal that can’t rationalize it or foresee an end to it.
@michelle:
No. Animals aren’t people, and it’s bullshit to suggest maye would or anyone should make decisions about them the same way.
eclare
@Kyle: Same here. I’m in, and I will hug my rescues (one of which was shot and turned in on animal cruelty charges) tonight. You would never know her past, she is the happiest dog in the world. Miracles can happen.
"Fair and Balanced" Dave
@WereBear:
Thank you for your blog post. We had to have our beloved collie put down a year and half ago. She was very old, so arthritic she could barely walk, and was nearly blind. While we know we made the right decision, it was still heart-wrenching and my wife and I both wept when she was gone. We had her cremated and planted a flowering cherry in her favorite sunning spot in our back yard.
Regarding Freckles. A while back a person adopted a puppy from a local shelter and took it to the vet (the same vet we took our pets to). The vet discovered the puppy had Parvo virus. When the owner found out the cost of treatment, she told the vet to put the dog down. The vet refused and, instead had the owner sign over ownership of the pup and she treated the dog pro bono.
As it happens, I had to take my dog to vet for a vaccination not long after this happened. The vet told me the story and said that the pup’s treatment was almost done. She took me back to the isolation area and I saw this very sweet sad little puppy in the isolation area still hooked up to an IV. Then the vet hit me with the zinger: she told me that once he came out of isolation he’d need a foster home. Needless to say, since my wife and I are such a big suckers, we agreed to foster him.
It turns out we suck at fostering. By the time the vet called about a week later to say that someone was interested in adopting the puppy, we realized we couldn’t part with him. His name is Kimo, he’s now 7 years old and we just can’t imagine what our lives would have been these past few years without him.
I’m kicking in some money in the hope that Freckles makes a full recovery and finds a good home where he’ll make his new family as happy as Kimo has made us.
Nancy
Hey Comrade Colette Collaboratrice you come on a site that loves animals and spew your crap. Next time keep it to yourself. Nobody expects a jerk like you to give or understand.
You really think a group that exists solely to save abused animals would put them through pain if they didn’t think they could help.
I just gave $100.
Suck it!
eclare
@Nancy: Well said! I also gave $100.
Mystical Chick
@Felinious Wench:
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Donated. I really appreciate that link. <3
And yes, suck it to everyone who hurts or doesn’t care for these creatures. I wouldn’t want my babies to suffer and I’m sure those vets and techs who do this every single day feel that way x 100 so if they can do something to help, more power (and cash money!) to them.
Jebediah
@BarbCat:
My guess is that he will end up officially adopted by one of the people currently caring for him. We adopted Juno from our vet – someone found the little stray and brought her there, and Dr Jones kept her and treated her until we adopted her. The same time Juno was dropped off, someone brought in a little Pomeranian whose head had been run over -her skull was seriously damaged, and survival was pretty unlikely. Somehow Dr Jones fixed her up, and ended up adopting her. I think the severity of the dog’s trauma created a bond between pup and vet, and I would be very surprised if that doesn’t happen with Freckles. I’m sure you are right – he’s probably already got a long list of prospects. I hope their interest can be diverted to other dogs that need permanent homes.
WereBear
The page reported that Freckles had very obviously bonded with one of the techs… and that’s that!
But you know; there are plenty more who need love. We don’t know their story… but they do have one.
FridayNext
There is a lot to laugh at in National Lampoon’s Vacation. I haven’t seen it in 20 years, however, because it wants me to laugh at this exact situation.
If you look at those photos, I can’t, think to yourselves this could have been done by the Griswolds.
I am unemployed, but I am in for $10. As for the person who thinks this animal to be put down, that is not your call. He has people around him who think he should, can, and will be saved. That’s enough for me. I respect the difficulty of their decision just as much as I want them to respect my decision to put our dog down two years ago.
Felinious Wench
@Nancy: You really think a group that exists solely to save abused animals would put them through pain if they didn’t think they could help.
Clare
You can see updates on Freckles and the other dogs that they have rescued here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Noahs-Arks-Rescue/139678782720697?fref=ts
From there you can also get to their website. Thanks again everyone!!!
S.I.
A reward for information leading to an arrest would be nice …
Jebediah
@S.I.:
Absolutely!
Mary
@Felinious Wench:
Hi. How can we keep up with how Freckles is doing? Would you please put updates on the Balloon Juice site? Thanks!
–Mary
Jebediah
@Mary:
This, if I did the link right, will take you to teh video of him on the treadmill. And this should take you to the most recent update that I have received.