12-Year-Old Dog, Sandie, Needs Your Help

Animal lovers find many heartwarming accounts featuring people involved in animal rescue. But the other day when I found “Sandie’s Story”, about a 12 year-old yellow Labrador posted on the Raccoon Valley Animal Sanctuary’s website, it moved me so deeply I felt compelled to share it with our readers.

When Sandie was just 18 months of age, she was surrendered to a shelter. Injured from a buckshot wound to her face, part of her tongue was missing; several teeth were damaged and she sustained permanent nerve damage to her jaw. Additionally, she was pregnant.

While shelter staff was making a life or death decision about Sandie’s future, she delivered seven puppies, all of whom succumbed to Canine Parvovirus. The terrified shelter staff scheduled Sandie to be euthanized. And while a family fell in love with her, wanting to adopt her, the “red flag” she wore meant she was un-adoptable.

Miraculously, Sandie recovered, and was taken off the euthanasia list and made available for adoption. The family brought Sandie to her new forever loving home. Great end to a devastating story, right? But this is not at all the happy ending we all hoped for.

I can only imagine how excited she was to have been found by a family to shower her with affection. But instead of a warm living room rug upon which to nap, for 10 whole years she was confined to their garage in a blanketed kennel upon which she would sleep on a cold cement floor. Treated much like a toy, her interaction with human “companions” was incredibly sparse, only being taken out to play when the children felt like it.

Over the years of waiting for moments of human interaction, and an occasional walk and petting, Sandie’s spirit never daunted. Sandie was a dog who waited patiently . . .  and waited . . . and waited.

As the children grew older, their visits and playtime grew shorter. She was released from the garage twice a day and given annual veterinary care. But most of the time she languished inside “her” garage, the sunlight and grass tantalizingly right outside her prison door. Eventually the family that professed to love her surrendered her due to her failing health, considering her an “inconvenience.”

Thankfully the Raccoon Valley Animal Sanctuary stepped in to help this sweet affectionate dog. And while she is thoroughly adored by her foster, and slowly putting on weight, financial help is desperately needed to help pay for her extensive veterinary care and surgery she needs to remove the buckshot from her jaw and the anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve her arthritic pain. 

Sandie’s wish list includes:

• Blue Buffalo Wilderness Canned Food
• Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dry Food - Small Bites Only
• Science Diet Mature Adult Canned Food 
• Soft Plush Toys with Squeakers 
• CASH DONATIONS to help cover her ongoing medical expenses, medication, etc. 
• GIFT CARDS to Petco to purchase food/toy items when needed.

Items can be dropped off at Petco, 7333 Buffalo Road, Des Moines, or call  515-480-1317 to make other arrangements.   

Since this is the season of giving, anyone wishing to make a secure tax-deductible donation to Raccoon Valley Animal Sanctuary (a 501 (c)(3) facility) toward Sandie’s care can do so by visiting their website.