Howie, formerly Rocco (more on that later), came to us through transfer from K9 Advocates Manitoba back in December 2019.
When he was found as a stray, he was in extremely rough shape; he had a 2-inch stake lodged in the area near his eye. The team at a Winnipeg veterinary hospital was able to remove the stake, making Howie a bit more comfortable. The GTHS Animal Transfer Team asked if we could transfer him into our care when K9 Advocates Manitoba posted about him on their Facebook page. Collaboration really does save lives!
Once at GTHS, the Animal Care team decided it was best to perform an enucleation (eye removal) on Howie, as there was strong evidence that keeping his eye would continue to cause him issues and pain. This is where his name change comes in. Karen Fawcett, long-term volunteer, adopter and donor, generously sponsored Howie’s flight to Ontario. Karen decided to rename Rocco “Howie” in honour of her husband who only has one eye.
In addition to his eye, Howie came to us with heartworm. Heartworm is an extremely risky condition – dogs with heartworm must remain relatively sedentary, as an elevated heart rate could cause a potentially fatal blockage. Thankfully, Howie is currently being treated for heartworm and is expected to make a full recovery!!!
After spending more time in our care, we realized that he had severe degenerative disease and subluxation (a partial dislocation) in his right hip – Howie can’t catch a break! On February 5th, Howie underwent a Femoral Head Ostonemy in the GTHS Animal Hospital. This surgery will help ease the pain and discomfort he was experiencing from his condition.
Howie is currently safe and is resting at the GTHS Animal Centre. He will then spend the rest of his recovery in Foster. Here he is, being comforted by his foster mom, Lisa, before heading into surgery:
So, you’re probably wondering, “how can cupcakes help change lives of dogs like Howie”?
The answer is simple: The GTHS receives no government funding which means that we rely solely on the support of our community to raise enough funds to help animals in need. In 2019, the GTHS helped 1986 animals, a feat that would have been unreachable without our compassionate donors. By participating in events like National Cupcake Day, you’ll be directly impacting the lives of hundreds of dogs and cats.
Change a life today. REGISTER FOR NATIONAL CUPCAKE DAY
