Cold, emaciated and in pain, Bagel, a 13-year-old chow chow left the confines of his terrible home in search of help for himself and his siblings. He ventured out onto the streets of Central Islip, New York near the end of winter, and that’s when he stumbled upon Debbie Davidson.
Davidson is an animal advocate who noticed Bagel on the sidewalk about to step out into the street, and stopped just in time to prevent an accident. One look at him and she determined that he was a stray, based on his horrible skin condition and his underweight appearance. Much to her surprise, however, a woman came out from a nearby house to retrieve Bagel, so Davidson followed to assess the situation.
What she saw is something she’ll never forget, as she realized immediately that the living situation for Bagel and one other cat and dog was dire. She told The Dodo:
“It was disgusting, poop everywhere. [Their] food and water bowls were filthy, the water was dirty. It was just horrible, and the poor pups smelled awful.”
Bagel’s fur was patchy, his skin had hardened, and he didn’t seem to hear very well. His dog sister, Chloe, also had poor skin and exhibited signs of hip dysplasia. Both of their nails were so overgrown that they hunched over when they walked. The cat, Toby, walked with his back legs dragging painfully behind him; his owner assumed he was paralyzed and in no pain so they never took him to the vet.
After Davidson posted about her encounter on Facebook to find them a new home, Pets4Luv got the animals out of there within 24 hours and began diagnosing their ailments.
Bagel and Chloe were infested with parasitic worms. They also had hardened black skin and ear infections brought about by bacteria and yeast infections. Bagel’s ear infection was so severe that she went deaf from not having it treated. Toby the cat’s issue turned out to be much worse than suspected; he was born without the connectors needed to keep his knee caps in place, essentially causing two dislocated knees and a torn ACL. He has been living with this awful condition for 5 years and it was immediately clear to the shelter that he was in pain.
“It is clear to see when pain is affecting Toby the most because he will act differently,” Bobbi Anne Thomas, a Pets4Luv volunteer, told The Dodo. “For example, just lying on the couch and not playing with the others.”
The trio, affectionately referred as “The Islip 3,” has since undergone serious treatments. Toby had a corrective surgery for the leg that was worse off but requires another expensive surgery for his other leg. Bagel and Chloe’s skin conditions have cleared up and their fur is growing back, but they will still need further treatment to maintain their healing process.
Sadly, these three are still waiting for their forever homes at Pets4Luv, likely because of their age and their medical conditions. Bagel and Chloe are a bonded pair, meaning they must be adopted together, which causes less people to be willing to take them on. These babies lived in neglect for years and they deserve to live the rest of their golden years in a loving home.
If you would like to donate to the organization for Toby’s surgery, their medical care, and to help other animals like them, you can do so here.
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