VMAF Stories
Jeffrey
This past March, three-month-old puppy was wandering a boatyard in American Samoa. He was emaciated and covered in motor oil. "Every few days the workers threw him some food scraps - he was a neglected junkyard puppy with an amazing disposition," notes Bideawee's Dr. Robin Brennen, who found and named the puppy "Jeffrey" while on a spay/neuter campaign on the island.
Weak and sick, Jeffrey made the 7,000 mile journey to New York City with Dr. Gregory Carastro. Jeffrey had mange, was covered in ticks, had a subsequent tick-borne illness, a skin infection, and suffered from malnutrition. He convalesced at a specialty hospital on Long Island for a few weeks while he underwent extensive neurological testing and diagnostic evaluations. From there he came to Bideawee to continue his medical care and training.
Seriously malnourished, Jeffrey had to learn how to eat dog food. His fish-based diet as a growing puppy had not provided him with the proper nutrients. This resulted in neurological and muscular damage. Bideawee staff are working with Jeffrey on a daily basis, helping him to build his muscles and work on his strength. With our tender loving care, he has made significant improvements!!
The neurological issues have resulted in problems for Jeffrey with depth perception. This can make simple things like climbing stairs a daunting task for him, but boy does he give it his best effort and masters the stairs in his own creative style. Dinner can sometimes be a messy ordeal for Jeffrey, as he has difficulty distinguishing any item from a piece of food and gets very excited when he is offered anything.
Jeffrey has surprised us all-despite his special needs he has all the normal energy of a puppy and can even get rambunctious at times. He has spent some time living with an active Bideawee foster family with young kids, but might be a better permanent match for patient adults. Jeffrey is a sweetheart, loves cats, and would love to be part of a family that can give him the attention he needs. If you are interested in seeing if Jeffrey's the right match for your family, please contact the Wantagh Adoption Center.
Thanks to the support of our donors, Bideawee has been able to care for Jeffrey's special needs and give him the medical attention he has needed to recover from such a traumatic beginning. If you would like to give the gift of life to other deserving dogs and cats like Jeffrey, please support our programs today. All of us at Bideawee, Jeffrey, and the many other cats and dogs in our care thank you and know that you care enough to make a difference in these pets' lives.
