FLORIDA -- Shaula is a bit of a loud mouth.
From a distance, the small black female running around her sand turnout pen, barking and antagonizing her fellow greyhounds, looks nothing like the emaciated, weak dog taken from a kennel clinging to life less than a month ago.
Closer inspection, however, shows this nearly 3-year-old dog has a lot to be thankful for. Shaula might be back to a healthy weight, but several sores caused by an extended time confined in a kennel lined with her own feces are still healing, and she has a scar from the duct tape that was wrapped around her neck so tightly she could barely breathe.
Shaula is one of five dogs the Washington County Sheriff's Office and inspectors with the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering found alive in trainer Ronnie Williams' kennel Oct. 29. Thirty-two of her kennel mates were dead. The veteran trainer is in Washington County Jail facing 37 counts of felony cruelty to animals.
On entering the kennel, Washington County investigators reported the smell of rotting flesh was so overpowering they had to go back for gas masks.
Two dogs were found in fair health, but thin. Two more, Shaula and Blazin' Grady, were critically underweight and had duct tape around their necks, restricting their breathing, officials said.
The fifth, known on the track as Flying Cabernet, was barely alive, said Mark Hess, assistant manager of Ebro Greyhound Park's adoption center.
"The night of this disaster I was in a panic like the kennel was on fire. I knew there was one more dog in there and I prayed to God; I prayed to St. Francis; I prayed to Mary, that this dog would live," said Tammy Hess, who started the adoption center and is married to track president and manager Stockton Hess.
When Chipley veterinarian George Kim arrived, the struggling greyhound was his first priority. An IV was inserted to begin rehydration, Flying Cabernet was wrapped in a blanket and Tammy Hess drove him to the vet's office, where he stayed for two weeks of supervised recovery. During his stay he gained 15 pounds and overcame a kidney infection, she said.
She adopted and brought him home when he was released from the vet's care. He has gained an additional 12 pounds in her care and on Tuesday weighed 64 pounds. Stacie Strickland, who operates the adoption center and trains greyhounds and races at Ebro, said a dog of his size should weigh about 76 pounds.
The other 12 animals, including eight that were dropped off at the adoption center before the kennel was raided, are still at Ebro's adoption center and are being held as evidence, Strickland said.
Greyhounds typically are fed a combination of meat and dry dog food once a day. Females typically eat 2 to 2.5 pounds each day and males consume 2.75 to 3 pounds per day. Like a starved human, the dogs had to build up their intake gradually so they did not make themselves sick, Strickland said.
The dogs were infested with tapeworms, as well as hook and round worms. The dogs with open sores also were put on antibiotics, Strickland said.
Williams' dogs also were carrying some kind of bacteria when they came in to the adoption center that spread through the kennel and gave all the dogs diarrhea for several days.
Now, however, all of the animals are well enough to be adopted out whenever investigators release them, and Strickland said she was confident they would find good homes.
"These dogs have got everyone in the world wanting them," she said.
Despite all they have been through, the dogs are affectionate and playful to each other and humans.
From Rags to Riches - Shaula
Sex: Female
Color: Black
Age: 3 years
Cats: TBD
Just over a year ago, three year old Shaula was found in an Ebro Florida racing kennel, managed by trainer Ron Williams, clinging to life, emaciated and with duct tape wrapped around her neck so tightly she could barely breathe. 32 of her kennel mates were already dead of starvation and dehydration. Shaula, affectionately known as "Squirt", was one of five survivors.
Today, after a year of rehabilitation and being held in Florida as state's evidence in the trial where Williams was found guilty of 39 counts of felony animal cruelty, "Squirt" made it to GRR!!! She was greeted by volunteers waiting to give her all the loving she deserves. She will be in foster care for a short period of time, but this personable lady, with a lust for life, will soon go to her forever home.
She is truly home for the holidays.
(
Tampa Bay Times - November 27, 2010)
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