Saluki Rescue September 2012 from John Peaveler
Whenever we are asked to help with a population of dogs that is disturbing a residence, business, or ministry, the first thing we do is an assessment. A couple of weeks ago a Colonel with the Kuwait MOD contacted me looking for a humane solution for a pack of dogs at the Al Rawtain military complex in northern Kuwait. Fortunately, we were already operating near the Iraqi border handling a half-dozen dog and snake complaints in KOC areas. So it was, so to say, on my way. An assessment of a dog population at a remote military camp is fairly straightforward. First, we wake up all the dogs and make sure we get a pretty accurate count. We use a working dog for this, or several hours of foot and vehicle patrol while distributing canned dog food. During the assessment, we are counting, but we are also prioritizing. Seriously injured dogs get the highest priority, then sick dogs, then pregnant mothers, then nursing mothers, then puppies and adolescents (if weaned and abandoned), then friendly adults, and then feral adults. Crazily enough, there are actually even more categories that may move a dog up or down the list, such as an omega dog (picked on by all others), a dog that is friendly or semi-friendly with a caretaker who opts for surgical sterilization, animals that are obviously escaped or abandoned pets, and more. Long story short, we have to gather information as quickly as possible to come up with an action plan that utilizes our limited resources in a way that benefits the greatest number of animals. At Al Rawtain, that meant a morning of following the working dog around sheds full of tanks and armored fighting vehicles, around the perimeter, and out the gate. That was how we found Sheba.
Sheba was the only dog out of more than 20 that didn’t get up to either bark at or investigate my working dog and myself. That set off alarm bells in my head. She didn’t get up, because she couldn’t walk; the bones were sticking out of her front leg. And the injury wasn’t new. It was at least a week old, swollen, and horribly infected. We didn’t need a vet in the field to know that what she needed was emergency surgery to remove the leg. We administered a light dose of anesthesia to prevent pain during transport, and rushed her into surgery at the Royal Animal Hospital. The video tells most of the rest of this story, but Sheba’s story isn’t over yet. Her physical wounds have healed. Now she must overcome her mild fear of people and learn how to balance on three legs.
Sheba needs a home. Interested? Email me via [email protected]
And don’t forget to ‘Like’ our Facebook page: K’S PATH
Post by John Peaveler
Managing Director
Kuwait Society for the Protection of Animals and Their Habitat (K’S PATH)
