|
Post by schwung on Dec 31, 2007 17:48:04 GMT -5
Shamane did an absolutely wonderful job rehabbing Dobbin but due to some personal issues could not foster for a while, so Dobbin came back to me for a few days and then today went to a small private boarding stable a few miles from me where he will have a nice pasture and a warm stall at night. He is back to where he should be weight-wise, and here are some wonderful holiday photos that Shamane sent me (I should have posted these before Christmas): Isn't he cute in his SAFE-colored Santa hat? Dobbin's pretty arthritic right now with the cold weather, particularly in his left front. I am keeping a close eye on him but as of right now he still has plenty of life left in him.
|
|
shekaberry
SAFE Volunteer
SAFE Volunteer Coordinator
Posts: 1,521
|
Post by shekaberry on Dec 31, 2007 18:29:02 GMT -5
He looks amazing! Shamane, you did an excellent job with him and those pictures are priceless
|
|
srherman
New BB Member
SAFE Foster Mom
Posts: 9
|
Post by srherman on Jan 8, 2008 16:50:37 GMT -5
Dobbin was very easy to care for!!!!! He really didnt care much for the lavender hat tho!!!!! Im a proud gelding and I can wear lavender any time my mommy makes me!!!!! The ladies out back really miss him. He has to have a stall to keep his legs warm, right now I just dont have that for him. I do miss him. He's just so funny, and warm hearted. Im glad to hear he is doing well, and has a warm place to get out of the wind.
|
|
|
Post by cat67 on Jan 14, 2008 11:56:13 GMT -5
Wow, I just saw these...he looks SO good. That is the weight he is supposed to be. Shamane, you did a fabulous job with him.
|
|
|
Post by schwung on Jan 16, 2008 12:16:43 GMT -5
Here is an update from the owner of the small private farm where Dobbin is being boarded:
Hi Jaime, Just wanted to give you an update on Dobbin. He is doing so well. He is just a sweetheart...we all love him to death. We did end up turning him out with the other horses..he really seemed to want to be with them. Our dorky Arab cross Rio, the head honcho, had to go and kick at him a bit, but Dobbin kicked right back which I was glad to see. It let Rio know he couldn't push him around. And after that, they have been just fine together. He and Tonka, our Thoroughbred have gotten along since the moment they were introduced. I have been putting linament on Dobbins legs..I think the colder weather has made hiim a bit stiffer. But we are regularly grooming him and then of course when we turn him out he rolls like the other two do...LOL He does seem to be happy here and again is just a sweet old guy. We're so very glad to have him be a part of our family. I just wanted to give you an update. Blessings, Heather
|
|
shekaberry
SAFE Volunteer
SAFE Volunteer Coordinator
Posts: 1,521
|
Post by shekaberry on Jan 16, 2008 22:15:46 GMT -5
Yay for Dobbin! I love this guy, he is my "cyber" horse
|
|
|
Post by schwung on Jan 23, 2008 22:32:33 GMT -5
Another Dobbin update, he is getting his feet done on Tuesday so I will be visiting with him then:
Hi Jaime, Dobbin is doing just fine. We did have to move him away from the other two because they started nipping him too much around mealtimes and I think were starting to help themselves to his food, so we nipped that right in the bud. We're been trying to regularly groom him and rub hiim down with linament. He has been limping a little but not too badly considering the colder weather. He is such a sweetheart and we truly adore him. Dobbin seems happy and content. Blessings, Heather
|
|
|
Post by schwung on Feb 12, 2008 22:53:11 GMT -5
Dobbin got his feet done on Saturday and I took a couple of photos of him while I was there. He looks great, he is almost getting a little pudgy! I love this sweet old gentleman. He stood like a rock for the farrier and for his grooming afterwards, and didn't even mind the big puppy running under and between his legs!
|
|
|
Post by schwung on Apr 28, 2008 18:02:14 GMT -5
It has been a while since I have given an update on Dobbin, and I have some bad news, and some very good news to report. Bonnie and I visited him in March and he seemed fine at the small private barn where he was boarded, along with the owners' two horses.
A couple of weeks ago, my farrier Dawn went out to reshoe Dobbin's feet (he has shoes/pads on his front feet). She had been there before with me last time and he is easy to do so she didn't feel like she needed me to be there and could take care of him on her own. When she arrived, she found Dobbin and the two other horses locked in their stalls. Even though it was a cold, snowy day, none of the horses were wearing blankets, and Dobbin's lay torn to shreds in a heap on the aisle floor. Inside, she found stalls that had several days worth of muck in them. The water buckets were bone dry, and there was no hay in the stalls or in the barn. Very concerned, she took Dobbin out of the stall. He was extremely tucked up from dehydration. She gave him a full bucket of water, which he sucked down without stopping. He then started to shake violently, and went down. He got back up again but was clearly in shock and colicky. My farrier called me in a panic. We have a mutual friend who lived only a mile or so away, and my farrier arranged for Dobbin to go there, while I hitched up my trailer and called Dr. Hannah to meet us there. I was there in 20 minutes with my trailer. By then he was much more normal-acting but obviously severely dehydrated. He had also dropped a significant amount of weight since Bonnie and I had last seen him. We got him over to our friend Amy's (who is also my dog groomer) and Dr. Hannah was already waiting for us. He was less shocky by then, still twitching but his gut sounds were normal. His temperature was very low so we bundled him up in blankets. He was very dehydrated but he was drinking on his own and Hannah felt he did not need IV fluids. He has since recovered and shows no ill effects, other than the 100 or so pounds he has lost.
I did call Animal Control right after picking Dobbin up. I talked to the owner a couple of hours later and she said she had to go to the hospital that morning as she was having chest pains and didn't have time to feed/water or do stalls, and that they had just run out of hay that morning. Of course, I did not believe it, and I was very upset. I told her that she needed to go water her severely dehydrated horses and beyond that I couldn't deal with her right now.
Animal Control went out there two days later. No one was there, her horses were outside in the snow but did have water, still unblanketed (they were also thin, but in good weight previously). The stalls were still filthy, there was no hay still. AC finally got a hold of the owner, and found out that she had tried to commit suicide and had been committed. Apparantly, this is not the first time it has happened. The neighbors are now taking care of the horses, the dog was impounded, and beyond that nothing will happen until the woman gets out of the hospital, and from that point it's in AC's hands. I don't know if she will be able to keep her horses or not.
I feel sorry for the woman but deeply and profoundly protective of Dobbin. I was in tears the day this happened over the fact that poor Dobbin had once again fallen into harm's way. I feel like we let him down, again. This poor horse has been through so much. It's almost like he has "Neglect Me" stamped on his forehead! I am sorry, but it makes me so angry, and upset, and feeling like there is no one we can trust. And he's easy to take care of! Easy keeper, no special care, no mush diets, nothing!
What have we learned from this? Well, after the last time when Dobbin was neglected in foster care, we stepped up our efforts to once a month visits and for the most part, that is what we have done. It appears it is STILL not enough. This wasn't even a foster situation, we were paying $250/month for full care board! Therefore, I think the next step we will have to take is to not take on any foster homes other than those that can provide weekly photo updates and stay in constant contact with us (such as Janice, Alyssa, etc). And ultimately, this brings me to the conclusion that some day, eventually, SAFE needs to have their own facility and the horses centralized - either by renting or buying a facility.
For the time being, however, I would also like to ask for help from our bulletin board members in checking up on our horses in foster care. If any of you live close to a horse in foster care, would you be willing to stop by and visit from time to time, take some photos, etc? I don't know what else to do. I am beside myself that this happened...again.
But, enough of the bad news, there is actually some very good news as well! Dobbin has been with my friend Amy, who has a beautiful property with a 10-stall barn and gorgeous grassy pastures, so he is very happy and comfortable right now and I can breathe easy with him there. (And, it seemed that it was fate that he went there, as she had just sold her horse three days earlier, my farrier Dawn happened to know that and know that she had space - before that even though we had talked about having her foster for us before, she had not had room).
Furthermore, just before this incident occurred at the boarding place, I had received a wonderful adoption application for Dobbin. I actually think this is the first application we have ever received for him, in the nearly a year's time that we have had him. I was able to proceed with having her out to visit him this past weekend, and explained the recent events and why his ribs were showing. She really liked him, and told me today that she wants to proceed with the adoption of Dobbin! I still have the site check and reference checks to do, but he is officially, PENDING! I don't want to say too much too soon, but I think this is going to be a perfect lifetime home for Dobbin.
Its been a rollercoaster with this horse, and I really hope this is the end of the ride!
|
|
|
Post by averyacres on Apr 28, 2008 18:09:56 GMT -5
Oh, geez...poor boy...so glad that Dawn was there when she was...you know you can always count on me for visits to foster homes, and I can just make it a monthly visit routine with the foster home...no problem there. Wow, so glad that he is okay and that the other horses/dogs are being taken care of. How sad. How exciting about his adoption though!!! Keeping my fingers crossed.
|
|
|
Post by cat67 on Apr 28, 2008 18:27:30 GMT -5
Sometimes, I think horses have just been hit with the unlucky stick and that's poor Dobbin, unfortunately. I hope his luck is changing!
I work in Kent and go between Kent and Carnation daily, so anything that is on that path is a place I could check on for you. Just let me know.
|
|
|
Post by schwung on Apr 28, 2008 18:37:04 GMT -5
Well, after thinking about it, the only horse we have in foster care that we don't get regular updates/photos on is Whiskey. I actually talked to MonicaB about doing some new photos of her and she is going out there this week I believe. But ongoing, since the other Monica (the one who is riding Whiskey) is so busy, I might ask for help with checking in on her and getting regular photo updates. She's at Eden Farms in Snohomish.
|
|
|
Post by jodycat on Apr 28, 2008 18:37:48 GMT -5
Egads, I really like and feel for this horse. I'm so glad you checked when you did. Poor Dobbin! I'm 100% for trying to raise money for a SAFE facility!!
|
|
|
Post by averyacres on Apr 28, 2008 18:40:27 GMT -5
Isn't Lexi in Snohomish now, too?
|
|
|
Post by schwung on Apr 28, 2008 18:46:25 GMT -5
Yes, she just moved there yesterday. I will talk to the foster about providing regular photos and updates and if it doesn't happen, I might ask for help with monitoring her.
|
|