Dogs are innocent loving animals that just want your love and attention. It is incomprehensible why someone would ever want to hurt an animal.
An animal control officer sprung into action when he found a dog lying unresponsive on the sidewalk. He first tried to call to the dog, but there was no response. He slowly approached and noticed the dog was still breathing, but not responding to his touch. Then he learned the horrifying truth about what happened to the sweet dog named Peanut.
Neighborhood kids allegedly injected Peanut with cocaine. The drug caused her heart to race and left her clinging to life. The officer picked her up and noticed she was panting heavily. He rushed her to Faithful Friends Animal Society.
Peanut was finally surrounded by loving people who would do everything they could to save her. Without knowing exactly how much drugs she had in her system and her declining state, her survival was uncertain. The staff put Peanut on an IV to start flushing out the dangerous drug.
Due to the deadly dose, Peanut was not able to walk, stand, eat, or drink when she arrived. All she could do was lay panting with her heart racing. After a few days on the IV, she started to improve a bit. A toxicology report was run and the results were shocking.
Peanut tested positive for cocaine and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The poor dog was suffering because kids forced her to consume drugs. The drugs needed to be flushed quickly out of her system before they killed her. The IV was her only hope at pulling through. The staff gave her fluids for two days along with much needed emotional support. They showed Peanut that not all humans are cruel.
They thought Peanut was about a year old. This young pup had already endured extreme torture instead of running and playing. Luckily, because of her young age, her body was more resilient and able to survive the intense torture.
Kevin Rentz, Marketing Manager at the rescue center, said, “When she first arrived, she was unable to walk, stand, eat, or drink. Our vets had never seen mistreatment dealing with narcotics like this. It was heartbreaking.”
Surprisingly, Peanut returned to her happy self and was friendly with the staff. Even after all she had been through she was a sweet dog just looking for love. The staff fell in love with her and wanted her to find a loving home.
“She stole the hearts of all the vets and techs here. Once the drugs had started leaving her system, you could see her personality pick up.”
Although she was starting to improve, she had a long road of recovery ahead. With persistent care, Peanut made a full recovery. They discovered that she loves to play with a ball. “She wouldn’t let her ball out of her sight,” Rentz said.
When her story made the news, a family in Delaware contacted the center and asked if they could adopt her. They came to the center to meet her and fell in love. Peanut finally found a loving home.
UPDATE 3/16: WOO HOO ADOPTED!Peanut was picked up from ACCT Philadelphia on March 8th. She was marked as an extremely urgent case after being found as a stray who was hardly moving on the sidewalks of Philadelphia. Reports about Peanut say that she was outside a known drug house and citizens told control officers that neighborhood kids had given the animal drugs. Faithful Friends acted quickly to rescue Peanut and to provide her with her emergency medical care that she needs. Time was of the essence for this very young girl who is only about a year old.When Peanut arrived at Faithful Friends she was heavily sedated, and minimally responsive. Fluids and blood work were started immediately while she was comforted by out caring staff members. She was transferred to emergency care where she was tested for marijuana, amphetamines, and opiates. Results were positive for cocaine and THC. Sweet Peanut had a long night under critical care and she fought for her life. She made it through the night and showed signs of significant improvements the following morning. Her tremors have not gone away completely, but she's now able to stand, walk, eat, and drink. Her care was transferred back to Faithful Friends, where she received constant care, continued to get fluids, and was monitored very closely. She was renamed Suzi to mark the start of her new life.Suzi still has a journey ahead of her and your support will help with the cost of her emergency medical care, critical support during recovery, and any ongoing treatment needed. Donate at www.healingtouchfund.org.
Posted by Faithful Friends Animal Society on Friday, March 9, 2018
