Taylor Leigh: A Puppy's Story

Hello, everyone!  My name is Taylor Leigh and I am a four month old Cairn puppy...You know, a Toto dog from The Wizard of Oz.  I want to share my story with you, but first I want to thank you for visiting the blog of the hospital who saved me.  That's right, the name is right up there: Advanced Animal Care in Richmond, Kentucky.

I was one sick puppy when I got to Advanced where Dr. Allison Tevis diagnosed me with Parvovirus.  Parvo is a very contagious disease that affects puppies who have not been vaccinated for it.  Sometimes you will not even know your puppy has it until they have severe vomiting or diarrhea that can quickly lead to dehydration.  It's sad to think that too many puppies don't survive this disease.

As for me, I was not quite that severe, but I would have been if I hand't been treated in time.  Treatment for Parvo can be very expensive, though, and not everyone can afford it.  So Dr. Tevis called a wonderful woman named Brenda Kelly who drove straight to the hospital and took responsibility for me!  Ms. Brenda works for a rescue group called Cairn Rescue USA.  As you can guess, they specialize in dogs and puppies like me...and Toto! =-)

My treatment started right away and it included intense, constant care.  I had to stay in isolation so not other dogs risked getting sick, too.  But, don't worry, I wasn't alone; the doctors and technicians at Advanced were there with me to help push me through it.  For a while, though, I was too sick to sit up and pay much attention to them.

It took a few days, but I began to recover.  I found I could eat a little, and, as I got better, I was able to stand and wag my tail!

While I was sick, Ms. Brenda raised more than enough money for my care in the first 24 hours after she met me!  How did she do it?  Well, Ms. Brenda confesses that she's a good beggar, but I know it's really because she knows lots of good, caring people.  Plus, she loves us and she would do anything to help us get treated.  People from all over the world donated online to help me. No kidding!  And because Cairn Rescue USA is a non-profit organization, any extra money they get from fundraising goes right back to help other dogs and puppies in need!  Isn't that great?

Well, after the amazing doctors and veterinary technicians made me better, Ms. Brenda found me a foster home.  It's really great!  I'm living with this nice couple named Bill and Julie Hatfield.  They were very patient and dedicated to taking care of me while I was getting better.  There were lots of medicines to take, and I couldn't play with their other dogs--even though I wanted to so bad.  But it's all okay now as we have lots of fun together!

One day, when I'm strong enough to be on my own, I'll go to my "fur-ever" home.  Ms. Brenda and the Hatfields say that it's hard to let foster puppies like me go, but they know we'll all be okay because we have a new start on life!

Mrs. Martin, one of the owners of Advanced Animal Care, says that if everybody does a little to help out, puppies like me can be saved and given a fresh start.  That is so true!

I'm so thankful for the doctors and everyone at Advanced Animal Care.  If they hadn't been open 24 hours, I might not have gotten my treatment.  And I'm so thankful for Ms. Brenda and Cairn Rescue USA for coming to my rescue and finding me a good home with the Hatfields!