Alaska

Alaska came to us as one of the most pitiful sights we had ever seen. She was brought to the spay/neuter clinic we held in January by an AWARE volunteer who had found her on the street. She was first diagnosed with a dislocated hip and severe malnutrition, but it soon became obvious that she was suffering from something more serious. Further tests revealed a case of distemper – the deadly and highly infectious canine disease – with pneumonia into the bargain. She was so skinny and weak – a truly pathetic bag of bones – with her defences so low, and with such a poor chance of recovering her strength enough to withstand the hip operation, that the vet’s recommendation was euthanasia. But this is exactly the sort of case which seems most to arouse Xenii’s fighting spirit, and she would hear nothing of it.

Back at the Shelter, all forces were immediately mobilised to combat the dreadful threat of  distemper, with disinfectant footbaths at strategic points, a thorough cleaning of anything with which Alaska had been in contact, and the isolation of the patient. Then began the fight for Alaska’s life, and it was both Alaska’s good fortune and ours that volunteers Stephanie and Stewart from England were with us at that time. Alaska owes her survival to Stephanie’s incredible ministrations, sitting up with her all night, making her take her medicines, and forcing down a few spoonfuls of the liquefied preparation of the most appetising foods she could find. So gradually Alaska gained strength and recovered her health, though she was still so pitifully thin that there could be no question of subjecting her to the hip operation. But bit by bit she put on weight, and insisted on joining one of the most boisterous groups for the daily exercise tour of the woods, hopping gamely down the trail on her 3 good legs.

Finally we figured she was fit enough for the operation, and hoped upon hope that it wasn’t too late to save the leg. Thanks to the incredible surgical skills of Dr. Hugo Sicán Pelén at the clinic, Alaska kept her leg, and she is now hopping less and loping more every day. A truly remarkable recovery by a truly remarkable dog – thanks to some truly remarkable nursing by Stephanie. I am sure that Alaska will never forget her – and neither will we!