Dumaguete Animal Sanctuary

Every Life Matters

RIP

Dirk

Dirk

One of five puppies dumped in a road in a bag (one escaped only to be killed by a vehicle), Dirk was the smallest of the litter.  He arrived on 27 April 2021, and after a promising start, he, along with siblings Dean and Dottie contracted Distemper in the outbreak of May-July 2021.

Sadly, Dottie passed on 19 May, but it looked like Dirk had managed to weather the worst of the virus.

However, despite testing negative for Distemper in late June, he never got back to his previous state of health. A couple of days later he started having breathing issues and his temperature dropped to 32 degrees which is dangerously low. We managed to stabilise him and had him on oxygen but he stopped breathing on the afternoon of 7 July 2021.

We believe it was pneumonia which in his weakened state he couldn't fight off.This is so terribly sad, but we are privileged to have been able to spend even this short time loving you.  Go find your sister Dottie and give her a big hug from us.

You can find out more about Distemper here.  

Shaggy

Shaggy

Abandoned by his owners who returned to Manila, Shaggy, as his reporter named him, was picked up on 29 April 2021. 

As well as being left behind, he also had an infection which we treated with antibiotics.

He was antisocial, bordering on aggressive when he arrived and was clearly disorientated and confused as to what had happened to him.

Shaggy before Rescue

His coat was so matted, we had to take the clippers to him, and after a bath, and after receiving his vaccinations and getting neutered, he spent a few days in Quarantine adapting to his new surroundings.

He took a few days to adjust, and Doc Pierre was one of the first to make friends.

His bestie Miles was in Quarantine at the same time, and they helped eachother become more sociable with humans and the other dogs.

In early June, we started to notice he was not his usual self.  He had been rescued just before the first few Sanctuary dogs started to display signs of Canine Distemper bought in from outside the Sanctuary (find out more here), and he was displaying some early signs of the virus.  

Very quickly, the neurological aspects of Distemper became apparent, with twitching muscle spasms in his head, the loss of the use of his back legs, and regular seizures.  We took him into the office for close observation, put him on an IV as he had stopped eating and drinking, and send blood samples to the clinic for more information, as we suspected a secondary problem.  Sure enough, he was also suffering from acute Pancreatitis, but with the help of the IV and the magic of local honey to help his blood sugar levels, he seemed to be shaking off the Pancreatitis.   

Shaggy's Honey and Rina

Shaggy and Rina

Shaggy and Pati

Shaggy being cared for in the office

One of our volunteers Pati visited him often, hoping some Reiki healing would help, and we took shifts holding him through the day, which seemed to calm him, and spending the night sleeping in the office to watch over him, willing him to pull through.  His medication was helping with the pain, and on 15 June, he seemed to rally, opening his eyes and swallowing liquid from a syringe.  We hoped that these were the first signs of a recovery, but sadly, Shaggy passed away the following afternoon, 16 June 2021.  

Shaggy

We gave him the very best care and every possible medication. Our vets tried everything and we stayed with him pretty much 24 / 7 over the last few days.  The distemper had caused irreversible brain damage and there really was nothing more we could have done.  Its a cliche to say that he was loved - but it is so very true.  Shaggy even had a home waiting for him. Lito, the person who rescued him had found him a home with his sister in Manila. We were just about to organise transport when he got sick.

Its so very hard to love these souls and then to watch them go - but we have to focus on the joy that they brought to us and us to them.

Shaggy's Gallery

Michai

Michai

After contracting Distemper during the outbreak in May 2021, Michai died of acute Pancreatitis on Sunday 13 June 2021. It was heartbreaking. She was such a beautiful soul. The tragedy is that she was to be adopted next week along with Gandalf.

Michai died of acute pancreatitis likely due to the impact of Distemper on her system.  Like the majority of our dogs, Michai had been vaccinated against Distemper, but as with all vaccines, 100% protection is not guaranteed.  We really did everything we could and had our two vets and Doc Gama from Animal Wellness all trying to save her.

You can find out more about Distemper here. Rest in peace little one, you were very, very loved. Read more about Michai's life before and after rescue on her Profile Page.

Snowflake

Snowflake

We found Snowflake on Saturday 6 May 2021 running in the middle of the Bacong - Valencia highway. Unfortunately, her sibling was already dead on the side of the road having been hit by a vehicle.
She just needed a good bath and time to help her her skin heal.

Snowflake

She was a lovely little pup, having happy times playing with Dean, Shaun and Ophelia in the quarantine area before she got sick with the Canine Distemper outbreak this area experienced in May / June 2021.  Young pups and sick older dogs are less able to fight off Distemper (find out more here), and Snowflake just coundn't quite make it.  She gave up eating and drinking on Sunday 31 May, and simply gave up breathing on Monday 1 June 2021.  We are glad to have known her, and are just so sorry we couldn't have done more.

Astrid

Astrid

On 29 May 2021, we picked up a female dog who had Mange, was malnourished, and had a terrible case of Transmissible Venereal Cancer that had become infected with maggots.

Astrid after rescue

We conducted surgery to clean her wounds and prepare her for further treatment, and gave her antibiotics and pain relief.  Despite our best efforts, she survived in as much comfort as we could provide before passing away quietly on Monday 1 June 2021.  We can only hope she experienced a few short pain-free final days.  The kind donations we received to help with her care will benefit the many other dogs battling their inflictions, not least our current Distemper scare.