 The Residents Erma  Erma came to rescue in 2009 with her brother , Max. When a dog Erma and Max’s age remains in a foster home for over 15 months without the potential or likelihood of adoption, APRA commits to care for them for rest of their lives. Like her sibling, Erma requires a special diet for allergies. Dokie  Partially paralyzed, Dokie entered rescue when his owner, unable to provide the care he needed, surrendered him to a shelter to be euthanized. Thankfully we were contacted and were able to provide the surgery he needed to repair a cervical rupture. Everyone who meets Dokie has fallen in love with him, yet in the two years he has been in rescue there has never been anyone willing to commit to provide the care needed for the rest of his life. He is partially incontinent and needs to be protected at all times because of balance issues. Because of his age and the length of time in rescue Dokie has become a permanent (and very much loved) resident of APFH. Max  Max was surrendered with his sibling “Erma” in early 2009. It took well over a year to clear the yeast from his system and for his health to turn around. Soon to be 11 years old Max has proven that he does not adjust to change or new situations well. Due to his age we have made the decision to let Max’s last years be spent around the people he has had to learn to trust. Sister Mary Mildred  This beautiful senior entered rescue with limited vision and with heartworm disease. Due to the length of time it took her to become comfortable in her surroundings and because of her age she will not be placed. She did successfully complete her treatment for heartworms. Quincy  The beautiful boy was surrendered to APRA for unfounded fears and behavioral issues. After a year in rescue Quincy remains unsure of his surroundings after repeated attempts at behavior modification and medications to ease his anxiety. While placement may be possible in the future, he will remain in APFH for as long as needed as we continue to make an attempt reach him. Chip  Chip has a form of epilepsy that causes focal seizures, sadly, sometimes as many as 20 a day. These cause him to run wildly, pace back and forth, bite at imaginary objects and at times have bursts of aggression. His medications include Phenobarbital and Potassium Bromide. Chip also must have monthly monitoring of his medication levels. Chip’s condition requires patience and understanding of his disorder. During his normal times, he is quite the clown, happy, full of mischief (look at that picture!!!) and extremely affectionate. “A Place for Hope” will care for Chip for the remainder of his life as any stress in his routine causes an increase in his seizures. Please don’t feel sorry for him, he doesn’t understand why or when he does this, and he doesn’t hurt, and we know how to handle him. He just must remain in a protected environment with those who understand him and his condition, and will love him unconditionally for “the life of the dog.” Violet  Violet entered rescue at a mere nine pounds. Emaciated and with a severe uterine infection, she underwent emergency surgery. Her nutritional status was so poor that her muscles were wasting and walking was extremely difficult. This was soon resolved with consistent care and excellent nutrition. During Violet's recovery period, a mass was was removed from her chest, and was found to be a mast cell tumor. Violet has recurrent "tumors" between her toes that are currently being observed, and due to the "grading" of her tumor, Violet will remain in "A Place for Hope." Boomer  Boomer entered rescue with a severe neurological problem. We are not sure how, or when this happened, but the damage left him with motor difficulties. He moves quickly in order to maintain balance, and if he falls over, he has difficulty returning to a standing position without assistance. While Boomer, like the other Residents, is always available for adoption should the perfect situation present, he will be cared for the rest of his life in A Place for Hope. Ruthie  Ruthie is our second diabetic to become a Resident. Her diabetes is well controlled, but there has not been interest in adopting her because of her condition. Because she has remained in rescue for such a long time, she will become a Resident to avoid interrupting the continuity of her care. Paris  Paris is a victim of total blindness and strong personality conflicts. She arrived with Prince the Poodle several years ago, both obvious victims of chemical burns to the face and eyes. One of her blind eyes has already been removed, the other one will be at some point in her future due to excessive scarring. Zoe  Possibly one of saddest cases, Zoe suffers from extreme allergies; and poor socialization. It was over a year before Zoe could be in the same room with another dog without hiding. She was delivered to APRA in a crate, and we believe that because of her allergies she had lived in such an environment her entire life. She currently is maintained on daily antihistamines and every other day oral cyclosporine “Atopica” to take the edge of her allergies. Allergy shots were given, but reactions cause this treatment to be discontinued. Even the 50% improvement has proved to give Zoe a better quality of life. She must live a total indoor life because of her problems – outside activities cause her feet to swell and bleed. She uses adult incontinent pads for urination and defecation and is kept totally indoors (though we admit to carrying her out for sunshine on pretty spring and autumn days).
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