AdoptSnow

Sex:

Age:

Weight:

Spay/Neuter:

Heartworm Status:

Microchip:

Good w/Kids:

Good w/Big Dogs:

Good w/Small Dogs:

Good w/Cats:

House Trained:

Adoption Status:

Location:

Special Considerations

for Adoption:

Male

2 - 3 years

80 lbs. - needs to gain 10

Yes

Light positive

Yes

Unknown

Yes

Undergoing treatment for mange, needs to undergo heartworm treatment

Kingwood

Hello, my name is Snow!

4-7-08

Snow is doing fabulously! He went to the vet at the end of last week for a check-up. He has gained 30 pounds since he came into rescue (can you believe he was a mere 50 lbs.???). He still needs to gain about 10 more. Snow’s mange treatment hit a plateau; because of the weight gain, his dose of ivermectin has become too small for his weight, so we have increased it. All of the hair on his back has grown in but his face still has a few thin spots, as do his legs. His coat is a beautiful color – it’s coming in with very subtle buff undertones. Snow’s feet are still very sensitive, so we continue to work on getting them in better shape. He is still on antibiotics to ward off any bacterial infection that remains on his skin.

Snow was neutered yesterday, so we are one step closer to getting him ready for adoption! The vet said she would like to see him a little further along with his mange treatment before we begin heartworm treatment, which could be 2-3 months from now.

This boy has turned into such a big happy lug. He always has a big smile on his face and a big, powerful tail wag – he’s an extraordinarily happy guy! It’s been really neat watching him figure out who he is and gain self-confidence. He’s still a bit fearful (who could blame him), but he’s slowly learning that there’s nothing he ever needs to be afraid of again. The first leg of Snow’s journey is coming to an end and his transformation is almost complete. He still has a few minor health issues that need to be taken care of (heartworm treatment and curing the mange), but the worst is behind him. His horrendous past is now but a faint memory and his future is very bright. He knows his forever family awaits him – you can see the hope gleaming in his eyes. Are you the person he has been looking for with whom he will complete his journey? If so, Snow asks that you hurry and fill out an adoption application, as he can’t wait to go home!

2-23-09

Snow is making remarkable progress; his transformation has been nothing short of a miracle. His physical appearance has changed immensely. The spaces between his ribs have filled in and his backbone and hips now have a nice layer of fat and muscle covering them. We can proudly say he's no longer emaciated! Snow still needs to put on weight, but he no longer looks as if he is starving. His skin is healing; a majority of the scabs are gone and soft new fur is beginning to come in. Where there is no hair, his skin is less red and irritated and is showing signs of healing. At this point he still has mange and continues to take medication for it. It will be several months before he will be given the all-clear. Snow is at the tail end of his kennel cough. We expect to integrate him with his foster siblings within the next week. It's obvious he's feeling much better and is ready to romp with his doggie housemates.

Snow's personality shines. He is an extremely happy boy who radiates sunshine. It is very evident that Snow knows he has been saved and he shows his appreciation through his sunny disposition and loving demeanor. He greets us with exuberant tail wags and rubs himself up against our legs. A note to his new owner: "breakables" must be kept above tail level with this guy, as the tail is in constant motion!

Snow now walks with that proud GSD gait. He holds his head up proudly and high, almost strutting as he walks. We are sure that he loves showing off his new found confidence and love of life, not to mention is handsome good looks. When he goes for walks, he shows curiosity in other dogs - his tail wags, and ears perk forward. There's little doubt that he won't get along with other dogs. Snow enjoys watching the squirrels on his walks. He does the cutest thing when he sees something of interest (squirrel or another dog). He will come to a dead standstill, point his head in the direction of the object of interest with his ears erect, and pick one of his front paws off the ground (usually the left) and hold it up, slightly tucking it under his chest. He will stand at attention like this until his curiosity wanes, or something new grabs his interest. You would think he had pointer bred into him somewhere!! It's adorable to watch!!

Snow has developed quite the sense of humor and is a dog who knows what he wants. Because he has steadily put on weight, we have cut his meals back from every 2-3 hours to three square meals a day. Over the past three weeks he has become very accustomed to being walked every 2-3 hours and being fed after each walk. Normally, we take him for a walk, then bring him inside (back into the laundry room) and feed him. The first day we dropped one of his meals it was quite a shock to him and he let us know how much he didn't like it.

The first day the feeding ritual changed, I took him for a walk, brought him back inside, gave him some lovin', then headed out of the room, skipping his usual feed. As I walked towards the door, Snow gave me that sad puppy dog face, and a look that said, "hey, wait a minute, where's my food?" I laughed, rubbed his ears and apologized that there wasn't going to be a meal right now. I took a step closer towards the door and Snow slyly moved, positioning himself between me and the door. He looked at me with his head hung low, ears perfectly erect, those big eyes staring at me and his tail wagging low and slow. He had that insistent look of, 'please don't leave without feeding me'. I again petted him and began moving closer towards the door. Without hesitation, Snow full out body-blocked me! He pushed himself up against my body, pushing me a step backwards away from the door. Again, he looked at me with those big sad eyes, wagging his tail very slowly, all the while bearing a big grin on his face. I bent down and hugged him, assuring him that another meal was coming very soon. I stood up, with him still between me and the door, and reached for the doorknob. At that very moment, as I reached for the knob, Snow put his front feet straight up in the air, landing them on the washing machine, so that his upper body completely blocked my hand's path to the doorknob!! Talk about insistence and intelligence! He was determined, one way or another, I wasn't leaving the room until he got something to eat. Needless to say, I was a sucker and gave him a small scoop of food. :0)

We are sure there are many changes and discoveries ahead for Snow. We know we've just begun to see his personality and the transformation in his physical appearance. Snow will return to the vet in a couple of weeks so his progress can be checked. We expect to get nothing but good news from his veterinarian! There are still vet costs ahead for Snow, so please consider making a donation for his care. Snow sends a big, huge THANK YOU for those who have already donated!! Your generosity is very much appreciated!! Your continued generosity helps to make Snow's recovery possible!

1/31/09

Snow is the worst case of animal cruelty that Greater Houston GSD Rescue has ever seen. Information circulated throughout the rescue community about an emaciated and mange infested white GSD that was at one of the local shelters. He was in desperate need of rescuing because of his condition and his time was running out at the shelter. The picture of this sweet boy tugged at many people's heartstrings. Looking at his sweet face and those sad eyes, we knew we had to do something. So, several volunteers at GHGSDR stepped up and orchestrated Snow's rescue.

Snow has experienced the cruel reality of neglect. He is extremely emaciated -- his pictures don't even begin to show how thin he truly is. Snow is literally skin and bones. Every bone in his body is visible and his entire frame can be traced by following the outline of his skeleton. His flesh clings tightly to his bones because there isn't an ounce of fat or muscle on his body. Standing across the room, you can count his ribs and vertebrae. His hip bones are very prominent, jutting out from the top of his rump. What makes his physical condition even more pronounced is the fact that he has very little hair. Snow is suffering with a severe case of demodex mange. He has been so neglected that he is missing the majority of his hair. He has small tuffs of white hair scattered across his body which continue to fall out in clumps. His legs and back are in such bad shape that there are scabs upon scabs where hair used to be. His skin is very red, raw, and inflamed. The flesh between his toes is so raw and painful that he has difficulty walking. The only part of his body that has been untouched by the mange is his angelic face which is covered in white fur.

Besides the evident neglect, it is very apparent that Snow has also been physically abused. For the first couple of days in his foster home, when we reached out to pet him, he would close his eyes very tightly, lower his head, and hunch up his shoulders. You could see the fear in his face as he braced himself for what was, in his mind, the inevitable -- being hit. After spending the first couple of days reassuring him, Snow slowly realized that he is safe and that no one is ever going to harm him again. Despite his fear and hesitation, Snow exhibits the sweetest disposition, always greeting us with a wag of the tail. For the first day or two, his tail wag was slow and hesitant, a calm expression that he was happy to have human contact. After a couple of days passed and the trust began to build, Snow's confidence in his caretakers became very evident. Now when he sees his foster parents, his tail exudes waves of happiness; he now does a "happy dance" at the site of his foster mom and dad.

When Snow was pulled from the shelter, the light had gone out in his eyes. It was apparent that he had lost all hope and was at the point of giving up on life. His foster parents have spent a lot of time with him, loving on him, hugging him, and doing everything possible to encourage him to start fighting his way back to health. In true German Shepherd fashion, showing the heart and strength of the breed, Snow has begun to recover emotionally. Two days after arrival, the light in his eyes came on -- and his eyes shine so brightly!! His face is lit up like a Christmas tree with bright, effervescent lights. Some may say that dogs can't smile, but they haven't met Snow!! A big bright happy smile is now permanently glued on his handsome white face.

After being pulled from the shelter, Snow was taken to the vet for a health check. Besides being extremely emaciated and having horrible mange, Snow is suffering with diarrhea. Results from a fecal test showed that he is infected with hookworms, whipworms and roundworms, all of which are being treated. Snow is also heartworm positive, so he will need to undergo heartworm treatment when he is healthy enough. His fosters were very worried his first night home, wondering if he was going to make it through the night, as he seemed to be breathing very heavily and was extremely lethargic (they were up most of the night monitoring him). But Snow hung on and fought hard through the first night and by morning he was showing improvement. He returned to the vet that morning for his heavy breathing only to find out that, on top of everything else, Snow developed kennel cough. He is now on two antibiotics to treat his infection. Snow is being fed a moderate amount of large breed puppy food (for the extra calories) every 2-3 hours to help him gain weight. The treatment for the mange has also begun -- Snow is receiving daily doses of ivermectin, and the antibiotics he's taking for the kennel cough will also help fight his secondary skin infection. He will also receive weekly baths with a medicated shampoo to help fight the mange and ease the itching. It will take several months of treatment to cure the mange.

Despite the severe neglect and abuse this sweet boy has suffered and endured, Snow still adores and loves humans. The way Snow was treated should be unforgiveable -- yet, he has forgiven. He has shown absolution towards the beings that have treated him so poorly. Snow is moving forward without looking back, loving those who once hurt him, and showing a loyalty that is inexplicable. If only we as humans could be so loving and forgiving!

Snow's treatment and recovery process is just beginning. He has a long road ahead, but he is facing that journey with the spirit of a German Shepherd -- with strength and dignity. His head is now held high and his spirit is strong, so we know he has the strength to fight his way back. One day soon he will regain the beautiful, regal appearance of a GSD -- it's just a matter of time before his outer appearance becomes a true reflection of his inner beauty. Snow will be a stunningly handsome German Shepherd once again!!

The vetting for Snow is going to be involved and expensive, as he has many vet visits, medications, and treatments ahead of him. Please consider becoming a Guardian to help us care for Snow, and for other GSDs that are in our program. If you can't make a monthly donation to our organization, please consider a one time gift to help Snow on his road to recovery. It is only through donations from individuals like yourself that we are able to save German Shepherds like Snow -- German Shepherds who deserve a chance to know what it's really like to LIVE, and not just merely exist. Snow and GHGSDR thank you for your support!

Adopt Snow

ADOPTED!!