Special Friends

OUR LITTLE ANGEL
When the e-mail came in from Linda at Macon County Animal Control with this picture attached, it definitely caught my attention. When I read that poor little Angel was blind, my heart went out to her. But, when I read that a man had seen her fall into a river, and had pulled her out, I was “sold”. She needed Friends for Life to step in and change her luck.
What I didn’t know until I got to the shelter in Franklin was that this poor little dog was also severely underweight. Despite being in a foster home for a month, her condition had not improved. It was obvious that little Angel would fair best with extra attention, so she came home with me as a foster. A visit to the vet the next day explained not only her malnourished appearance, but also the cause of her blindness. Angel is diabetic, and has obviously been so for a good part of her life. The complete cataracts in both eyes are most likely the result of the untreated diabetes. Her poor body condition is probably also related to the disease.
It is my hope that once Angel’s diabetes is regulated, and her body condition improved, that we may be able to have surgery done on at least one of her eyes so that she can see the world around her once again. She is not an old dog, and could still have many happy years to live.
If you would like to sponsor Angel to help with her medical needs please call Friends for Life at 828-508-2460. Our sanctuary for senior and special needs companion animals is located in Lake Toxaway, NC. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization and all donations to help the special animals at the Forever Farm are tax deductible. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 340, Sapphire, NC 28774. Donations can also be made online at www.friendsforlifeforeverfarm.org



POOKIE - HAPPY EVER AFTER AT THE FOREVER FARM
A few weeks ago a very special dog came to the Forever Farm. A media blitz throughout the region about his horrific torture preceded his arrival so chances are you have heard his story. Through “social media” the story even spread around the world. Pookie, a 14 year old Chow/Collie mix, who had spent his entire life on the end of chain (as if not cruel enough) was barricaded in his dog house and set on fire. He was rescued in time to prevent his death, but not before the flames deeply scarred his face and ears and singed his eyes. Fortunately, the good citizens of Greenville, South Carolina, and their county animals services, choose to save his life with emergency veterinary care. His ear flaps had to be removed, but intensive procedures resulted in the facial burns healing over time. The scarring on his nose and forehead will forever testify to the cruelty he endured, but the almost constant “smile” on his face, and the wag of his tail, are his way of thanking the folks who saved his life: the skilled veterinarians who mended his wounds and his loving foster family, as well as his supporters and fans around the world, and those of us at the Forever Farm that show him daily that he is loved and respected.
Every animal that comes to Friends for Life has a story - perhaps not as dramatic as Pookie’s - but their lives have also been disrupted, often causing emotional and sometimes physical, pain and suffering. Some are able to recover and are adopted by compassionate persons who understand the joy that comes with providing a home to a senior or special needs animal. The others are promised a safe haven at the Forever Farm for as long as they have a good “quality of life.”
We currently provide love and care for close to 150 dogs and cats, with dreams of helping even more. Please visit the Forever Farm in Lake Toxaway and you will feel the love that surrounds our special friends. Friends for Life is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization and all donations are tax deductible. For information call 828-508-2460, e-mail us at friendsforlife@earthlink.net or visit our website at: www.friendsforlifeforeverfarm.org Our mailing address is P.O. Box 340, Sapphire, NC 28774.

A SUCCESSFUL B.P. OIL CLEANUP   (Before and after photos below)

A recent story on animal abuse on Asheville WLOS News 13 told about a cat that was found close to death coated in petroleum oil.  B.P., as he was nick- named, was taken to Dr. Patrick McKee at the Apple Valley Animal Hospital in Henderson County, where he was stabilized and received supportive care until he was on the way to recovery.  Unfortunately, B.P. also tested positive for the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (Feline Aids) which limits his chances of adoption.  Dr. McKee called upon Friends for Life, located in Lake Toxaway, to help B.P. because of their mission to rescue special needs companion animals, including cats with FIV.

A follow-up segment on WLOS showed how well B.P. has progressed.  He is now sporting a handsome orange tabby coat, and is showing no permanent damage from the toxic substance.  The staff at the Friends for Life Forever Farm are hopeful that someone hearing his story will step forward and give B.P. a loving home.  They report he has a wonderful personality and thoroughly enjoys human contact despite the abuse he has endured.

To meet B.P and celebrate his amazing recovery, join Friends for Life this Saturday, July 24th for an Open House and Adoption Day at the Forever Farm between Noon and 3pm.  Gifts of cat treats, toys and food for B.P. and all his feline friends will be gratefully accepted in his honor.  For directions to the sanctuary call 828-508-2460 or visit their website at www.friendsforlifeforeverfarm.org

Friends for Life is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to helping senior and special needs companion animals.  The Forever Farm provides lifelong sanctuary for those animals that are not adopted into new homes.  It is located at 405 Reid Siding Road, Lake Toxaway, NC 28747.  All donations are tax deductible and can be made online at their website, or mailed to P.O.Box 340, Sapphire, NC 28774.

B.P. UPON ARRIVAL
B.P.

B.P’s NEW COAT

B.P.

Scooter

SCOOTER HAS NEW WHEELS

Scooter, alias Punkin, is a gorgeous calico paraplegic. She is an excellent example of the rescue work done by Friends For Life and their dedication to special needs cats and dogs. Possibly stepped on as a young kitten, she was left on the doorstep of a church several years ago. She was only about 5 weeks old and could not use her back legs, so trips to the orthopedic specialist were involved.

As feared, the diagnosis of “spinal walker” was given. She can move her legs and appears to be trying to walk. However, her spinal cord has been either impinged on or cut so that any impulses from the brain to the legs don’t result in control of the legs. The reflexive action of pulling away from a pinch or making walking motions are automatic and not controllable. No amount of physical therapy will ever result in her walking.

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Her front legs have become very strong as she can scoot as fast as a normal kitty if she wants to go somewhere. She even can climb up into the cat trees.

After seeing K9 Cart models at a veterinary meeting, her part-time foster mom ordered a custom made cart for Scooter. She is now able to explore the outside world with a human companion.

Miracle Cat

Miracle

When nature makes a mistake – the results are often disastrous.   Animals born with birth defects usually do not survive, for the world is an arduous place and “survival of the fittest” is usually the rule.  So when we first met “Mira” we were amazed by this beautiful cat.  Mira (short for Miracle) was born four years ago to a feral cat living in the Highlands Cove area.   At a few weeks of age it became apparent to her mother that this little kitten was ill.  True to feline behavior, she removed the kitten from her litter.  But instead of leaving the kitten somewhere to die, she brought her baby to the humans that she had learned to trust.  That was the first miracle. The second miracle was that these humans, Gina McDonald, Kim James and Soni Welch of Mountain View Properties, took on the responsibility of raising this orphan kitten, who obviously had a major disability.  Mira was diagnosed with congenital cerebellar hypoplasia.  This condition is an underdevelopment of the cerebellum, a small portion of the brain that is responsible for controlling balance, muscle tone and coordination.  Kittens do not die from this condition, but without human intervention, could never survive on their own.  Symptoms can range from tremors, jerky movements and an inability to stand, to severe spasticity.  An animal with this condition is remindful of a child with cerebral palsy.  Cerebellar hypoplasia causes no pain or discomfort, and will not worsen as the animal gets older, in fact some may learn how to compensate for their uncontrolled movements.  For four years, Mira’s caretakers have provided for all of her needs – keeping her healthy and happy.  Now, extenuating circumstances require that they find a new home for her and Friends for Life has agreed to care for Mira and find the perfect human companion for this beautiful cat.  Mira must stay in a padded bed as she is not able to safely navigate on her own, and could injure herself due to her spastic movements.  Her physical needs are very simple and she requires no medicine or special diet.  She enjoys being held and requires grooming, responding with purrs to a loving touch. She also requires assistance in eating.  Everyone that has contact with Mira falls in love with this miraculous cat.  For me, she reaffirms what Friends for Life is all about.

Petunia

Petunia

“Ain’t nothing but a hound dog - cryin’ all the time.  You ain’t never caught a rabbit - and you ain’t no friend of mine.”  Sadly, some hunters feel that way and abandon their dogs if they don’t perform.  Poor Petunia met that fate.  She was found back in 2005, starving, pregnant and infected with heartworms.  She was taken to the Cashiers Highlands Humane Society where she was spayed, nursed back to health and treated for the heartworms.  Because she was a senior, and Friends for Life had just purchased the Forever Farm, we offered to give Petunia a home at the sanctuary.
For the last three years, our beautiful Petunia has enjoyed a cushy life, eating “high on the hog” and running with her friends in the big open fields.  On occasion she would jump the fence and go for a romp in the local woods - always returning by dinner time.  In the past six months she had slowed down some and we attributed it to her age.  But what we didn’t know was that a benign tumor of the muscle tissue (leiomyoma) was growing in her urogenital track.  When it started protruding we realized there was a major issue.  Our visiting vet gave us a referral to a surgeon at Upstate Veterinary Specialists in Greenville, but the Saturday before her appointment, she started chewing on the exposed tumor causing it to bleed profusely and we had to rush her to the emergency clinic associated with Upstate.  She was stabilized and Monday morning the tumor was removed by laparoscopic surgery and one of her adrenal glands, seen by ultrasound to be enlarged by a mass (fortunately, benign) was also removed.  Two weeks later Petunia is back running in the fields at the Forever Farm and looking forward to an extended happy, healthy life.
Friends for Life treats all of our animals at the Forever Farm as though they are our own pets.  We make a commitment to provide each of them with the very best care possible.  To do that we rely on our compassionate donors to help us keep the Forever Farm in operation.  Friends for Life is 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization and your financial gifts are tax deductible.  Donations can be sent to FFL, P.O. Box 340, Sapphire,NC 28774.  For information call 828-508-2460.
Lucky

Lucky

With “tongue in cheek” we named him “Lucky”.  We just have to guess what his prior life entailed.  This very handsome, extremely personable cat joined Friends for Life in August and has become a favorite of everyone that meets him.  I first saw Lucky amongst a sad group of sickly cats living in a filthy, padlocked, compound, prisoners of an “animal collector” who truly thought she was saving lives.  One has to question whether such a life provides any quality, or only suffering.  I could tell from outside the cage that he was missing an eye, and in the back of his head was a wound bigger than a quarter, with flies eating the flesh.  While I worked with other rescuers to find a way to save these cats, I would stop every time I passed his “prison”, which sat very close to the highway, and see if he was still alive.  He was always sitting in the same spot, patiently waiting for his guardian angel to come.
The day finally came when he and his fellow prisoners were rescued from the compound.  Lucky and his friend Simba, a handsome black male with an atrophied front leg, unusable due to nerve damage, came to live at the Forever Farm because of their disabilities.  It was at that time that we learned Lucky had also lost a rear leg in addition to his right eye.  The veterinarian who examined him thought that the leg was not surgically removed, but may have been torn or bitten off.  The large wound on the back of his head was probably due to self mutilation while scratching at a severe ear mite infestation.  Poor Lucky had obviously had a tragic life before ending up in that prison - “out of the frying pan, into the fire” so to speak.
The most amazing thing about this handsome cat is the joy for life he now exhibits.  He is free from his prison, his wounds are healed, and he is ready to share his newfound life with a special person.
BEAU

BEAU

We have cared for several completely blind dogs - and others with various degrees of visual impairment.  Most have been older dogs and the blindness has progressed with age.  One exception is big, handsome Beau.  This young lab mix was found as a starving stray by some folks who were not in a situation to keep him.  Their veterinarian recommended that they call Friends for Life for help.   After arriving at the Forever Farm, it was determined that Beau was permanently blind from retinal atrophy.

Thanks to the compassionate assistance of Dr. Heide Coppetelli, professional trainer and canine behaviorist, the staff members of the Forever Farm are learning how to help Beau become more confident, and better equipped to make someone an excellent, devoted, companion. Beau needs a home where his human companion has a lot of time to spend with him, and a safe fenced yard to give him some time off lead and a nap in the sun.

NOTE:  Beau was recently adopted by one of our staff members who fell in love with this handsome boy.