Vera was a recent contestant of Petplans Tournament of Tails – a tournament styled after the NCAA basketball tournament but featuring shelter dogs and cats. 32 shelter dog and cats were paired together and people vote on their favorites. Those with the most votes advanced to the next round. The purpose of the tournament is to help raise money for these animal’s organizations, and to help these dogs and cats find forever homes. Each of these animals are special, but we took a particular interest in Vera – a cute pitbull mix with kind eyes.
After reading her bio on the Tournament of Tails website, we wanted to know more about Vera. So we reached out to Muttley Crue – the animal rescue organization caring for Vera. Here is her story……..
Vera’s Story
Muttley Crue volunteer Elizabeth Janosik has been fostering Vera since day one of her becoming part of the ‘Crue’. Elizabeth shared with Wagbrag about when she first met Vera. “When we (Muttley Crue) were first contacted to take on a special case, we didn’t know what to expect. We only knew that that she was 4 months old and burned by hot oil. I am a Veterinarian Technician, and foster a lot of the special cases, so I was contacted to go pick up this little poor puppy. I picked her up on December 26, 2014 and couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw her burn”, said Elizabeth.
3rd Degree Burns And Pulmonary Problems
That following week they took her to her first veterinary appointment at Crossroads Animal Hospital to see Dr. Beth Arnold. That is where Dr. Arnold told them that it was third degree burn and Vera would most likely not grow any hair back. At that appointment they were also told that she has a severe heart murmur and that she was going to have to see a cardiologist and potentially have heart surgery. If Vera’s heart condition wasn’t fixed she was likely to have shortened life – even though she acted like a normal puppy with no condition.
Muttley Crue made a cardiologist appointment for Vera, and after doing an ultrasound of the heart it was discovered that Vera had a condition called Pulmonic Stenosis. Pulmonic stenosis is a congenital (present at birth) defect characterized by the narrowing and obstruction of blood through the heart’s pulmonary valve, which connects the pulmonary artery to the right ventricle (one of the heart’s four chambers). Depending on the severity of the obstruction, it can cause anything from a murmur to an arrhythmia to congestive heart failure.
Heart Of Gold
Muttley Crue made a commitment to this precious girl, and they weren’t going to give up on her. Last week, Vera had her surgery and it was successful – they were able to pass a balloon catheter and pop open her pulmonary valve so she had blood flow to the heart. She will still have to be on daily heart medication and have annual cardiac appointments.
Elizabeth concludes, “After all this was said and done, my husband and I couldn’t let this precious girl just go to anyone and we decided to keep her! She has stolen a special part of our hearts and her other two canine siblings absolutely love her. She brings smiles to everyone that meets her and we couldn’t be more blessed to have her a part of our lives.”
About Muttley Crue
Muttley Crue is a 501c3 Pit Bull Rescue. They are volunteer/foster rescue group based in Berea, OH dedicated to rescuing homeless, death row and owner surrender dogs/puppies. They have a special place in their hearts for the bully breeds and LOVE pitbulls, but will take in any four-legger of any breed. They made a commitment to The Cleveland Animal Control to rescue pit bulls from death row. When able, they also pull from pounds in southern Ohio or take in owner surrenders or strays. They appropriately vet them and get them healthy. Most are underweight, neglected or abused. Some have major health concerns – heartworm, orthopedic issues, etc. They are funded by themselves & by the generous donations of others. The adoption fees help cover the pets’ vet bills (spay/neuter, vaccinations, etc) and allow them to continue to save other dogs. In addition to fostering and placing homeless animals they help network any animal in need.
