On June 22, Onslow County Animal Services (OCAS) in Jackson, North Carolina picked up a skinny, almost hairless stray dog with a severe case Demodectic manga.
Through the first animal rescue specializes in saving death row dogs from death. They pulled the poor puppy out of the shelter and placed her with one of their seasoned foster moms, Heather Corradino-Llantada.
The moment she held the dog in her arms, Heather knew something more serious than skin mites was wrong. Poor dog has a fever. Heather rushed her to the vet where her temperature reached over 105 degrees.
Staff at OCAS had guessed her age at 12 weeks due to her size, but the vet determined she was actually six months old. Life as a sick wanderer stunted her growth. She was soon diagnosed with anemia and a potentially fatal case Canine Distemper.
Heather named the dog Amaani – which means hope, desire and desire – to help give her strength during the difficult days to come.
“There are some medical cases, she should have passed away, but she shows a fighting spirit and a will for something better,” Heather told iHeartDogs. “Amaani told her eyes that she would fight – I am ready to carry out that will, regardless of personal sacrifice.”
Hard and heartbreaking to see Amaani struggle, Heather was more than prepared to help her fight. During her military career, she received medical and surgical training, which proved the value of her job as a foster carer. She chooses to receive in the most difficult cases; The weakest desperately needed physical and emotional healing from their various ailments.
“These are the first people to make the Euthaniasia List in any shelter, so making them the ones I prefer to take,” she said. “’Cute and fluffy’ has a much greater chance of being adopted or rescued. I don’t want easy things. I want the challenge that most will not Take it!”
Heather’s house is filled with previous “challenges”, including four Pit Bulls that were demodexed like Amaani. In total, she has 11 regular rescue pets — nine dogs and two cats — in addition to a near-constant stream of special needs foster caretakers.
Amaani proved to be a particularly difficult case, but with round-the-clock care, she began to show signs of improvement. Her bristles and white coat are starting to plump up and she’s tripled her weight, though she will always be a “micro-Uncle Pittie”.
She was extremely scared, depressed, and closed when she first arrived, but after weeks of gentle care and reassurance, she learned to trust. Now her favorite position is cuddling on the sofa or “spoon-down” in bed!
Heather said: “She loves to be served and can be a diva. “On the other hand and despite the ‘funny size’, she can definitely keep her own – make no mistake! There is never a dull moment
when she’s around! “
Only six weeks since being rescued, Amaani is completely unable to recognize the poor little girl she used to be. Without Heather’s dedicated care, she would not have survived, let alone thrive.
Update: Amaani has been adopted and is now happy in her home!
