Auslese!

Auslese is a new Dobe that needs our help. She is a lovely 20 month old black and rust female. Auslese (pronounced OUSH LACE) comes to us all the way from Alaska, where she lives with her new owner, Staff Sergeant Karen Foster, who is stationed at Elmendorf AFB. Here is her story as told by Karen.

"I took in a Doberman after hearing about her from a friend. I was told she was kept outside during the day in nothing but her own fecal mater, and then put in the garage at night. Her mouth had been duct taped shut, and was without food or water. Horrified I gave friend permission to give my number to these people if they didn't want the dog. Well, they called me the next day. I went and picked her up. I was disgusted by the way she looked. After I got her home and had taken her to the vet...the vet agreed that she was certainly not their priority. She weighed 48lbs and had a uterus infection. I had the uterus infection taken care of... during the surgery the vet found a few other problems...intestinal blockage, enraged lymph nodes (sp), really sensitive tummy, she is hyperthyroid, and is Von Wyldebrand positive (bleeding disorder). This whole surgery cost me $1932.67 Her previous owners told me that she was hit by a car as a puppy and that her left front wrist had been broken in a spot that couldn't be fixed. I finally got the x-rays done and her wrist was never broken, but the ligament was ruptured. This is now going to cost an estimated 1877.26. The previous owners could have gotten it fixed and since it wasn't fixed her wrist needs to be fused together. Reasons for it needing to be done is ... it does bother her and she chews on it and she is starting to develop arthritis and she isn't even 2."

The vet's office confirmed that the leg needs surgery. They said that with surgery, there is a 95% chance that the leg will be completely normal. Without surgery, the leg will eventually atrophy and need to be amputated. The vet has agreed to a 20% discount to bring the cost to around $1500. This includes plasma, since Auslice is VWD positive. The bill could increase, however if complications due to the Von Wildebrands develop. The vet's office confirmed that Karen has "spent a small fortune" on her dog in just a short time. They said that Auslice is a very sweet dog, and that Karen loves her very much. An Air Force career is not lucrative. Karen made sacrifices to pay for the first surgery. She told me that she gave up her cell phone and cut her expense to the bone to come up with the money, and also used her reinlistment bonus. She had no idea how she would cover the second surgery, and is very grateful to have found SND.

Karen and a friend will be crafting some items to be auctioned, including one of a kind Doberman T-shirts. In addition, Karen says that she has some Disney collectables and collectable dolls that she would he willing to donate. Be sure to keep an eye on our EBay auctions for these items. She is also thinking of ways to do fundraising on the base.

We're asking for your help to make sure that Auslese is able to have the surgery that she needs to save her leg. You can make a donation towards Auslese's surgery by using the PayPal button on this page, or you can mail us a donation. Also remember to check our Current Auctions page to see items we're auctioning off on eBay to raise money for Auslese. and our other Dobes with special needs. As always, thank you very much for anything you can do!