Polly's Story
Polly (right) and her best friend Igor enjoy a summer day despite their disabilities.
More: Polly as a younger dog | back to initial picture
This petite sheltie came to Home for Life® from a "rescue" called Punky's Refuge in Slinger WI.
Punky's Refuge was run by a woman who lost control of her situation, and due to health and mental illness issues, stopped taking care of the more than 28 dogs and livestock at the refuge. All were found in very neglected condition on her rural property at the time of her death.
The woman's family favored sending all the animals to their death, so that the property could be liquidated. This scheme was derailed, thankfully, when a group of caring individuals became aware of the situation and spent their own money to obtain a court order to stop the family from killing the dogs and other animals on the farm.
The court allowed the volunteers to take control of the animals and find them new homes. All the dogs, mostly shelties, found new homes through a breed rescue in Wisconsin. Polly, along with her sisters Lacey and Scarlet, and Timmy, an elderly American Eskimo, were the exception.
Timmy had a severe skin infection, no teeth, and was very elderly and arthritic. The three sheltie sisters, covered with thick dirty mats all over their bodies, were extremely timid. What's more, Polly is both deaf and blind, with a deformed eye. Lacey, who died in 2007, was deaf, and Scarlet, who died of lung cancer about six months after coming to Home for Life®, had one blue eye and one brown eye. (Blue eyes in dogs can be a tip off to hearing problems.) All four of the dogs were extremely shy, as if they had been swatted or smacked routinely and were used to ducking and dodging to escape blows. They cowered if anyone reached out to pet them.
The volunteers who rescued the dogs could see that the three sisters were very bonded to each other; they cried when separated and moved as one dog. The rescuers decided that they should not be adopted out because they would probably not adapt to a typical home situation. Instead, the rescuers thought the dogs should come to Home for Life®, where they were certain of having stability and security, and where they would receive the loving and gentle care they had lacked.
Upon their arrival, HFL's groomer was summoned and all four dogs had to be shaved to the skin because they had been so neglected that it was impossible to groom them. Their skins were infected and covered with sores. But once clean and accustomed to the daily routine at HFL, the girls settled in happily, as did Timmy.
Polly, all fluffy and groomed, looks charming with a daisy in front of her.
Polly is the smartest and most sensitive of the dogs. Although shy with people, Polly is very participatory and involved with life at the sanctuary. Our staff pats the floor in front of her to let her know that we are there.
Polly's best friend is Igor, a lhasa cross who was born blind. Igor and Polly enjoy lying quietly and companionably together. They both love to be held and petted and enjoy going on nursing home visits, where the residents give them lots of love. Polly has a luxurious and touchable silky coat that is kept beautiful with monthly attention in our onsite grooming salon.
Despite (or because of) her disabilities, Polly's other senses are quite acute, and the same can be said of Igor. We believe it is important to reinforce and develop the senses that disabled animals have so that they enjoy a quality life. In the case of Polly, she gets the best quality, tastiest, and aromatic food. She also gets lots of loving touches and hugs, as well as professional grooming so that she always feels clean and pretty.
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}