Angel's Surgery

This Wednesday, Angel went to the clinic for her eye and spay surgery. She was hungry (she could not have anything to eat or drink from midnight before the operation) and was “harassing” Chris. The poor thing associates my voice with vet visits. She becomes so quiet and timid; quite the opposite from what seems to be her true nature that started the wicked but endearing nick names given to her by Chris and Burcin.

The surgeries went well and Dr. Caporale was pleased. There seemed to be no issues with Angel still being in heat. She looks great despite the stitches. She is on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory pills. We will be going for a follow up on Tuesday, December 30th.

She needs to rest now and when she recovers she has treats and toys, donated by thoughtful animal-loving friends, to devour. Angel added to her list of supporters Maria from Kissimmee, FL. She is loved all over the US and I really appreciate your warmth and care.

Little Girl is NO Angel!

Angel is doing great. She looks wonderful. She filled out nicely and all her cuts healed beautifully. Everywhere she goes people are saying what a gorgeous dog she is! Her story was published in the Forest Park dog run (K-9 Corral) newsletter and it is out on the front page of the Best Friends Network website.


http://network.bestfriends.org/newyork/news/30845.html


She is getting very comfortable at Dognosis; too comfortable…! She thinks she owns the place. She has been pulling thing off of furniture, bringing them to her crate and chewing them up. Funny, every time I come in to see her she sits there quietly like an angel! Chris and Burcin took her in like their own dog. I could not be more grateful!


We went to the vet yesterday to check her eye out. Dr. Caporale will most likely perform both surgeries next week. He explained to me that normally they don’t do spaying when the female is in heat because blood supply is increased to the area. However, he said he had done emergency surgeries in situations like this before and with the holidays coming soon he does not want to wait with the eye surgery for too long. We will come next week for another evaluation and if everything looks the same he will operate.

Angel and Chaos

December was going to start big for Angel. She was supposed to go to her new foster home today, meet her new companions Shelly and Mickey, and have eye and spay surgery this Wednesday. Well, Angel had her own plans. She’s in heat! This will postpone the surgery for a few weeks. On top of that she is still coughing a little. She might have to be put on a different antibiotic; I will need to consult with my vet tomorrow. We did a lot of preparations yesterday to make her feel comfortable in her new home and we wanted to have the dogs meet outside, on neutral ground to give them a chance to gradually get to know each other. Of course, things got a little complicated. It was a miserable day today; rain, sleet and strong winds. So the outside get-together wasn’t happening. I wasn’t completely sure how the dogs will react to each other considering the new circumstances. There were just too many variables and I decided that it would be the best for Angel to delay her transfer. She needs to completely recover so she doesn't infect other dogs.

On the upside, Angel is getting more and more playful. Chris and Burcin took these videos of Angel tugging, chewing, nipping and kissing. Isn’t she just adorable?! It comes so naturally to her; you can’t tell she is blind.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5893262361547523908&hl=en

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8060174227497693445&hl=en

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4773873866740116841&hl=en

She got her well deserved beauty sleep afterwards.

Brave Angel

Angel went for another walk yesterday. It was pretty cold and I was glad that her new sweater fits. As before, she was very cautious and slow. All the smells and noises surrounding her must be pretty terrifying but with proper training I know she’ll be able to focus and enjoy the walks. I know this because I can see that she has the drive to do so. We watched her curiously and daringly climb a step up and down. She successfully sensed the width and the height of the obstacle. She is so great! (I guess this is what parents feel when they see their child make its first steps.) Patience and warm words of encouragement seem to be enough and, as many people have assured me, the support of good, “smelly” treats will do even more. With this positive reinforcement she’ll do great.

I’m concerned that she still coughs a little. I made an appointment for her surgery for next Wednesday. She’ll need to completely recover before that time. It seems that her spirit is up, though. Chris said that she woke them up loudly chewing on rawhide at night. Angel is going to a foster home in Brooklyn. Robert, a volunteer for Might Mutts (http://mightymutts.tripod.com/), will take care of her for now.

Walking Angel

Angel and I went for a little walk today. Her hair is so short that I knew she’s going to be freezing in today’s 30 degree weather; I got her a cute sweater but it was too small… I’m not used to dealing with dogs that are cold in the winter. I’ll have to return it and get her something a little bigger.


She was following me nicely; only occasionally stubbornly stopping and not wanting to move. Sometimes she sticks her nose up in the air and tries to sniff out the surroundings. It’s really adorable to watch her.


















Angel’s appetite is changing from day to day. One day she’s eating, one day she’s not. She is now treated for roundworm. The operations are going to be done the week after Thanksgiving.

Poor Angel

Poor Angel had no vaccinations and caught a cold. She’s been coughing and her nose is running. She still eats very little so we need to keep close watch.

Little girl saw Dr. Caporale at the Animal Clinic of Queens (Middle Village/ Ridgewood) yesterday. As always, he took good care of our little patient. He will perform the spaying and clean up surgery on the right/ removed eye after she gets better. She’ll be on more antibiotics for another two weeks. Her left eye will be left alone; it is healing nicely but there’s no hope for her to regain sight.


She is so cute and calm. She accepted the exam with no complains yet curiously walked around the waiting area. I noticed that she is less nervous when surrounded by many people.

















With a slight set back, she is on her way to recovery and should be able to actively look for a loving home in no time.

New Ways Of Seeing

Sadly, Angel’s optical nerve got too severely damaged and she is blind. We saw the ophthalmologist, Dr. Sapienza on Friday. Angel was incredible. She was so patient and calm during the extensive examination and she slept in the car like a baby, even though we were stuck in traffic for a long time both ways. She loves to be touched and talked to. Her appetite is slightly affected by all the antibiotics she’s been on but she looks so much better. She’s almost 30 Ib!

Unfortunately, she still needs another surgery. The right side has to be cleaned up better and the glands left behind in the eyelids need to be removed to stop the unnecessary secretion. Hopefully, within the next two weeks Angel will fully recover and she can find a special home with people who are willing to help her adjust to a new form of living.

I found some comfort in reading from www.blinddogs.com. They say: "Most dogs adjust well and lead happy near-normal lives. Before long you will be amazed at what a blind dog can do!!!!...When a dog loses their sight ... they come to rely on their other senses and often times these senses become even keener over time." Angel, just like other newly blinded dogs, has to adjust to her new situation but the website recommends “to treat them as normal as possible. Building their confidence is key to letting them know they can still do things.” They have some ingenuous tips to help blind dogs see in a new way. Using textured materials (carpeting, throw rugs and decorative pillows) or different scents (scented candles, car air freshener or potpourri sachet) in different rooms in your house or to mark areas such as doors may help the dog know their surroundings better. “Outdoor carpeting, wind chimes and something as simple as cedar chips or decorative bricks or blocks can help guide them along their way outside.” By being very vocal with your dog and/or using bells or jingling tags on your other dogs you can help them find you or prevent them from being startled.


I have full confidence that Angel can relearn how to do things and will have a great life, full of joy and happiness!

"Crafty Angel"

Tomorrow’s a big day! We have a 3:30 appointment with Dr. Sapienza. I’ll let you all know how it went. I just spoke to Chris and Angel is getting “crafty”. She’s eating the cheese around the antibiotic and spits the pill out. “She must be feeling better!” says Chris. Smart little puppy.

Follow up visit to the vet

Angel’s eye is healing and is very itchy. She was rubbing it on her pillow and few stitches came
apart. The vet was worried that the eye might be rubbing against the remaining sutures so we had another visit to the vet. Angel is a true little angel. She gracefully and quietly waited on a couch in the waiting area. She gathered a small crowd applauding her spirit. But she just curled into a little ball. She really has a very nice, calm disposition. The vet checked her eye for ulcers but it was fine. However, when she was checking pupil dilation it was not responsive. We’ll see if the specialist can think of any way to help her see. We are going to see Dr. Sapienza in Long Island this Friday. Angel got a topical antibiotic to prevent any infections from starting but besides that the visible eye was left alone. I kept whispering to her ear how many friends she has and how much she is loved by everybody. A letter from a generous couple from Holly Springs, NC was waiting for her at the vet’s office; it reads “we hope this lovely young lady makes a quick recovery!” My wish exactly!

Little Girl Angel recovering

Little Angel went for a check up this Saturday, Novemeber 8th, and she's doing better! She is not walking in circles anymore (she was disoriented due to concussion) and her eyes are healing slowly. I will be setting up an ophthalmologist appointment in Long Island with Dr. Sapienza (http://www.livs.org/) for late next week. In the near future, she will need to have more work done on the removed eye (eyelids will need to be partially removed and closed permanently) and hopefully she will have a reconstructive surgery on the saved left eye. You can tell right away by looking at her that she is very loved at the Dognosis. She looks like a different puppy. Her coat is shiny and her sides are filling out; the girl likes to eat!

If you would like to donate to the ongoing medical care of Angel, you may do so via PayPal. After logging in to PayPal, click on the ‘Send Money’ tab and enter the following email address: lilangelrescue@aol.com.

Little Girl's story

On Sunday, November 2nd, around 9 o'clock in the morning, I was coming back home, Queens after running my Husky in Prospect Park. Due to the marathon a lot of streets were closed so I decided to take a local route through Atlantic Ave. I was in the vicinity of Eastern Pkwy when I saw a dog standing and whimpering in the middle of Atlantic Ave. I heard her crying, then I saw how bad she looked. She must have been just hit because the street was not backed up and every car was going around her. No one cared and someone even honked at me for stopping. I led her to the side of the street and called 411 to find the closest hospital. I was waiting for a response while gently pressing the dog to my leg. After couple of attempts to walk away she was clinging to my leg and stood patiently. I was told to go to 80 Atlantic Ave. I was in the 2000s. I asked a guy crossing the street to open the door for me and he said "Oh my god! I can't even look at the dog". She was most likely hit in the head pretty hard because both of her eyes were out of the sockets and she was bleeding from them quite profusely. I tried to get help from cops to get to the hospital faster. I couldn't continue on Atlantic Ave. I was in traffic and kept running into barricaded streets closed for the marathon. The cops said that they can't help me and I just have to go with the traffic. I frantically called my friend who used to live in Park Slope and would know the closest hospital. She directed me to the Park Slope Animal Clinic on Prospect Park West. I handed the poor doggie to the vet and broke down crying. I honestly thought that I was bringing her to be put down. I assumed she must have had serious brain damage. But the vet, Dr. Holloway said that she really doesn't have many injuries except for the obvious eye damage. She couldn't tell if she would suffer from brain swelling but time was passing and she was doing relatively ok. I couldn't make a decision to put her down. She looks so young and resilient. She had no tags, no collar. The vet noticed she has worn pads from living on the street and she threw up some rice and onions, basically some trash she probably found. They scanned her for a microchip but none was found. The right eye had to be removed because it had no blood supply; it was basically hanging by a thread. The other eye was put back in her head and sawn shut. It will take about two weeks before we know if she can see with the other eye. She is currently at the Dognosis boarding place in Brooklyn and will stay there until stitches are removed. She most likely had a concussion but has quite an appetite. She seems very friendly with people and animals. She looks like a very small pit bull. The vet thinks she's about 1 or 1.5 years old. She's 25 Ib.