PROTECTING THOSE WHO CANNOT PROTECT THEMSELVES

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PROTECTING THOSE WHO CANNOT PROTECT THEMSELVES
“PROTECTING THOSE WHO CANNOT PROTECT THEMSELVES”
            KEEP THE PET SUPPLIES COMING!                                                                DECEMBER 2021
                                                                       CANINE REMOVED AFTER PRIOR WARNING
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office Animal Cruelty Task Force
continues to collect much-needed supplies for local             The dog, “Sparkle,” was determined to be significantly
rescues and shelters. While the response has been great,        underweight and was found tethered with a tightly
the need is even greater.                                       secured chain around her neck in a filthy and feculent
                                                                cage lacking food. The cage offered virtually no
                                   Our shelters and rescues
                                                                protection from the elements and, having been found
                                   are in need of towels
                                                                filled with feces in the past, the owner had been warned
                                   (cloth and paper), dog and
                                                                and cited. On this day, the cage and canine were both
                                   cat treats (made in the
                                                                found in unimproved conditions.
                                   USA, if possible),
                                   disinfectant, disinfectant   Lee County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sheriff First Class
                                   wipes, large trash bags,     Curtis Redford and Detective Ian Rouskey responded to
mops, buckets, squeegees, bleach, laundry detergent,            the call for service in Lehigh Acres.
Dawn dishwashing liquid, dog and cat toys (especially
                                                                Receiving a body-score of
toys for “heavy chewers”), harnesses, potty pads, dog and
                                                                two (out of a possible
cat food, cat litter, leashes, large Nylabones, Kong toys,
                                                                nine on the Purina
garden hoses, and garden
                                                                Condition Score Chart),
hose spray nozzles.
                                                                the canine exhibited hair
Please drop off donated                                         loss/thinning, significant
supplies at the Lee County                                      malnutrition, a presence
Sheriff’s Office Cape Coral                                     of hookworm and
Community Outreach                                              heartworm infections
Center located at 4522 Del                                      and was deemed to be a
Prado Boulevard , just north of Cape Coral Parkway,             victim of animal cruelty.
Mondays through Fridays (8:00 am—4:30 pm) and
                                                                Johnny Earl Lee, who had an existing misdemeanor
Saturdays from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm.
                                                                warrant, was taken into custody and charged with
Additional drop-off locations: Sun Sports Cycle &               Misdemeanor Animal Cruelty (Torment, Deprive,
Watercraft (3441 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers), Crowther          Mutilate, Kill). “Sparkle” was removed from Lee’s home,
Roofing (11791 Metro Pkwy., Ft. Myers) and LaMotta’s            is currently receiving treatment and available for
Pizzeria (303 NE 3rd Ave. in Cape Coral).                       adoption from Lee County Domestic Animal Services.
PROTECTING THOSE WHO CANNOT PROTECT THEMSELVES
DID YOU KNOW? MICROCHIPS CAN MOVE…                                 Q&A WITH DR. WENDY PERRA, DVM
Microchipping your pet is an excellent way to increase the     Dr. Perra received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine de-
likelihood that your dog or cat is returned if lost. Reports   gree from Tuskegee University in 2000. She is a veterinar-
from veterinary and rescue sources indicate that your pet      ian in Fort Myers, Florida, who has been the primary vet-
is 20 times more likely to be returned when                    erinarian servicing the Lee County and Hendry County
microchipped.                                                  Sheriff’s Office canine units for the past 15 years.
While standard placement of the chip is in the                 Question: What is the best way to clean my dog’s ears?
subcutaneous tissue along the dorsal midline (the spine)
                                                               Dr. Wendy Perra, DVM: “Maintaining good otic health in
between the dog's shoulder blades, microchips have the
                                                               your dog or cat is an important component of their rou-
potential to move about inside the animal’s body.
                                                               tine care. With so many choices at the pet stores for ear
                                     This photograph,          cleaners, choosing the best product for your individual
                                     courtesy of Tri-State     pet can be daunting. Start by knowing what you pet actu-
                                     Collie Rescue, is an      ally needs. If your pet has had a history of ear infections,
                                     X-ray taken of the        following an appropriate ear cleansing routine designed
                                     front leg of a canine.    by your veterinarian and based on the nature of the ear
                                     As easily seen, the       infection is a priority in preventing reoccurring issues.
                                     microchip has
                                                               But, for most dogs, a general purpose veterinary ear
                                     traveled far from its
                                                               cleanser will address wax accumulation and dirty debris.
                                     initial location.
                                                               Dogs with pendulous ear flaps are at higher risk of ear
Have your pet scanned regularly to ensure that the chip is     infections due to the reduced amounts of oxygen that can
working and that the information is accurate.                  enter the ear canal. With less oxygen and a warm, moist
                                                               environment, yeast and bacteria are welcome to over-
ALWAYS scan the ENTIRE pet in the event of microchip
                                                               populate and create discomfort to the animal. Therefore,
movement.
                                                               keeping the ear canals clean and dry is the single most
Microchipping is inexpensive, it saves lives and reunites      effective preventative measure you can take to ward off
families with their missing pets.                              ear infections.
                                                               Most veterinary ear cleansers will accomplish this goal by
            WILL I BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS?                      drying out wax debris, which then can be expelled from
                                                               the ear canal by the dog. This same principle holds true
So many of my shelter friends will be spending Christmas       for cats, as well. Many cats will produce voluminous
with their new families...enjoying the holidays in their
                                                               amounts of wax which can occlude the ear canal and lead
forever homes. I so wish for a forever home…                   to an ear infection.
                             My name is Cookie, I’m four       Applying an ear cleanser weekly will typically promote
                             years old and I’m perfect for     good otic health. However, if your pet is an avid swim-
                             most homes and families. I        mer or is getting a relaxing bath, I strongly recommend
                             am gentle, get along well         applying the ear cleanser immediately afterwards just in
                             with dogs of all sizes
                                                               case water found its way into the deeper areas of the ear
                             (cats...not so much…I think       canals. Leaving trapped water in a warm space will often
                             they’re evil) and I am just       breed a raging fungal otitis. If you feel that your pet is
                             wonderful in social settings.     experiencing ear discomfort, do not apply any ear medi-
                            Interested? Visit                  cations without checking with your veterinarian first! Not
                            www.muttypawsrescue.org            every ear problem originates from infection, so it is ex-
                            for additional information         tremely important to get the right diagnosis before
and to apply for adoption. Happy holidays! XOXO                treating your pet.”
PROTECTING THOSE WHO CANNOT PROTECT THEMSELVES
RUSSIAN RESCUE DOG FITTED WITH PROSTHETIC LEGS                     DOGS AND RAISINS: A TOXIC RELATIONSHIP
“Monika,” missing all four paws, was rescued in the          Although research has yet to pinpoint the substance in
village of Plastunovskaya in the Russian federal subject     raisins (and grapes) that is hazardous to canines, foods
of Krasnodar Krai.                                           containing grapes, raisins, and currants (such as raisin
Following the suggestion of euthanizing the animal,          bran cereal, trail mix, granola mix, baked goods) are all
Russian veterinarian, Sergei Gorshkov, fitted her with       potential sources of poison.
titanium prosthetic legs.                                    When ingested, the targeted organs appear to be the
These photographs, reportedly taken two weeks after          kidneys.
her surgery, appear to show Monika responding well to        Initially, one should expect to see vomiting…usually
the prosthetics.                                             within the first 24 hours. This may be followed by
Gorshkov                                                     diarrhea, loss of appetite and lethargy.
admitted that                                                Signs of acute kidney failure include the previously
he never                                                     mentioned symptoms along with excessive thirst,
expected these                                               abdominal sensitivity and/or pain, difficulty breathing
immediate                                                    and frequent urination.
results, but
                                                             Take these symptoms SERIOUSLY and quickly bring your
indicated that
                                                             dog to your veterinarian as this immediately precedes
Monika was up
                                                             kidney failure.
and walking by
day three.                                                   Once the kidneys begin to shut down, the affected
                                                             animal will be unable to produce urine. The canine’s
Monika was believed to be a victim of abuse and
                                                             blood pressure will increase and the dog will likely lapse
required extensive initial care including a blood
                                                             into a coma. Once the kidneys have shut down, the
transfusion. She is reportedly doing very well, quite
                                                             animal’s prognosis is extremely poor.
active and
seemingly                                                    While a veterinarian will likely induce vomiting and
grateful for                                                 administer activated charcoal, there is no antidote or
the care that                                                medication to reverse this issue. The veterinarian will do
she has                                                      so in an attempt to minimize the damage to the kidneys
received                                                     by preventing further absorption of the toxin.
from Dr.                                                     Ingestion of raisins (and grapes), in an ample amount,
Gorshkov                                                     can be FATAL. Please take precautions to prevent canine
and staff.                                                   access to these foods.

                           HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM SERGEANT HOPE AND THE LEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ACTF
                        With the holidays upon us and the year coming to a close, Sergeant Hope and the Lee County
                        Sheriff’s Office Animal Cruelty Task Force would like to wish you, your family and friends a
                        joyous, safe and healthy holiday season, as well as a wonderful new year!
                        We sincerely thank you for your support, for your calls and emails and for genuinely caring
                        about the animals...both domestic animals and farm animals...and for aiding and assisting us to
                        keep them safe.
                        We will continue to work diligently until Lee County is completely and thoroughly abuse-free!
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