Help give this puppy mill survivor a new beginning.
Meanwhile, Faith’s plight had caught the attention of a potential adopter. Donald Iadanza and his family were patiently waiting to see if their family might be a perfect fit for this adult Labradoodle who’d had such a rough life so far. Donald, Grace and their dog, Mason, came in to meet her. They all clicked and Faith now has a home with them and their three children, Lauren, Emily, and Robert, and a family for the first time ever.
“She’s adjusting to dog life well. Maddie Faith is sweet and gentle,” said her new mom, Grace. “For a dog with only half of her bottom jaw, she is a chow hound. She’s eating dry dog food and her favorite treats so far are cheese and pumpkin.”
Maddie Faith and her new canine sibling are getting along great. They run around and chase each other in the backyard and enjoy their daily walks together. She’s been sleeping well and loves the cushy dog beds in different parts of the house.
“Maddie Faith just seems to love being loved. She is making herself at home and we love having her as our new addition,” stated mom Grace. “She has come a long way in a short time.”
Thanks to the continued support of our Help Me Heal Program, after years of neglect and abuse, Faith has a brighter, healthier future free of pain in a happy, loving home.
After testing sample of the mass in Faith’s mouth, her doctors have determined the mass to be an Acanthomatous Epulis, a normally benign tumor that can be very locally invasive. These tumors can be very difficult to remove without aggressive surgery, which might require removal of her jawbone. Alternatively, doctors are considering “debulking” the mass and monitoring the rate of regrowth. With either option, it is important to send the removed tumor for additional testing, even though the initial biopsy was benign.
Right now Faith is comfortable, and making friends at our Pet Health Centers as she prepares for this next step on her journey.
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has created a new normal for everyone. A journey through the unknown. Recently North Shore Animal League America rescued 45 dogs from commercial breeding facilities in the midwest. Many of these animals were suffering from issues ranging from basic neglect to severe health problems due to a lack for proper medical care. One, a five-year-old Labradoodle named Faith, has been living her own harrowing nightmare all her life.
Faith arrived with a large tumor growing in and out of her mouth. An obvious victim of neglect, something that is common practice in the puppy mill where she grew up, breeding litter after litter. The tumor had grown to the point that it had pushed her teeth out of alignment and likely invaded her jawbone. The pain she must feel, and had felt as it grew bigger and bigger, must be unbearable. Yet, as she walks off the mobile rescue unit with overgrown, matted fur, she welcomes all contact.
After an initial examination by Dr. Mark Verdino, Senior Vice President and Chief of Veterinary Staff at our Pet Health Centers, it was determined that the mass was invasive of the jawbone, which means it could possibly be malignant. She seems to be in otherwise good health and the mass has not affected her ability to eat. The plan is for Faith to be spayed, and while she is sedated doctors can further evaluate the tumor and obtain samples for biopsies. According to Dr. Verdino, “Once we can determine what type of cancer it is, we will develop a surgical/treatment plan. This may or may not involve consultation with specialists.”
As Faith begins to navigate her new surroundings, and her new normal, our dedicated veterinary team will be there for her every step of the way. But they can’t do it alone. Your support of our Help Me Heal program will provide Faith, and animals like her, with the urgent medical care they need to heal from years of neglect. Your donation today can give Faith something she’s never had – a life free from pain and full of love.