After Mercy underwent her second surgery in February, she returned to rest and recover in the home of her dedicated foster family. The surgery was a success and although it has left her completely deaf Mercy hears with her heart, as is evidenced by the love she gives to all she meets.
Life has certainly changed for Mercy and her foster family. Having lost one of their dogs the previous year, the Salvatore’s were missing a piece of their heart. Mercy filled that space completely and helped heal their broken hearts. “The more she spent time with us and the more we spent time with her, we really started to fall in love with her,” said foster mom Anne Salvatore. “We bonded with her, she bonded with us, and she fit in beautifully with my other dogs and everybody that came into our house. We really believe that she was sent to us for a reason.” Knowing in her heart that Mercy truly belonged with them, Anne filed the paperwork to officially make her part of the family.
Thanks to your support of our Help Me Heal Program, Mercy has been able to get the medical care and compassion that she has needed for so long. Today she is exactly where she deserves to be – home.
Mercy’s big heart continues to astound us all as she travels her road to recovery. While she waited for her surgery consult, Mercy joined our Foster Care Program and the perfect foster family was not hard to find. Mercy charmed our own Anne Salvatore, Procedure Coordinator at our Pet Health Centers, who welcomed this beautiful girl into her home. She was a fast hit with her kids, as they all helped Mercy start to put her tragic past behind her and learn what it’s like to receive the unconditional love that she so freely gives.
Anne had firsthand knowledge of Mercy’s very special case as she worked to schedule both of the surgeries for her ears. Mercy underwent surgery on her left ear at the Animal Surgical Center of East Meadow last week, and we’re happy to report it was a success. Her surgeon, Dr. Tomas Infernuso, kept a watchful eye on Mercy in post-op, and was very pleased with how well she was doing. Mercy was soon cleared to return to her foster home with antibiotics and pain medication.
While Mercy was being discharged, her foster mom Anne was standing by for all the details regarding Mercy’s post-operative care and was eager to get her home. This sweet girl is now receiving the compassionate care she was denied in her original home, and will be spending the coming holidays surrounded by love.
We will be following Mercy’s journey as she awaits her second surgery for her right ear, after which she will continue to recover with her dedicated foster family. The prognosis looks very good for Mercy to be healthy, happy, and in a new home of her own in the new year.
Will You Help Mercy Heal From Negligence?
Particularly heartbreaking are the times when we see an animal in pain caused by neglect. Mercy — a young, otherwise vibrant and sweet-natured Pittie/Bulldog mix — suffers from severe infections in both of her ears that were left untreated and caused permanent damage. Thankfully, our Tennessee-based animal rescue partner Rescue Dog and End of Life Sanctuary found her, and we were able to transport Mercy to our Pet Health Centers.
The first step in Mercy’s road to recovery was an examination by Dr. Marina Tejada, Animal League America Supervising Veterinarian. “We can probably make the assumption that her issues originated from an attempt at an ear crop,” Dr. Tejada observed. “This led to chronic infections that did not receive appropriate medical care and caused scarring and inflammation.”
Sadly, the practice of surgically cutting a puppy’s ears continues among certain breeds, including Pitbulls, in an effort to make the dogs appear tougher and more aggressive. Not only is ear cropping inhumane, but it has helped to propagate the stereotype that Pitbulls are fierce — far from the truth about these kind, loyal, and lovable animals, just like Mercy.
At this point, the only way forward for Mercy will be surgery to remove both of her ear canals. Mercy’s infection is located not just on the surface of the ears, but also in the eardrum and her middle ear. As a result, she will require a specialized procedure called a total ear canal ablation, which is the surgical removal of the entire ear canal and components, to relieve her pain.
In the short term, Mercy will first receive treatment that will prepare her for the best outcome. “You want to have tissue that is as healthy as possible before surgery,” explained Dr. Tejada. “We will do the best we can for Mercy, so that protocol will include ear cleanings, antibiotics, and antifungals, both topical and systemic.” Despite her constant discomfort, Mercy’s friendly disposition shines brightly, perfectly symbolized by the heart-shaped spot of fur on her back.
This large, blocky girl is a hugger, and easily wins the affection of all who meet her, further bringing to light the misconceptions about her breed. Truly a gentle giant, Mercy is great with children and other dogs as well. Though she could lose most of her hearing in the future, with your donation to our Help Me Heal Program we can assure Mercy that she will be free of pain and will have many years filled with love and hugs ahead of her.