...... Wombat's story
Wombat is a
Staffordshire Terrier who was found dumped at Point Henry in June 2005.
From the day he joined our family he has shown us every day the
Staffy's endless capacity for love.
Here is his story ..
On a dark winter night in June 2005 one of the Alcoa Emergency
Response Officers (David) rode his
bicycle to work
along Point Henry Road. David works with me at the Alcoa Point
Henry Aluminium Smelter
10km from Geelong.
There are no street lights on the point and David's bike lights
were
lighting his way on the bike path as he rode
towards the smelter. Two km down the 5 km point road he noticed
a tap tap tap noise
behind him.
It was a busy road in the dark and Wombat has no road sense yet.
One of the things that make Wombat special is his
slightly unsteady and ungainly gait. He may have had some slight
brain damage at birth which has left him with a
stiff legged, funny looking walk. He sort of prances.
He also drags his front paws a little making a tapping noise.
This was what David heard.
If not for this minor affliction he would not
have been heard and most likely would have died that night alone in the
dark.
But that was not Wombat's fate. David saved Wombat's life that
night and Wombat's new life began.
David slowed down and allowed Wombat to follow him to work. That
night he and Heinz fed Wombat and kept him safe
in the Security Office
where they work.
Most of his little body was covered in mange (Demodicosis) and he had cuts and
scabs on
his neck from being tied
up with a rope. It looks like he was dumped on the point or
perhaps left outside
the Geelong Animal Welfare Shelter
at the beginning of the point road.
Wherever he started, Wombat decide to look for help. With all he
had suffered he still trusted people and
went to find someone.
When I arrived at work the next morning I saw this bald,
mangy, scabby thing who snored and smelled
bad..
I told David to clean himself up a bit and show me the puppy. (I laugh every time
I read that .. )
We think he was 4 to 5 months old. As bad as Womat's condition
was and as miserable as he felt, whoever
approached him that day was greeted with a wagging tail
and a look that would melt the
hardest heart.
The Wombat had landed.
I phoned the Animal Welfare Shelter to see if anyone had
reported him missing - they hadn't. Even if someone had
lost him I had already decided he would not go back to people
who had let him
get to such a sorry state.
His bald scabby body covered in lumps made him look a lot like a
Wombat - and thus he was named.
During the day a couple of people at work show interest in
taking this sorry little puppy home. I made it clear
they had to move
fast. If Jeannette met Wombat I knew she would never let him go.
We already had two dogs at home and we weren't looking for a
third. But I also promised Wombat he would not
suffer at the hands of
humans again. And so he came home with me that night.
Jeannette and Paris
loved him instantly and he them.
On the way home I took Wombat to the Bellerine Vet Clinic to see
if he had an ID chip implanted and to see
what could be done for his
skin. A beautifully caring vet name Silke had experienced many
Staffies in
Queensland
with this condition caused by a mange mite - Demodicosis.
Wombat had severe generalised Demodicosis and commenced
treatment immediately. The drug was registered
only for stock use but
had proven fairly effective in treating dogs. Silke explained that,
while a full recovery and cure
was possible (and our goal), the result was often control of
outbreaks with further
injections as needed to keep
the mites under control.
Wombat started 10 weeks of weekly injections and regular
medicated baths. He responded quickly to the
injections, baths,
breakfasts of fish and more love than any puppy has ever found. And he
gave it back
tenfold.
Our other two dogs accepted young Wombat better than we could
have hoped. Jasper has a history of being less
than friendly to small
dogs and we were worried he would seriously hurt Wombat.
But
something in Jasper seemed to know Wombat needed help and he allowed
Wombat in - and in no time
they were friends.
A couple of days after Wombat joined us it was Saturday - farm
day. Each weekend we spend Saturday afternoon
at Jeannette's dad's farm at Freshwater creek about 20 km from
Geelong. This is
the absolute highlight of
Jasper's and Woody's existence.
Any utterence of the word "farm"sends them crazy and running
down to the car. They run around till they can't - chasing
rabbits and
cooling off in the dam.
This was all very new for Wombat. He instantly loved the two
little farm dogs - Goldy and Silver. And they
instantly hated him. All he wanted to do was stomp on them
- and they spent the
next 12 Saturday afternoons
running away from him or trying to bite him
He loved it and now is a bit more gentle with them.
He loved chasing his new friends around the farm. Not knowing
what they were doing didn't concern him at all.
He had a ball.
Jump ahead now 5 months to November 2005. Wombat had 10
weeks of injections and is pretty much cured.
He has no more injections for ten weeks now and occasionally has
one small lump which resolves quickly.
He is a delight who gives no end of joy and laughter to us all.
As you can see his skin is fine - his hair is grown
back and he is
beautiful. He walks a bit funny - he gets a bit dizzy and, now and
then,
has to roll over 5 or 6 times
(I think this kind of resets him).
Wombat Nov 2005 - 5 months after joining us. Vet
bills $1200. Love he has given us .. $10 million.
Some of you reading this may think that Wombat is a lucky
boy. Believe me .. we are the lucky ones to have the
opportunity to experience the love this little fellow gives -
every day.
Thanks David.
