Bonnie’s Story

Bonnie’s Story was written by Al Lengeman, Bonnie’s current placement.

"Bonnie is a 6-year-old beauty that was surrendered to GRRoM last year, through a third party, from an undisclosed, out of state puppy mill where she had spent her life as a breeder. She was originally set to go to a new foster in our organization, but once my wife and I observed her condition, we thought that it wouldn’t be right to put this dog with a new volunteer.

She was unkept, had obviously recently given birth and was very lethargic. After watching her at our home for a while, we decided that there was definitely something more wrong with this dog than just fear and anxiety. We loaded her up and finally found a 24-hour emergency clinic that would see her. Bonnie spent three days in the hospital being diagnosed with a severe case of mastitis, rapid heartbeat and dehydration. The vet also let us know that she was still lactating.

Upon discharge, the vet told us that without the immediate treatment she received, she may not have made it through the night. When we finally got Bonnie home from the hospital, and were able to spend some time with her, it was evident that Bonnie had other issues. The first of these was, it was obvious that she had been abused by her owners. She was terribly afraid of human contact and actually spent the first three days with us curled up in a dark corner of my office. We provided blankets and bedding materials for her and every few hours I would have to put a leash on her to lead her outside. After about three days, she finally gained some confidence and would come into the family room with us and lay in the bed we bought her. This bed became, and still is, her safe spot that she retreats to whenever she is nervous or unsure.

After many months of patience and love, Bonnie is fairly trusting of us. She will occasionally initiate play, but she will retreat to her bed whenever someone else is in the house. She still is spooked by sudden movements or loud noises, but we are hoping that her fears will ease with time.

My wife and I both feel that Bonnie may have been separated from her pups too early. Besides the fact that she was still lactating when we got her, we noticed that she would take small stuffed toys from around the house and carry them back to her bed, where she would lay for hours with them. The passage of time, plus having her spayed have ended this activity.

At some point in her life, it is apparent that Bonnie suffered a traumatic injury to her right front leg. Her forth and fifth toe on that paw are either fully or partially amputated, and she has a hyper-extensive to the carpal joint on that leg. Through several vet appointments, and a thorough evaluation, we have learned that, due to a poorly performed amputation there is a segment of bone, on her forth toe, that is angled downward and is irritating the inside of the corresponding pad. This is most likely the cause of her constant limping and discomfort. This is scheduled to be surgically corrected in April 2023. Due to the discomfort of putting weight on the paw, she has not been fully utilizing this leg causing muscles in the leg to atrophy to some degree. Once she is healed from the surgery, several rounds of therapy have been recommended to strengthen those muscles. When finished with therapy, it’s also recommended she be fitted for an orthopedic brace to help support the hyper-extended carpus injury.

To date, GRRoM has invested close to $3,000 in Bonnie’s medical needs. Between the required surgery, therapy and orthopedic brace, this amount is sure to significantly increase. We are asking for your support to help this poor girl live a pain free remainder of her life.”

Thank you for your support of Bonnie!