Sophie's Bideawee Journey

The spirit of spring is upon us and we have arrived on the safe, sturdy, and warm grounds of late March and early April.  After some delicate consideration of the season’s wonder, it didn’t take long to decide that the most appropriate tale for this week would be the one that ran parallel to the change of seasons: A Bideawee Journey.                                                                         

When one sits to contemplate the journeys of Bideawee animals, there is almost always one constant that remains true.  Simply put, these animals get better once they are at the Adoption Center at Bideawee.  Bideawee’s animals heal, grow, and blossom while they are given more love and care than perhaps they ever received before.  Despite the differences in where they come from, it seems that so many never knew love, trust, or proper treatment before coming through Bideawee’s doors.  Once such case is the story of little Sophie.

Sophie is a beautiful little 2 year old Rat Terrier mix.  She came to Bideawee from a municipal shelter, just before she was out of time.  Sophie is a sweet and gentle soul, who arrived here in appalling condition.  She was nervous, filthy, and in obvious need of medical care.  She was suffering from several conditions, including a horrible under bite of her jaw.  Sophie also had several protruding teeth and was unable to fully close her mouth.  After testing and X-rays, the doctors at the Animal Hospital at Bideawee determined that her oral cavity had become this way due to a combination of trauma and being born with an untreated affliction.  X-rays also revealed that Sophie had several B.B. gun pellets in her body, and one in particular was lodged deep in her jaw.  There were 2 other B.B. pellets in her torso as well, buried underneath her skin.  It was apparent that Sophie had been cruelly victimized as a living target by her previous owners.  Poor Sophie was also positive for Heartworm due to one of her many neglected medical needs.  Bideawee staff saw the damage that was done to Sophie and made every effort to rehabilitate her physically and emotionally.

Under the supervision of the Animal Hospital at Bideawee, Sophie started to undergo heartworm treatments immediately.   When the heartbeat is accelerated in a heartworm positive animal it can be fatal so Sophie was kept on restricted activity to make sure that her heart rate remained steady and controlled.   The Animal Hospital at Bideawee staff removed the two B.B. pellets in her side that were lodged beneath her skin.  One of the many specialists that the Animal Hospital at Bideawee has access to performed an examination on her jaw and determined that Sophie needed to have several teeth extracted so that she could comfortably close her mouth again.  The B.B. pellet that is in her jaw bone is so deeply embedded that it is very difficult to operate on and may cause more harm if it was to be remove.  Luckily, it is not doing any further damage and the rest of her oral surgery was a success.                                                                                                                                    

Throughout Sophie’s difficult rehabilitation and healing period, the staff and volunteers at the Adoption Center at Bideawee have been endlessly working to socialize, soothe, and teach her how to love and trust again. So far, Sophie has healed beautifully.  Her mouth is in wonderful shape, and the surgery has done wonders to provide her with daily comfort.  Her heartworm treatments have been going well and the Adoption Center at Bideawee will send Sophie to a new home with continued treatment from our veterinarians. 

Sophie is a true creature of love and contentment, and has bonded so deeply with Bideawee staff and volunteers.  She loves meeting new people, and has made such a swift emotional recovery, that her resiliency is nearly miraculous.  Sophie is another glowing example of the healing, growth, and love that animals find, sometimes for the first time in their lives, at Bideawee.  Just as all winters transform into springs, Sophie has transformed from a shy, injured little girl, into a vivacious and healthy lady.  She has left the wounds of her colder days behind, and has wholeheartedly leaped into the warm lap of love and comfort.  She has healed in every way an animal can heal, and Sophie will undoubtedly make her future adoptive family incredibly happy. 

If you are interested in adopting Sophie or any other pet, please call (866) 262-8133.