This is a true story of caring people and a dog determined to give it all it had.
It was a frigid night in Syracuse, NY on January 26th , 1998, a night that a young boy named Ricky will never forget. On that night Ricky heard the desperate , heart-wrenching cries coming from a dumpster behind the corner store. What Ricky would find there would chill him to the bone. A black lab puppy lay there , discarded like refuse, its little body in the throes of violent convulsions.
Ricky's neighbor knew of my work, and advised Ricky to call me. Still in my pajamas, I rushed over to Ricky's house and witnessed a scene more tragic than any I had ever seen in my thirty years of animal rescue. The puppy on their kitchen floor was thrashing its legs, while its tongue lolled out of the corner of its foam-covered mouth. The desperation in its eyes made me realize that the little dog could not survive much longer without my help.
I rushed him to the Animal Emergency Clinic, where the personnel quickly administered medication. Mercifully, the seizures ended within minutes. The vet then gave me the grim news; in all probability, he had been poisoned. To my dismay, he told me that the pup could not stay. To survive, I was told, he would need around-the-clock care.
How,I thought, could I give him the care he needed. After all, my life was busy enough; I had a husband, three wonderful children, four dogs and three cats who consumed the limited time and energy that I had.And yet... working nights as a waitress, I was able to be home during the day. Loading the pup in my car, I went home to set up my basement with a TV and bed, and decided I was in this for the long haul. The fighting spirit of this little dog with the incredible will to live inspired me to give it all I had.
Over the next four months I spent all of my free time with the adorable guy we now called Ricky, named after the caring young man that had saved him from certain death. Since he still had convulsions, I was forced to sleep with Ricky in my arms, so that I could immediately administer the medication the he needed. Sadly, he was so debilitated by the posioning that he could not stand or walk; he was only able to scoot around the floor on his side. I gave Ricky "phsyical therapy" by massaging his muscles, and place a towel under his little belly to help him walk around the room. The vet told me that Ricky could die if he has a seizure and no one
was there to give him his medication. Thankfully, my loving family was right there to offer their support. My parents, brother and sister all took turns helping with Ricky.
After a couple months, the love and painstaking attention we all gave Ricky began to pay off. The little guy with the huge spitit was beginning to walk on his own ! At this time I started to realize that as much as I loved Ricky, I couldn't keep him forever. The media had begun to follow and report the story, and wanted me to adopt Ricky to his namesake, the compassionate boy who had rescued him. I knew that he couldn't be returned to the same neighborhood where he had been abused so horribly; we had a responsibility to find him a home where he would be safe. We began the arduous process of finding the perfect home for the pooch that we all had grown to love so much. A very caring retired couple from nearby Marcellus fell in love with Ricky as soon as they saw him; we knew right away that they were perfect caretakers, and would provide him with the special love that he would need.
Eventually Ricky recovered and together we visited many schools to teach children the importance of kindness to animals. Because of the media attention given Ricky, became somewhat of a celebrity in Central New York. The newsman told me he recieved more calls on "The Ricky Story" than any other he had ever done.
I still recieve Christmas cards and pictures of Ricky from the adoptive mom and dad who love him so much. Under their care, Ricky became a healthy,happy nine-year-old who had apparently forgotten all the tortures inflicted on him those years ago....
I believe we can learn from Ricky , with his will to live , his spirit and strong heart and so much more..
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Last update: 07-06-2011 02:55 |
| Published in : Documentary |
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