It was a Tuesday evening, when a woman walked in with a small dog wrapped in a blanket. She was helping a friend move into a new residence in Greene County, when they found a dog lying in deplorable conditions inside a shed. She immediately drove the dog (who staff would later name Mable) to the SPCA. Mable was brought directly to the clinic, where Dr. Beichel and clinic staff immediately came to examine her. With Mable's sweet face looking up, they pulled the blanket back to assess her condition. And then every staff member in the room began to cry.
So despite the unbearable smell, staff slowly and carefully removed her matted fur. They soon discovered Mable had urine scald over her entire body, her skin reddened and painful. She had several open wounds, one particularly large wound over her right hip. Maggots were present in the wound areas. She was only 14lbs., one-third of her estimated normal weight, with severe muscle wasting, no fat on her entire body. Dr. Beichel said that Mable was one of the most severely neglected and emaciated animals she had ever seen. It was truly a miracle that Mable was alive.
Mable was not stable enough to place under anesthesia, so she was given pain meds, fluids and antibiotics. Her prognosis was guarded, at best, as the long-term effects of starvation on her internal organs was still unknown. Nonetheless, Mable's will to live brought her this far, and at least now she had a fighting chance.
Our Tenth Save of Christmas is a tribute to Moms. Momma dogs, momma cats, they are amazing. Anna Livia was brought to the SPCA after a citizen reported a dog had given birth in his shed. Upon arriving, the animal control officer found Anna Livia, with six pups, their eyes still closed, only about a week old. Two other dogs were also with her. The man had seen the dogs hanging around and set up his shed with some nice bedding so the dogs
had a warm place at night. Anna Livia, her pups, and the other two dogs were brought to the SPCA. After clinic staff assessed them and took care of some basic care, they immediately focused their efforts on finding them a foster home. The Bridges family stepped forward, even building a welping box, and brought Anna Livia and her pups home. 
Anna Livia was such a sweet, gentle soul but first and foremost, she was a good mom. She cared for her pups and provided them daily nourishment and attention. She cleaned them and taught them proper puppy manners. So in all the cuteness of the puppies and kittens, this is a reminder to us all -- we should never forget the moms that raised these little ones.
Thank you to the entire Bridges Family, an incredibly dedicated foster family, for helping Anna Livia raise a great group of pups.
X-rays done at the SPCA confirmed that Dudley’s leg was indeed fractured. X-rays also showed that Dudley’s tail had been fractured as well. Neither of these fractures could be surgically repaired so Director of Veterinarian Services, Dr. Beichel, made the decision to amputate Dudley’s leg and part of his tail. 
After spending a few days being monitored in the SPCA’s vet clinic Dudley was placed in a loving foster home to recover from his surgery. While in foster care Dudley will learn how to maneuver on three legs and soon this little tiger will be ready to pounce into a new home.
Romeo, like many cats at the SPCA, was a stray who was never claimed by his owner. To make matters worse, he had the misfortune of an FIV-Positive diagnosis. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is a lentivirus or “slow virus” that can affect a cat’s immune system over a period of years. FIV is similar to HIV, but is not transmissible to species other than felines.
Any cat owner can attest to the relaxing benefits of petting a cat--it can lower blood pressure, slow heart rate, and provide comfort in stressful times. After a few weeks, ASG staff discovered that Romeo isn’t just any ordinary orange tabby cat--he has a special gift. Romeo seems to understand his role as a comforter in the ASG office. ASG Operations Manager Penny Goldman calls Romeo their "office superstar.” “If anyone is having a particularly bad or stressful day, Romeo always seems to know when and where he's needed and will spend a few extra moments lifting spirits,” Penny explains, “it’s hard not to have a smile on your face when he's around.”
Stella was abandoned right before the Thanksgiving holiday in 2010, when her owner moved and decided to leave her behind.
Hany, who would soon become Stella’s new owner, said “it was the video that caused me to jump out of my seat, make a phone call and drive 2 hours (from Roanoke) to meet Stella. Because I have been around dogs all my life, I knew from the video I was looking at a very worthy dog. More than worthy! I knew she was a dog that would match up well with my family’s lifestyle.”
Hany and his family exercise Stella regularly. She goes on hikes, plays fetch, enjoys play time, and accompanies the family on errands and all vacations. She is an essential part of the fabric of their household. Stella has even been featured in the Roanoke Library’s local ad campaign.
Fortunately, she contacted a cat-loving volunteer from Voices for Animals, a local feral cat non-profit, and they immediately brought him into the SPCA for treatment. SPCA veterinarian, Dr. Beichel found Tigger's pads to be severely swollen and the underlying skin tissue gone. She knew this must be extremely painful for poor Tigger. So Tigger underwent surgery to repair his paws (and she also neutered Tigger). Tigger would then stay at the SPCA for further treatment of antibiotics and pain medication. An SPCA vet tech took Tigger home every night for some extra TLC, as he also had a nasty upper respiratory infection.  |
| In 2011, more than 1,500 feral cats have been fixed in the SPCA Clinic. |
