Ka Tu …

My husband finally understands what it means when I say, “Rescue allows me to have all the dogs I ever wanted … they just go live with someone else eventually.”  Despite the fact that he calls every foster “Larry” because he can’t remember their individual names when they’re milling around underfoot, he has been paying attention and can, for the most part, identify each foster.  One of the perks of being a placement coordinator is I get regular updates on the fosters who are now in their permanent homes.  Visitors to the rescue site — ApsoRescueColorado.org — read the dogs’ initial stories but hear little about them after they’re adopted.  We’re fixin’ to change that, beginning with this post (if you’ve ever been below the Mason-Dixon line, you know the definition of “fixin’ to”).

Ka Tu, a 7-month old male, arrived in rescue via a Denver vet clinic where he had been surrendered when the owner refused to pay for treatment.  I say “owner”, but it was actually the husband of the owner.  Seems the wife was out of town when the surrender occurred.  I can only imagine the conversation that ensued once she found out hubby dumped her puppy at a local vet clinic with a severe injury that was suspect for causation. 

Ka Tu had suffered a fractured lower mandible, rendering him unable to eat solid food and in quite a bit of pain.  After a week’s stay in the Denver vet clinic, two of the ER vets drove him to Loveland after a completing a night shift.  Definitely above and beyond the call of duty.  After several trips to our vet and consultation with a dental expert, a conservative course of treatment was undertaken rather than opting for surgery.  Basically, what this meant was Ka Tu couldn’t have anything solid to eat or chew on for a minimum of six to eight weeks.  That in itself presented a problem as our dogs are fed hard kibble … it also meant that every meal was a preparation of ground-up kibble gruel for the little fella.  After weeks of meal prep and twice monthly trips to the vet for x-rays to determine how his jaw was healing, Ka Tu emerged with a fully functional lower jaw … and a crooked little smile.

Ka Tu recently celebrated his first “Gotcha” anniversary with his new family, Trudi, Paul, Helen and the three cats.  I’m getting the idea that he’s bit spoiled but … who could resist this face?