MAGDRL - Rescues In Need

This page showcases different dogs that are currently with MAGDRL and are receiving treatment and training to help them overcome the abuse and neglect they have suffered before finding their way to us. Each of these dogs deserves a chance and our dedicated volunteers are working to save their lives.

Rocky is an 11 month old merle male great dane with natural ears that desperately needs your help. He has had a very hard life in his 11 months. First, he lived on a chain but he kept breaking free to go visit people. Then, he was placed in a garage where he then broke free again, this time, unfortunately for him, he was struck by a car and left in the road. A Good Samaritan stopped traffic, called police and took him to the nearest vet office. His owner was located but declined all treatment. He wanted him to just be euthanized because they could not afford any vet care. The vet office had the owner sign surrender paperwork and gave Rocky to us. A volunteer then picked him up and rushed him to the orthopedic office. It was obvious that both of his front legs were badly broken but he still wagged and burrowed his head into his rescuers. He arrived at the orthopedic office and was infested with fleas. They said they had never seen so many fleas. He was kept comfortable overnight until he could have a thorough exam. They took x-rays and found out that both of his front legs were badly broken as they expected. His right leg the break was of just the radius but would still require a large plate. The left leg, the radius and ulna were both broken and required a custom plate and a bone graft to try to stabilize the small fragments. They placed him in splints until his surgery could be completed. He was able to stand on his splints and has been nicknamed “Bulldozer” at the vet office. If he wants more attention, he burrows his big head into your body and directs you where he wants you to go. He has allowed all sorts of pokes and prods and has been nothing but a love in the process. His surgery will cost around $4,000.00 and then he will have at least a 12 week recovery period where his splints will have to be changed every couple of weeks. Please help give Rocky a chance at a new life. He deserves better. One look into those big Amber eyes and he will win you over as well. Rocky came to MAGDRL in July 2008.

Update 7/26/08 - Rocky has had his surgery and it went very well. He was picked up on Tuesday and taken to his foster home. He is a big goofy puppy. He has no idea that he is hurt and wants very much to play. His legs were very badly broken so he will be in splints for a minimum of 6-8 weeks. Since he is so young, we are hoping he will heal quickly. He loves to give kisses but can get a little bit mouthy. His foster mom is working on this currently. He will go back this Friday for his first splint change and a re-evaluation of his progress. He is now limited in his activity to only going outside to potty on a leash then back in to lay back down. His foster mom is doing a great job of keeping him entertained during his down time. The other dog in the house is trying her best to comfort him by giving him kisses through the crate. He can’t wait until he can finally get out to play with her. He tries to bow to her to initiate play but he is not allowed until he fully heals. Rocky is a very big boy already and will be stunning when he is better.

Can You Help Rocky?

Baby Huey is an approximately 4 year old mantle male with natural ears. Huey came into rescue in terrible shape: he could barely walk at all and had bald patches all over. He was surrendered at the vet office, where he went straight in for an appointment. It seems that huey has Wobbler's syndrome, a condition where the vertebrae in the neck narrow and compress the spinal chord. He has a bacterial infection in ears and skin, which is being treated with antibiotics. Once the skin infection is clear, he will have gold bead implants to help with wobblers. He was also put on a natural diet to help with allergies and skin infection. Meanwhile, Huey is an adorable addition to his foster home. He is sweet as pie, eager to be where the action is, and a big snuggler. He actually hates the camera and will turn away and hide when he sees it--sometimes will not reenter the room for 30 minutes or so until he's sure the coast is clear. He is fascinated by his new foster sister and follows her around doggedly, trying to get her to play, snuggle with him, etc. He is adorably pesky about it. Huey has lived with 6 children and is excellent with kids and even toddlers. He has not lived with another dog until now but is doing well and enjoys it. He will be tested with cats soon after we get his medical needs under control. Huey came in to MAGDRL in May 2008.

Update 6/6/08 - Huey has been with us for 2 weeks now. We're having a difficult time clearing up his skin infection and that needs to happen before he can get his gold beads. He is a silly, very affectionate, jealous boy who is a joy to live with! Huey doesn't let his wobbler's interfere with his need to be in the thick of everything. If his foster sister is getting some love, he barrels over and pushes her out of the way or tries to engage her in play to distract her for the main goal: People! We're working on this, since it is quite rude and other dogs might not take it as calmly as his foster sister. Huey does well on carpets and grass, but can't cope at all on tile or hardwood. The foster has runners throughout the downstairs to help him cope.

Huey did very well with a small gathering of people at the house, and solicited each person for affection and pets. He also attended the Doberman rescue picnic, where he was a big hit with everyone. It also gave us an opportunity to talk about wobbler's with another group whose breed is prone to it. He was happily exhausted when we came home after several hours at the picnic.

Update 7/2/08 - Huey had his gold bead surgery at the end of June and his skin infection finally looks to be clearing up nicely. He continues to be a sweet boy to live with, and is always ready for a snuggle and some kissies. He's quite the character - Huey only wants a toy that someone else is interested in and likes to play furiously with it until he figures out that you've moved on to something else. He's learned to half-sit on the couch and likes to block foster sister Mitsy in by sitting right there in front of her. He loves to be right in the middle of all of the action and is quite the house guarder, barking at whoever passes by if allowed on the front porch.

Huey attended his first event a few weeks ago at a dog walk and was friendly and happy to meet people of all ages. He also did very well with dogs of all sizes, although I suspect he might have a hard time controlling his exuberance with small, running dogs. He will be cat tested soon.

Fiona is a 14 month old (DOB 3-1-2007) merle female with natural ears. She is a sweet girl that has had a tough time in life. She has a dislocated hip and pelvis and elbow fractures that have healed incorrectly. Fiona has had an initial consult with an orthopedic specialist and he believe she may need a total hip replacement. She is being fostered with a male and female dane, two minpins and cats. She gets along with them all. She is a true love bug and just loves any new people she meets, especially children. She is crate trained, housebroken and her foster home is working on her basic obedience commands. For all she has been through she is the sweetest dane. Fiona came to MAGDRL in April 2008.

Fiona needs further diagnostic testing that will cost about $1200. Surgery cost could range $4000 to $6000.

Maggie Mae is an adorable 11 month old fawn female with natural ears and a heart of gold. She is another victim of the failing economy, and when her family could no longer afford to remain in their home, they had no choice but to surrender her to rescue.

Maggie Mae is one happy and goofy girl who just loves meeting new people, dogs and just about anything else for that matter! She brings a smile to everyone's face whom she comes in contact with. Maggie has not had a lot of socialization in her short lifetime, but meets each new experience with confidence, tail wags, wiggles, leans and a smile!

Sadly, Maggie Mae has some new and big challenges ahead of her, and with the love and devotion of her foster family and MAGDRL she still has a chance at happily ever after.

Maggie Mae has just been diagnosed with possible Wobblers along with severe Hip Dysplasia. She will need further testing, to confirm the Wobblers and its progression. She is a candidate for a full hip replacement surgery also, but until the Wobblers is confirmed and severity pinpointed, the hips will be on hold.

Despite her medical issues, she continues to just be a complete joy! Maggie is currently being fostered with 1 Dane and 2 Dane mixes, a cat and a large bird without any issue. She is non stop puppy and just loves to romp and play with her new friends. Maggie has met children of all ages as well, and has just smothered them with love and kisses. She is great in the car, loves everyone at the vet, enjoys her walks in the park and snuggling with her foster mom. Although she is completely crate trained, she has free roam of the house and is totally trustworthy when left out. She is content to just curl up on a dog bed for a nap, in what ever room you are in, as she just loves the company. She also loves snuggling with the male Dane in the home, often curling up and falling a sleep with him.

Maggie Mae's journey is just beginning and she has a long road ahead of her. The medical expenses just to properly diagnose her are exorbitant. Her personality and love of life are undeniable and she so deserves a chance at pain free happiness. Maggie Mae came to MAGDRL in April 2008.

Caesar is a 4 1/2 year old (DOB 8/24/03) mantle marked merle with cropped and standing ears. He is a very big boy, at 36"-37" at the shoulder and almost 180 lbs. He came to rescue because his family had a baby who is now 18 months old and they were afraid he would knock him over. Caesar is a very sweet boy, just loves attention and pets of any kind, and will even walk up to you and put his head in your chest for a hug. He rides great in a car and really loves his car rides. His back end droops some when standing still for too long, and he will be evaluated by a Neurologist to rule out possible Wobbler's. Caesar is still very playful, and loves a good game of tug a war, and will release the toy on command. He does know some basic commands and walks great on a leash. He is currently living with 2 children ages 10 and 2 and does wonderfully with them. He has not knocked the toddler over and side steps him quite nicely. He is also living with another female Dane and 2 cats. He has never encountered cats before and is quite comical when one comes around. He completely freezes and won't move. He figures if he doesn't move the cat won't see him. Caesar is a big love bug, who wants nothing more than to cuddle up with you and have you pet him forever. Because of his size, he should go to a home with older children, as not all children are as Dane savvy and might take offense to any "hip checks" that might happen. Caesar came to MADRL in May 2008.

Caesar ended spending some time in the emergence vet for dehydration, and it's looking more and more like he has Wobbler's and will need gold bead implants.

Update 7/12/08 - Caesar was moved out of the foster home with the small kids because when his back end hurts, he didn’t appreciate them all over him. So we have decided to not allow him to go to a home with children younger than 12. We have also found out that he can’t do stairs. So he will need to find a home with no stairs or only a few to go in and out. He is doing really good in his new foster home. He is living with a Ridgeback and 2 cats and has done well with the many dogs they have watch for other people. He is very interested in one of their cats. The cat grew up with a Dane so she is comfortable with large dogs and seems to like Caesar - until he pokes a bit too forcefully with that giant muzzle. Then it's a hiss and a smack, Caesar backs off and she goes on about her business. A match made in heaven. Caesar had diarrhea and hookworms, but that is cleared up now. Even with everything that's going on with him, his foster says he is so sweet and playful. The more settled in he is there, the more his personality comes out and he's can be quite a goof as well. They are really enjoying having him in their home. He had a seizure and that has worried us, so he saw a neurologist, but has not had another one. So we aren’t sure what caused it, but are keeping an eye out in case he has another one. He is getting x-rays to see if we can find out more about his hind end problems. We are also going to add acupuncture to his treatment to see if he will respond to that. He did have one treatment and the foster felt like he was doing better afterwards. Caesar continues to be a sweet boy and hopefully we can find out more soon to help him.

George is an adorable merle puppy, who in the short 5 months of his life, has had it worse then one could or should ever imagine. When we arrived to evaluate George, we were sickened to find him lying lifeless is a crate. He did not pick his head up to look at us, there was no tail wag, nothing but sad eyes looking up, caked with mucus. All four of his legs were thickened and his joints (hocks, pasterns and Carpals) had bulges, like baseballs under the skin. He smelled of urine as he was too sore to get up to go out and had been left to rot, alone in his crate... He was gurgling severely and obviously was suffering from pneumonia as well.

There was no way we were leaving him there one more second and not only took him into rescue that night but had to transport him to the Vet for emergency care as his breathing was so poor and his condition was so serious.

George has been needing round the clock care and his condition is still guarded.

He was unable to walk or even support himself long enough to stand to urinate. His hind legs were completely contracted... meaning he couldn't straighten them. That's how we know he was left in a cage for a very long time without being let out. X-rays showed HOD in all joints (both carpus and hocks) and also severe Osteomyelitis and remodeling of the bones.

George was in so much pain when he came in that he was unable to stand for the first 4 days he was with us. His first attempt at getting up was much like watching a foal get their legs for the first time.

We had an orthopedist look at his radiographs and they took a couple more. They believe in addition to everything else George has going on, the bigger problem is Rickets. We have never seen a case of Rickets, neither has any of the vets in the practice. Imagine, a disease of nutritional value, that people in third world countries get. He was truly being abused and neglected and was slowly starving to death.

Our biggest concern for him at this moment is what's called pathologic fractures. He has so much bone damage, his bones are just so weak, even his elbows and knees have been affected. But George has a strong spirit and such a sweet soul, If any pup can come through this, it will be him.

George is truly a fighter and every day that passes is a good day, as he is still very critical and only time will tell whether he pulls through this. Despite the tremendous pain and suffering this little man has lived through, he is silly and playful and has won the heart of everyone who has met him. George came into MAGDRL in January 2008.

Update 2/15/08 - George had a little setback with his pneumonia last weekend, but with new antibiotics and ant-inflammatories, he is feeling better and the fever has been knocked out of him. He is coming along nicely, gaining weight (he is 50+ lbs now) growing like a weed and getting taller. He is gaining more strength and a little more control over his legs every day.

He has reached 2 really big milestones. One is that he can negotiate (very slowly and with close supervision) going down a short flight of steps...carpeted of course. He cannot go up stairs yet as his hind end has always been the weakest and he cannot bear that much weight on his back legs. Second is that he can now do a sit, as of a couple of days ago. He previously couldn't do this at all, he would just fall over as he tried to lower his hind end to the ground, as he was too weak. As he gets a little more strength in those back legs, he can do more & more things.

We took more X-rays of his legs last week and are quite please at the visible improvements on film. He is coming along much faster then I originally expected. We are doing exercises to strengthen his legs daily. Simple ones, like sit and stand, sit and stand, I like to call them dog lunges!! His personality is really starting to come out and he is interacting with the other dogs more and more. He tries to play jump and bow... but is a little shaky and he usually falls over! I wish I could let him outside with them but he is not ready for such one on one free play yet. He has fun with them in the house and for now that will have to suffice. He comes to work with me and has everybody (and I mean everyone!!) just eating out of his hand. He has quite a ways to go but it just goes to show his wonderful spirit is so strong.

Update 3/28/08 - George is doing GREAT!!! He is growing like a weed and weighs almost 70 pounds. His back and legs are straightening out and are greatly improved! He'd been having some relapses with the HOD in his jaw, where his fever would spike and pneumonia would set back in, which really would set him back... but I am happy to say it has been a few weeks since he has suffered a relapse, not that he is out of the woods yet, but the relapses are farther apart, which is good news!

He is quite the little wise guy when he wants to be, but such a total love. He's still on steroids, lower dose now though, and is no longer on antibiotics for about a week now. George goes outside with the other dogs now as he is more mobile and able to handle running and playing. He has already chased some deer on the property, which was hilarious. I am so happy with his progress and just love this little man.

Update 5/21/08 - Little George is getting bigger by the day and eats like a COW! He's 80 pounds, he's been this weight for quite a while. We're battling some severe diarrhea for this past week, so I think he's lost some there, but he's growing. He's very tall and lanky. His hind end is still the weakest area for him, but he's starting to counter surf and jump like a champ (working on these issues, have to admit, he's been pretty spoiled). He just has no coordination and usually falls, but never gives up. He's on low dose of steroids, I tried him off, but that's when the diarrhea started and he started to get weaker on his hind legs also. He's also on an intestinal support medication. It's a long road for him, but he perseveres and is just as happy as a clam! I'm going to have him ultrasounded next week so see the extent of damage to his intestines, if indeed there is any related to his health issues. He's easily 6 ft. already when he's standing on hind legs, front legs on my shoulders. Amazing. He still has a long road ahead of him, and will probably always have some issues, but he is definitely slowly getting better and thriving with his current management.

Update 7/15/08 - George is doing great!!! He has overcome so so much in the past 7 months. He is 100 George

pounds and is all baby. He absolutely loves his brothers and sisters and plays like a complete goof 24/7. He knows fast forward but has never learned STOP and will plow into you if you do not move fast enough! His legs continue to grow and heal and amaze all the doctors in my practice. I check his radiographs about once a month to keep up on it. I don't know if all the calcification in his tendons will ever go away, but it amazes me every time I look back at his old x-rays & see how far he has come. He runs and jumps (even got so excited a couple of times that all 4 feet came off the ground) like nothing was ever wrong with him. Now, he has developed a new lesion on his left front toe (the outside toe). It is swollen, it hurt him the first couple of days then it didn't bother him anymore. Something is going on in his bone there, but being George, it's not straight forward, as nothing ever is with him. Follow-up x-rays showed improvement the next week. George also has a little bit of megaesophogus. It's very mild right now. He "erps" up a little water here and there. Once again, I'm sure he will prevail with his strong spirit and refusal to give up on life. He is the happiest dog I have ever seen (and I've seen a lot!). I'm just so thrilled with this progress, it is hard to believe this is the same sick and dying puppy that came to me in the middle of the night back in January.

George went to visit some elderly people in a rehabilitation home last week (my grandfather was there temporarily and he LOVES George, well, all the dogs, but George is his special bud). George did really great. I was worried only that he would have happy feet and tail all over, but he was a real gentleman. He laid down by the elevator in the middle of all the people & let people pet him without showing all his overexuberance for life. When he was in the room with my grandfather and his 102 year old roommate, he greeted calmly, didn't jump and then layed down next to the bed. I couldn't have been prouder of the little guy. So is the day in the life of George...bringing happiness and sometimes bruises to all he meets! George will have his 1st birthday next month. We're planning a big birthday bash down at the Outer Banks, NC. He's never been to the beach before, I really think he's looking foward to it.

George's foster Mom has decided that she cannot give him up and has decided to adopt George!

We are accepting donations to help defray the medical bills of our Rescues in Need. Thank you for caring.

If you would prefer to make your donation by check MAGDRL gladly accepts personal checks and money orders. Donations can be made to MAGDRL, P.O. Box 563, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701.

All donations made from this page will go toward the expenses for all the special needs dogs in MAGDRL's care.