Jason, An Extraordinary Dog

At Sophie's Circle, we take in hundreds of dogs of every year. Some of them are in good shape, others are strays and don’t have a real home, and many need some medical care. For the most part, we take dogs in, give them medical attention, neuter or spay, feed them, and adopt them out to new, loving families who can give them a better life. Unfortunately, not all dogs are so lucky.

We're proud of every dog we've helped and given a new life, thanks to the unwavering support of our volunteers and donors who make every rescue possible. But, sometimes a dog comes along who is in such bad condition that we must take extraordinary measures to save him.

Jason is one of those dogs.

In August, 2016, a local animal control officer sent our founder, Kathy Blackman, a text. He included a photo of a dog who had been chained to a concrete slab with no shade, food, or water. The dog was emaciated and skeletal, barely clinging to life when animal control found him. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the rescue he so badly needed.

The officer told us that if we were unable to bring him into our rescue, he would be euthanized. The pictures were shocking and it was difficult to believe that he could pull through, but after learning his story Kathy and the team of volunteers were determined to save him.
                       

"Jason clung to life for almost a month as he waited to be saved. For that bravery, he deserved to be helped, not euthanized, putting him down after that ordeal would have been the cruelest fate." - Kathy Blackman

When Jason came into the rescue for the first time, we were heartbroken. This dog who looked up at us with big eyes and wagged his tail was dehydrated, anemic, and infested with fleas and hookworms. Our vet ranked his body weight at 1/9th, the thinnest possible before death. He had heartworm disease, left untreated, and the vet was almost certain he wouldn't make it.

For the first four weeks, it was touch and go. Feeding him was out of the question at first, his organs were shutting down, and at any moment, he could have died. We determined to try, and we gave Jason an IV with subcutaneous fluids to begin hydrating him. Reintroducing him to food was slow and there were times when Jason almost didn't make it. At one point, he collapsed and spent 4 days at the emergency vet, where we were unsure if he would ever walk out. Thanks to the extraordinary care from our team of volunteers, Jason pulled through.
      

Then, things started brightening up. Jason finally started to gain weight, he ate better, and he was strong enough to be homed with one of our rescue team members, Jen Popowich. He spent the next few months with Jen, her kids, and four dogs and slowly gained strength, playing with new friends who loved him.

He received heartworm treatment when the vet decided that his weight was up enough to allow him to be treated safely.

Today, his weight is up to normal, and this dog who has been through so much is happy, playful, and confident.

Jason is a mixed breed dog with big eyes, a sweet face, and a great personality. Hundreds of people have followed his progress, rooting for him along the way, and we are pleased to say that he is making a full recovery.

Jason's Beginning, when animal control found him.

Jason - After 11 Month's