At the end of March, about to give birth, Chomba was voluntarily surrendered by her Nobe family with the understanding that she and her puppies had a better chance at survival if she received proper food and medical care. She had previously lost one litter and the family was heartbroken about that. Chomba’s family shared with ARF volunteers that they love their dog, understand that she needs better care, but they simply do not have the means to do so at this time. So, ARF agreed to step in to lend them a hand. This led to our current situation, which has turned out to be an emotional roller coaster for the family and the volunteers.
Sad consequences
The day Chomba was removed from her home the family confided that they were very worried. Victor, the youngest boy told us Chomba had been vomiting and not eating for at least two days prior, something they had not observed during her previous pregnancy. She was taken immediately to our local vet who announced that she was already having contractions and was likely to have her puppies that evening. We quickly installed in her temporary foster home and awaited the arrival of the puppies.
The next day when she still had not delivered her litter, she was rushed to a vet in David where there are emergency facilities. It was there that we were informed that without immediate surgery, all of them, puppies and mother, would be lost. An hour later the vet emerged from surgery to inform us that the puppies had likely been dead since the previous evening, but that luckily Chomba had survived the surgery. When asked why this had happened, the vet explained “the father must have been at least twice her size.” She and her puppies were the victims of indiscriminate breeding, the consequence of not spaying /neutering.
A temporary “silver lining”
After that tragic event and informing the family of the fate of the puppies a small silver lining appeared. Someone called ARF to let them know that six orphan puppies had been rescued after their mother was apparently poisoned. It seemed like a natural solution, a mother dog without puppies, and puppies without a mother. With approval from the vet who performed the surgery, the puppies were introduced and Chomba was successfully nursing them. That lasted until several of Chomba’s surgery sutures came undone. At that point she was no longer able to nurse. (A pic here of Chomba and the puppies nursing)
Fortunately for the puppies, she was able to give them enough nourishment that they are now thriving on their own and beginning to eat soft food. Sadly for Chomba, however, she has continued to struggle to recover from the surgery. The past two weeks have seen repeated visits to the vet for re-suturing, despite wearing a cone, having her stomach swaddled in bandages and constant supervision. This is a sad situation; one which we hope ends happily, but it illustrates the efforts that ARF volunteers are willing to go to help an animal in need and the emotionally draining nature of this kind of work.
What is “Soft Fostering” - Outreach and Education through Family Support
The agreement between ARF and Chomba’s family was, and still is, that taking her from their home would be a “temporary rescue.” When she is well enough her return will be considered a “soft foster.” What this means is that once back home, Chomba and her family will receive continued support from ARF in the form of food, wellness checks and consultation, and any follow up medical care. In return for ARF’s support, the family must agree to follow ARF recommendations for feeding and appropriate care, with the understanding that failure to do so would result in Chomba being removed.
There have been questions raised about the effectiveness of “soft foster” situations. Yet, the fact remains that there are simply more animals that are neglected/abused and in need of good homes than there are fosters or adoptive homes available to fill the need. Therefore, ARF considers “soft fostering” a viable and preferable alternative in the cases where it is an option. Such an option exists when a family shows they are willing to give adequate care, but need support in doing so. It is the organization’s view that giving that kind of support is ultimately better for the animal, and the community at large. In many cases, it is just a matter of educating the owner on the proper care.
In this instance, as one of our volunteers pointed out, Chomba knows this family and they love her. If we were to take their dog from them, with no promise of returning her, they would likely simply go out, get another puppy. Without ARF’s support and training, that new puppy would likely suffer the same or worse fate than Chomba. Instead, the desired outcome is that with adequate support, this family will have the opportunity to experience what it means to be responsible pet owners and avoid a bad situation for yet another dog. Through ARF’s efforts to keep pets in their homes, families learn about responsible pet ownership through:
· One on one conversations with volunteers about proper treatment, preventative care, and the Panamanian laws regarding animal welfare and owner responsibility
· Access to resources in the community that help provide free or low cost veterinary care, in particular spay and neuter services.
· Appropriate pet food support (too often pets exist on table scraps becoming malnourished in the process). An added benefit to families of scarce means is that less human food being given to pets means more food in the bellies of kids.
We hope you will consider supporting Chomba, her family, and others like them in becoming responsible pet owners and setting an example for other families in their community. You can do so by making a donation today, or better yet, by sponsoring a pet and its family on a regular basis. Gracias!
ARF is a small non-profit animal organization dedicated to the rescue, care, foster and adoption of the unwanted and neglected animals in Boquete and the surrounding areas. Please visit our website at http://www.arf-boquete.com/ if you are interested in adopting an animal. You can also help with the financial support of these animals by clicking here http://www.arf-boquete.com/donate.html 100% of our donations go to the animals.
Our email address is arf.boquete@gmail.com
Please visit and “like” our Facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/ARF-Adopt-Rescue-Foster-Boquete-Panama-260616740779036/
YouTube: Adopt Rescue Foster ARF Boquete Panama
Also, please visit our sister site Pets Want Homes if you are interested in adopting an animal on http://www.petswanthomes.com/
Replies
Just curious as to, was the dog given a prudent name? Looked up the translation and did not find it to be a name that can be used freely. Not because I am a prude or anything, just too much controversy in using the word if you not an individual of color.
Google translate spanish to english comes up with " I sniff". Seems a very appropriate name for a dog.