Pinto (Bean), 15 Pinto, a tiny 5-pounder, is a tail-wagging charmer. Sweet and loving, he’s cheerful guy.
His story: a compassionate man saw this tiny chihuahua in the middle of a busy street, clearly unwell. The man scooped the little dog up and took him to Bijou Animal Hospital to see if there was a microchip so he could try to locate the family, and also because it was obvious the dog was in distress. A cold snap was moving in, he was horribly thin and he was having trouble breathing. No chip, the vet’s office discovered. And no collar or tag. The vets were worried. Very bad heart. Plus scrawny. And there was a great deal of fluid build-up because of his heart issue. They gave him meds and treatments, hoping they could make him better, but it really didn’t look good. The office manager took him home so she could monitor him, the compassionate man roamed the neighborhood where he found him, trying to find who he belonged to, and the clinic posted him on the humane society found pets listing, CraigsList, NextDoor and a couple of other venues. No one stepped forward. Meanwhile, the tiny guy, grateful, apparently, for the loving care and meds, fought fiercely to live. There were ups and downs. But three weeks later he was stable, though he does have an ulcer on one eye and requires meds for that as well as for congestive heart failure.
We’ll never know if he was dumped or had been living on his own until he got too sick to keep out of the way of cars. We do know that he hadn’t had any medical care for a very long time. But he’s feeling good now. He’s a lively little snuggler. Maybe he won’t live a long time. He’s doing well now, the result of lots of meds, regular meals, and loving care. But no one can give him a brand new heart. Doesn’t matter. He’s happy, warm and his belly is full. He has no worries.