PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A dog rescued from a hoarding situation in Massachusetts has found a loving home with a Presque Isle family but still has a long journey ahead, following the discovery the tiny lap dog has an injured foot.
“I don’t know a whole lot of Loki’s background. I do know he was a rescue dog from a hoarder in Massachusetts. I had a friend that took him in but was unable to keep him. When she came up to visit with us, she wanted me to keep him but I could see he needed medical care that I cannot afford,” said Wendy Emery, a single mother whose eldest child, Blake, suffers from numerous disabilities. She said Blake seems pleased to have a new friend.
“She (the friend) ended up leaving him anyway. There was an obvious leg injury that I was told he had when she got him,” said Emery, noting it’s the dog’s right front leg and that she later found out it was broken.
With the help of a friend here in Presque Isle, Emery’s been doing what she can for Loki.
“I contacted Kim Lauritsen for some advice on what to do and how to get him seen (by a vet). She gave me some advice and help. I took Loki to see Dr. Hotham. He had X-rays and was tested to see if he had heartworm. The X-rays showed that both little bones in his leg were broken. The vet estimates it occurred sometime in April,” she said.
“Poor little thing — has to be in so much pain but doesn’t complain at all,” every said.
According to Emery, Dr. Hotham said he’d contact a veterinarian in Portland and send X-rays down to see what can be done to help the dog.
“I was told there are a few options. One is they may be able to put pins and plates in to fix his leg but the vet wasn’t sure if this would be an option because of how tiny his bones are. The other option would be to remove his leg,” said Emery.
She said the vet told her Loki “would adjust just fine if that needed to be done.”
“On a positive note, Loki’s test came back negative for parasites, so he seems to be in good health other than his leg,” Emery said.
Loki is a bit on the lean side and it’s been difficult to get him to eat but Emery said he’s adjusting nicely to life with her family.
“After talking to Kim, I was sure we were just going to see what is going on with him and what he needed. If it was going to be expensive I’d thought about finding a family that would love him and be able to meet his needs. But we have fallen in love with him and he has become attached to all of us,” said Emery.
“Loki snuggles right into me but also seems to love snuggle time with my kids too. He is such a good boy and the sweetest dog you can imagine,” continued Emery.
After hearing what was needed for Loki, Emery contacted Lauritsen to let her know what was going on.
“Kim suggested we do some fund-raising to help pay for his medical care so we can help him,” said Emery.
In addition to care for Loki’s leg, the dog also needs to be neutered.
“Any help we can get to help pay for his care would be great. I am a single mother of three children — one of them, Blake, has severe disabilities and another one has other medical needs. So it’s a struggle right now to afford his care,” said Emery.
Donations can be made directly by mail to: Dr. Hotham, PO Box 188 Blaine, ME 04734 or you can call his office at 768-7387. Make sure to reference “Loki” and “Wendy Emery.” Donations can also be submitted through PayPal to jlauritsen@roadrunner.com. All funds will go to Dr. Hotham to care for the dog.
A donation jar for Loki has also been placed at Catholic Charities on Davis Street in Presque Isle.
