In Memory of Our Littlest Opie
Brave Little Opie Exploring the Big World
Opie was a shining example of the forgiveness and trust that dogs share with us,even though he had an incredibly harsh start to a short life. The first we know of him is that a lady was walking by a dumpster, heard crying, and found Opie. It was incredibly hot outside, he was malnourished, and somebody had cut off his ears with a pair of scissors. He made it to the Memphis Animal shelter, and, from there, into the arms of Hearts of Gold Pit Rescue. From the instant Opie met Donna, he seemed to know that he was with somebody that loved him, and that he could trust. Despite the horrendous abuse he had already suffered in the few weeks he had been alive, he did not hesitate to snuggle up to people. He thrived on the attention of every person he met, and was always thrilled and wagging his little tail when he was with other dogs. Despite being weak and weighing only a little over 2 pounds, he didn’t hesitate to touch noses even with the largest of other dogs, or to try to explore his surroundings. Despite almost daily vet visits and showing some signs of improvement, he suddenly took a turn for the worse. We lost Opie at approximately 3:45 a.m., Saturday, June 25, 2011. He was on his way to the Animal Emergency Center in hopes that we could save him, but he died in my arms on the way there. We are heartbroken to have lost him. He became a huge, incredibly important part of our lives from the second we met him. We think of him constantly, and miss him so much it’s unbelievable. He had an immense impact for such a little guy, yet he still fit right in. Words just cannot explain the emptiness that is there where Opie used to be. We know that for him there is no longer pain, and that he is healthy and strong where he is now. He had a very bold and sweet spirit, and we will always think of him as our teensiest little angel. We were privileged that he was a part of our lives, and everybody that met him was touched by both his personality and his story. He will always live on in our hearts, and we will never, ever forget him.
6-16-11: If you would like to make a donation in memory of Opie, you can do so by paypal http://hogpr.wordpress.com/support-us/donate/ or you may contact us at heartsofgoldpitrescue@yahoo.com for information on donating directly to our vets that treated Opie and that have helped us so much with our other dogs.
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IN MEMORY OF OPIE
May 2011 – June 2011
The Rainbow Bridge
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A HUGE thank you to the following for their support in helping Opie get the care he needs:
Lisa Romero – Judy Sutton – Kathy and daughter – Polly Sack – Maureen Arvin
Vicki Weales – Eileen Edney – Jessica Huggins – Benedicta McGrath
Lou Ann Muntz- Sylvia Cox – Joyce Rivera – Lorene Steffes – Andria Lisle
Mario Velez
6/25/11 – 5:5 a.m. – To Opie’s friends:
Our little angel crossed the Rainbow Bridge this morning. Kathy and I were driving him to the Animal Emergency Hospital when he died in her arms at 3:45 a.m. He fought a good fight and he was tired. He will never be forgotten! He lives in a place in each of our hearts, that place where love burns eternally. Opie will take his rightful place in my pet cemetery beside another great warrior, Merci. We love you Opie!! Most of his medical expenses were covered by donations. Thank you for your kindness! (Donna’s note)
6/25/11 – 3:00 a.m. Woke up at 3:00 a.m. or so. Found Opie had climbed out from under the blanket and was on top, stretched out on his right side. He had thrown up and then collapsed on top of it. He was cold but still breathing. Warmed him up with blankets that I had thrown into the microwave. He went limp on my shoulder. Ran to the Jeep, drove one mile down the road, picked up Kathy and headed to the ER with Opie. We drove to the Summer Avenue Animal Hospital. While I was filling out the paperwork, the vet came out front and told us that Opie did not have a heartbeat. This was around 3:45 a.m. Kathy and I just looked at each other in disbelief. Then we hugged and cried. Took Opie home. (Donna’s note)
Opie 6-16-11
6/24/11- 5:30 p.m. I picked up Opie at Kathy’s around 5:30 p.m. He was eating and drinking. He still did not seem to feel very good, though. He did perk up when his eyes met Isaiah’s. From the day one he has been wild about Isaiah. He wags his tail when he gets close to Isaiah and tries to reach up and lick his muzzle. He ate two bites of chicken liver. Had to be force fed some pedialyte. He got up at 11:00 p.m., had diarrhea. I cleaned it up, gave him some Nutracal and some fluids, tucked him back in with me. (Donna’s note)
6/24/11 – 4:30 p.m. (text from Kathy) Opie had some shredded chicken after we got here.
6/24/11 – 3:00 p.m. (text message from Kathy) Opie ate after his nap.
6/24/11 – 12:00 p.m. He had a little more diarrhea when I took him out at lunch, and he is not interested in eating. OK, he really may still be full from yesterday….he ate at the vet all day, and Dr. Garcia said to feed him good when he is eating…and we did! He ate a lot of baked chicken last night, after getting snacks all afternoon at the vet. My daughter was up late watching movies, and he last ate for her at 2:00 a.m. He’s mostly sleeping today. But, he is sleeping more like a normal dog who is just worn out. Instead of mostly just staying where & how you lay him now, he’s moving around a little in his sleep and seems to be much better able to position himself comfortably. And his temperature is staying up today from what I can tell. He gets uncomfortable if you cover him up for too long and pushing the blankets off, or moving away from them. Still a little weak on the standing/walking, but VERY alert – he’s paying attention to things across the street, and really, really wants to try and go for a good walk when something catches his eye! (Kathy”s note)
6/23/11 – Opie is not eating again. He is having to be force fed. He will be taken back to the vet today for more treatment. His little body has a lot of catching up to do because of all he has been through. When his blood sugar drops, that causes his temperature to drop and then he loses his appetite and he gets lethargic. He is currently at the vet’s office and will be picked up at 4:30 p.m. (Donna’s note)
6/22/11- Opie as transferred to another vet hospital in Memphis , one closer to his foster mom’s work. He was given nausea medication, a probiotic, and more SQ fluids. His problem now is keeping his blood sugar and temperature up. Once the vet got his blood sugar up, and his body warmed up (he was put on a heating pad) he started eating like mad. He ate everything that was offered to him. When his foster mom picked him up at 4:30 his belly was fat fat fat. He looked more spry and was interested in everything around him. The vet clinic staff have taken a shine to Opie. (Donna’s note)
6-22-11 a.m. Last night was the first night since he got here that he did not wake up with diarrhea. He slept all night curled around my neck. No chance of his temperature dropping last night; he was toasty all night long. He was dreaming and burping; haven’t seen this before 
(Donna’s note)
Opie 6-22-11
6-21-11 p.m. Opie is home from the hospital. He is too weak to walk over a few steps without falling down. He did drink goat’s milk three times, took pedialyte. Started him on a homeopathic remedy for diarrhea and exhaustion. (Donna’s note)
6-21-11 a.m. Opie’s temperature dropped last night to 82. He has a rough night. The vet was able to get his temperature back up and he has stabilized for now. She said he was alert and “fussing.” He still have diarrhea. Still positive for hookworms. Tested negative for Coccidia. Please continue to pray for Opie! He wants so much to live! Tested for giardia – negative. Tested again for Parvo – negative. (Donna’s note)
6-20-11 – 8:26 p.m. To all of Opie’s prayer warriors and earth angels, God bless you…
6-20-11 p.m. Opie’s packed cell volume was 7 this morning and he was given a blood transfusion. The vet said she did not know how he was still living. Well, not only was he living, he was standing and trying to walk off of the heating pad she had placed him on. His temperature had fallen to 99 so he was put on a heating pad to bring up his temperature. I visited him late afternoon and got him out of his ICU bed and held him. He opened his eyes and looked at me. I know he recognized me. About 30 minutes after I held him and put him back into his bed, he stood up and walked to the front of the crate. I made some pictures of him. He is on IV fluids and will have to stay in the hospital until further notice. (Donna’s note)
Opie getting blood transfusion 6-21-11
FYI = The hematocrit (Ht or HCT) or packed cell volume (PCV) or erythrocyte volume fraction (EVF) is the percentage of blood volume that is occupied by red blood cells. Normal range for dogs is 35-55. When the PCV drops to 14 a dog has to be given a blood transfusion. A blood transfusion for a TWO POUND baby is a lot. There is a very clear explanation as to why Opie is still here even though his PCV dropped to 7 – he has a strong will to live and he is being prayed for all over this country. Thank you for the out powering of emails and phone calls. Opie is definitely making up for lost time; he has received a lifetime of love in just SIX DAYS!!
Opie at vet 6-20-11
6-20-11 – 11:08 a.m. Donna called the vet’s office and was told that Opie definitely had to have a blood transfusion today. We will update this blog as we know more. (Donna’s note)
6-20-11 a.m. – Opie back to vet. Temp. dropping. Put on heating pad. Left him for the day. He had more bloodwork. His red blood cell level was checked. Very pale gums. Could not stand for very long without falling down. He is going to be put on IV fluids and possible blood transfusion. Opie will stay at the vet clinic today. Opie has cuts on both sides of his muzzle. The vet thinks the person who cut off his ears tied his muzzle shut so he could not struggle and scream. (Donna’s note)
6-18-11 a.m. – Opie went back to the vet. Had fecal, temp. check and medical exam. Continues to have bloody diarrhea. Temp. has come down to 101.3. Give another medicine to coat his stomach to offset the damage done by the hookworms to his intestines. Given more SQ fluids. Still dehydrated but gums “some” pinker. Still not eating on his own. Ears were healing. (Donna’s note)
Opie 6-15-11
6-15-11 p.m. – 6-18-11 a.m. – For three days, Opie was force fed fed both liquids and solids but would not eat on his own. He drank very little water. Opie is staying with Donna at night and Kathy is picking him up and taking him to work with her so she can watch him all day. (Donna’s note)
Opie & Lisa 6-15-11
6-15-11 a.m.: Lisa, volunteer with HOGPR, picked up the puppy from the Memphis Animal Shelter and drove him to Donna’s house. Immediately upon arriving at Donna’s house, Lisa and Donna headed to Memphis to the vet’s office. The puppy was named Opie. At the vet’s office, Opie had CBC, temp. check, fecal. He had a complete physical – lungs and heart were checked. He was found to be severely dehydrated, elevated temperature, coccidia and hookworms. Ears were black sticky scabs. Ears were cropped very close to his head. Opie was given three kinds of medications – one for coccidia, one for hooks, and an antibiotic. Given SQ fluids. **He weighs 1.9 pounds. (Donna’s note)
Opie 6-15-11 arrival in foster home
6-14-11 p.m.: Donna left work early to go the shelter to adopt the puppy but she broke down on the way and had to be towed home. Was told by the shelter that he had bloody diarrhea but tested negative for Parvo. (Donna’s note)
6-14-11 a.m.: Tracy D. called Hearts of Gold Pit Rescue and asked if we had room for a puppy. He said that Dr. Coleman, the shelter vet, was worried about this puppy that was not “thriving.” Tracy informed Donna that the puppy’s ears were cut too short and that he was not eating. Tracy estimated his age to be 8-9 weeks. (Donna’s note)
6-11-11: Baby puppy was surrendered to the Memphis Animal Shelter. We are told that a lady found him in a dumpster. She was walking by the dumpster and heard crying. (Donna’s note)
Memphis Animal Shelter Intake Form
Puppy at MAS 6-14-11
