VICTORIA – A RESCUED DOG FROM THE STREETS OF FUNCHAL, PORTUGAL!!!

 

She needs our HELP!!! Please, join us!!!

This beautiful female Siberian Husky was abandoned in my neighborhood. She had been following us from a distance, for a period of nearly three weeks, every time we went out to walk our dog (a female boxer, named Aishah), when eventually the poor female Husky started collapsing and could not walk any further.

Victoria had been abandoned and was dying from starvation and injuries.

When my wife and I found this animal, it became then apparent that she had been ran over by a car; she also had a few bruises, fortunately no broken bones, but she was left with her back paws in bare flesh.

Madeira Island (Portugal) has built a very poor reputation concerning animal rights. Although the Portuguese legislation is improving given the recent pressure by the EEC, the cultural deficit amongst the population is enormous (60% of functional illiteracy), this makes almost impossible to properly execute law concepts; i.e. the inception of electronic tags directives is easily circumvented by the device brutal removal, if an animal is indeed to be abandoned. Inhabitants can sadly be very cruel to their animals, bought and disposed like objects. These animals go through a critical time when a holiday period approaches, since most occurrences of abandoned animals happen here when owners realize they don’t have anyone to leave their animals with, and their holidays are already booked!

There is an association for the "protection" of animals (SPAD), which adopts the policy whereby rescued animals may be lethally injected after a hosted period of a few days, if owners or foster owners do not collect the animals within that period.

The local government does nothing to change this brutal scenario. There have been a few isolated, but still brave initiatives, whereby a handful of individuals formed an association based on sound ethical codes, but they lack resources to implement the full breadth of necessary measures (public awareness campaigns, adoption clubs, dog-sitting associations, provision of basic veterinarian care for the abandoned dogs, etc…)

If you have a dog, PLEASE REMEMBER: A DOG IS PART OF YOUR FAMILY FOR ITS ENTIRE NATURAL LIFE SPAN!

This case will probably have a happy ending, for we cannot turn a uncompassionate blind eye to such a poignant and yielding call. We would like to thank Prof Fátima Gonçalves for her love and her restless struggle to provide proper conditions to the abandoned animals on this island through the association "Pata – Porque os Animais Também se Amam".

We named her Victoria (because she must win!!!).

She suffers from a hip-dysplasia which needs to be operated. This is a very rare condition amongst Huskies, since this disease is more prevalent in the large breed group.

Dysplasia is a hereditary predisposition to hip malformation. In fact it is a complex (called polygenic or multigenic) disease with many factors involved in its cause. It occurs when there is a lack of stability to hol the femur had inside its socket (acetabulum) that is part of the hip joint. The reason this happens is many fold. It could be the socket that is deformed or the muscles that did not provide proper support, or a combination of these and other factors. With time the hip becomes deformed due to arthritis – now called degenerative joint disease.

Although genetically affected animals may be born perfectly healthy, some may even have a long life without the manifestation of this condition, others may have the disease varying in severity. Given the malformation of the hip, their joints undergo a very rapid degenerative process which may render the dog hindleg disabled or at least Victoria will spend the her life limping and in progressive pain.

Is there a solution to the problem? YES! But that is very costly; it will cost about € 2000 to operate her and have a Total-Arthroplasty (please, only watch this video if you do not feel affected to seeing blood).

The operation consists of removing the neck and head of the femur and implanting a joint prosthesis.

If you find yourself in a condition to help with any amount of money, please make your donation and become Victoria’s Virtual Foster Owner. Any sum is welcome (from 1 currency unit to whatever you find appropriate). We are determined to have this dog operated, she has suffered already sufficiently in her young life.

If you make a donation, please send an e-mail reminding me of your gesture with your name and address. My wife and I are planning to make a video documenting all this case to send to all donors with a postcard from Madeira.

You can donate by clicking the appropriate link below (PAYPAL)

DONATE_BY_PAYPAL

You can also make a payment by bank transfer:

IBAN:  PT50000702430078943000957
Bank: BANCO ESPIRITO SANTO
NOME: EGBERTO MELO MOREIRA JUNIOR
BRANCH: SUCURSAL SÉ – FUNCHAL

Victoria – A Siberian Husk that needs everyone’s help!