Wakiya came in to RAGOM this weekend from a hoarding situation.  He was being kept in a small cage with a dilapidated dog house for shelter.  Reports from the volunteers who went to save him stated that he was sharing this cage with rats who were drinking his water and eating his food.  They sent me this picture... 

How could you say 'no' to this poor dog?  I sure couldn't so the RAGOM wheels were turned and along with help from another local rescue, he was brought into safety!   When he was picked up he was full of fleas, ticks and mud.  It was reported that he was pretty stinky but by the time I got him he has been mostly de-ticked, given Capstar and a bath!  Thank you Stone Mountain!  You've made this transition for me much easier!! Wakiya is the Lakota word for 'thunder' and one of the volunteers named him this because it was reported that he was afraid of being outside during thunder storms and would hide in his little house.  Thank goodness he will never, ever be out in the elements again! Wakiya, however, is in pretty rough physical shape.   His hind legs are very atrophied and painful.  I've likened his hind legs to looking like frog legs when he walks and stands.  He has a hard time holding his own body weight so he has been limited to just going outside on a leash to go potty.  He also has a bunch of teeth that are full of pus, dirty and obviously quite painful that need to be removed.  He will have his teeth pulled and hips x-rayed on Wednesday pending a good outcome from his blood tests that were drawn yesterday.  Please keep your fingers crossed for this poor boy that his blood work all comes out normal! At this moment, Wakiya is incredibly stressed out.  He was driven for several hours from the only home he's ever known (albeit a yukky home), put in boarding, driven to the vet where he was poked and prodded, driven back to boarding and finally to my home, all in the span of 3 days.  He is currently chilling out on a nice comfy dog bed with access to fresh water in my kitchen that is rat free... I do want to point out that this boy is a complete lover!  He has given me so many kisses already and has learned the art of a good snuggle.  I go into the kitchen and hang out with him to remind him he's safe and that he will be safe from now on...  I've been brushing him because he has the thick undercoat that dogs get from being outside their whole lives.  He has been tolerating this as long as I stay away from his hind end.  Let me tell you, I have gotten a TON of fur off him!  He surely must be feeling better for that! Wakiya is obviously not quite ready to begin looking for his furever home but he does need your thoughts and prayers!