Happy Tails
<< BACK

Ruby the Cocker Spaniel
Ruby the Cocker Spaniel was brought to Animal Harbor as a stray. Nobody knew how long she'd been wandering around or where she came from. She was very thin and hungry and tired, but the most strikingly sad thing about her was that she had no hair! She was diagnosed with sarcoptic mange, or scabies, which had become so severe that most of her hair was gone, and secondary skin infections had set in, both bacterial and yeast.

The skin on Ruby's neck and ears was crusty and scabby, and her skin felt sticky to the touch all over. But in spite of her sad appearance, she seemed to be healthy otherwise, and she had a sweet disposition. We knew that these conditions were curable, so we sent her to the home of one of our members who keeps and treats dogs with sarcoptic mange during their quarantine period. With good food and medication and a safe comfortable place to rest, Ruby's skin started looking much better. However, Ruby acted very depressed and listless, and she hardly ever left her doghouse--until Sweetheart arrived. Sweetheart is a young Golden Retriever who also had a case of mange (not as severe as Ruby's). Sweetheart was very playful, and Ruby perked up immediately at having a companion. In spite of the size and age difference, Ruby and Sweetheart became very good friends. After about 8 weeks at the foster home, both Ruby and Sweetheart were once again healthy and were sent back to Animal Harbor. Sweetheart was adopted in a couple of weeks, and Ruby is now headed to her home in Wisconsin! You can see she now has a beautiful russet coat, and she is plump and happy. Ruby is playful, but gentle, and she gives small licks to show her affection.

Ruby is so beautiful, gentle and loving, that it took only 1 day for her to be adopted into a permanent, loving home.

If you're looking to add a new member to your family, learn more about our PetSmart Charities Adoption Centers.