Blitz

Update: 13 May 2014
Blitz was flown to Canada on the 7th of May to begin his new life. He was a gem on the car ride to Incheon Airport with me, giving me loads of kisses! He is settling into Canadian life well.

His new mum says:

So he has not been shy here!
Ok walking past all the other dogs
Totally trusting of me
Great with the big man at cargo at airport
Not scared of traffic
Held his poop til I let him out
He is a good boy

HUGE THANKS to the following for making this happen!!
Seoul Brew Club for covering all of Blitz's vet bills.
Sofia D. for arranging SO much - the fundraiser, the flight and being the brains behind this operation.
박희태 for rescuing Blitz.
Asan shelter volunteers for not giving up on Blitz all that time since early 2011.
Dr. Choi of AnyPet and his staff for taking such good care of Blitz and making sure he got healthy.
Blitz Team - Park Hyun Joo, Clare Mills, Gyunmi Kang, Sofia Dyatchkova - for organizing everything so Blitz could get to Canada.
Carrie Corbett for giving another rescue dog from Korea a new chance.
Everyone who joined our FB event.
Erin Frisone-Craig and her friend Walter - thank you!
Our amazing donors: Kathleen Barnard-Kim, Lee Sang Hyun, Youjin Lee, Jordan Schultz, Don Valiant, Anna Kuchynskaya, Laura Coates, Tatiana Hopps, Sara Herbst, Michael T. Heaney!
Katherine Hall and Jeyn for helping out at Vancouver airport.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please help Blitz get to Canada: https://www.facebook.com/events/231481653719092/ and http://www.animalrescuekorea.org/blog/sofia/best-for-blitz-vancouver-her...
--------------------------------------------------

***ALL medical costs for Blitz have been covered by the wonderful Seoul Brew Club! Thank you!***

Update: 12 March 2014
I went to see little Blitz yesterday. He is looking a lot better, but still very scraggly! He's pretty chubby and in good spirits. :) Blitz is nice and healthy now, so he was able to receive his first vaccinations of DHPPL & Rabies on 12 March 2014.

Update: 7 Feb 2014
GREAT NEWS! Blitz's blood sample was tested by the lab and it shows that the treatment has completely eradicated his anaplasma. Yay! Thank you Dr Choi!

Update: 5 Feb 2014
Here is a health update on Blitz:
1. Blitz is not contagious! It turns out Blitz didn't have scabies after all.
2. His skin looks the way it does due to an auto-immune disease called pemphigus foliaceus.
("An autoimmune disease is characterized by the presence of autoantibodies that are produced by the system, but which act against the body's healthy cells and tissues -- just as white blood cells act against infection. In effect, the body is attacking itself.")
3. This disease can be controlled fairly simply by management & observation. Currently, he is being treated for his skin inflammation with medication. Once the inflammation of the skin is under control, Blitz can be a healthy, comfortable guy. His new owners would just need to manage this (it would require a bit of research and I think diet would help too). If it starts flaring up again, he goes back onto medicine for a week or two. Not too difficult! My vet says it's pretty easy to manage and should not be a deterrent. His fur should grow back soon too!
4. Blitz's anaplasma treatment is finished. Today a blood sample will be sent to the lab to confirm that the treatment has eradicated it completely. We will get the results within 5 days.

Other than that, Blitz is going a little stir-crazy in his small cage WITH a cone on his head. He would sooooo much prefer to be in a home where he can have a little more legroom. If you would like to help poor Blitz, please e-mail me your application form: [email protected]

Update: 17 Jan 2014
I visited Blitz today and got a pleasant surprise. :) He is looking a little rotund & has a great appetite! He is doing nice poohs and his skin, although flaky, is looking much better. I also discovered (now that he is bald) that he is neutered - surprise! He has just one week left of his anaplasma treatment. His scabies will need longer to be treated and will need weekly injections until the vet deems it OK to stop. Although contagious, it is possible to have a dog with scabies and not get infected if you are careful. Right now Blitz needs a little safe corner of a home to be comfy in. Please contact me if you can help him.

Update: 24 Dec 2013
Merry Christmas Blitz!
For Christmas this year Blitz got out of the shelter which he has called home for the last 3 years of his life (or more!). This Christmas, Blitz will be warm and comfortable. He is also heartworm negative! YAY!!

Blitz went for a full health check and here are the results:

Heartworm - negative
Anaplasma - positive & in early stages (receiving treatment)
Distemper - neg
Canine Influenza - neg
Parvo & Corona - neg
Has scabies (receiving treatment)
Blood tests - normal

Titre/Antibody levels:
Hepatitis: 1
Parvo: 5.5
Distemper: 1
(He needs 2 x DHPPL vaccination boosters followed by the other necessary vacc's.)

Some more great news about Blitz? He kissed me when I picked him up in a blanket. He rode all the way to the vet on Julie's lap. He had a medicated bath & didn't bite the groomer. He had a full health check, blood drawn and didn't bite the vet. Considering his rather shouty nature at the shelter, this is nothing short of amazing. This is not to say he doesn't have "issues" or that people can be careless around him, but I feel that with some patience and respect for his boundaries, this little guy will make a super pet.

Update: Nov 2013
Here's the lowdown on Blitz. He is sick (he has green eyes so I'm thinking severe conjunctivitis) and he probably has some other problems. Heartworm is a possibility although he HAS been receiving the monthly prevention at the shelter. Blitz is the smallest dog left at the shelter. He is miserable. People have donated money for me to help him medically but he has nowhere else to go if I pull him from the shelter. So he's still there. Sick and freezing.

Can you open your home to him? Here are some things you would have to factor in:
1. As he is skittish and acts all scarey (which I'm sure IS just an act) you would need to basically put him in your house and just coexist with him for a while. Feed him, water him, speak to him lovingly. You would not automatically win his trust and be able to handle him.
2. Refer to (1) - you would probably not want to scare him and risk a bite by manhandling him into a harness, therefore, you should be OK with NOT walking him and having him pee and pooh in your house for a while until adjustments are made, trust is gained, confidence is gained and everyone gets accustomed to each other.
3. Refer to (2) - this does not mean he would use your entire house as a toilet. You SHOULD confine him to a pen or a spare room and provide plenty of peepads for him. Figure out what motivates him (yummy ham or chicken perhaps?) and reward him as SOON AS he does his business where he should.
4. He WILL need a safe space. Best option would be a crate within a metal pen and lots of peepads, a water bowl and squishy blankets in his crate. Do not lock him in his crate (yet).
5. Never EVER shout at him, hit him or punish him in any way. Use ONLY positive reinforcement for the GOOD things he does. Remember, ALWAYS, that this dog has been broken by his former humans.
6. You should always feed him in his crate.
7. You should be able to move him in his crate to and from the vet for health checks.

This is not to deter anyone! This is the reality of what it would (probably) mean to foster Blitz. However, the little guy deserves it! He was dumped at the shelter by his owner and then left there for AGES while we made profiles for other dogs and got them out. (We could not make one for him because he was still "owned".) Finally, after he got feral and scared stiff the owner relinquished him and we were able to make him an ARK profile. He missed out on SO many opportunities!!

Dogs like Blitz CAN be turned around with the right humans. That human should realise and accept that Blitz will not want to be cuddled, squeezed, picked up etc. At least not in the near future. Who knows? Perhaps with some time Blitz would learn to love these things!! :)

***ALL medical costs for Blitz will be covered by the wonderful Seoul Brew Club!***
All we need is a loving, patient, understanding human to open their home to Blitz.
An animal-free home would also be preferable because we have no idea how Blitz is with other animals.

Please contact me on [email protected] if you can help. Thank you!

Update: Oct 2013
There's not much to say about Blitz other than he is completely, utterly miserable. This little guy has always alienated himself by barking at people. Yes, it's true. But he is surely just a scared little dog who doesn't know how to react or behave in the hell that is his life, and has been for the past 3-4 years. Now he has green eyes - I'm guessing severe conjunctivitis - and needs more help than ever. He needs a home where the person can be patient and give him his space. He will not transform immediately into a lapdog looking for cuddles. He will likely not trust you for a long time. There are some special folks out there who are capable of cohabiting in a "roommate-type" scenario with their dog, providing health care, food and water, but not pushing the limits of the dog. If you think you can be this type of person, and are willing to give Blitz a second chance at life, please contact me.

Update: June 2013

Blitz is still looking for an understanding person to reach out to him. If you are an experienced owner and have the time, you could make a HUGE difference in this little one's life.

Update: April 2013

After a brief romp around Asan Shelter from an unfortunately successful Houdini escape, Blitz is back in his cage and waiting for a taste of real freedom- the kind that comes with a name tag, a caring owner, and a forever home. If you are considering fostering or adopting a dog, PLEASE consider Blitz. He desperately needs to get out of the shelter environment to get over his fear and aggression.

Update: March 2013
Blitz has made it through winter at the shelter and is still looking for a forever home. Despite being an aggressive dog, Blitz could still be helped by the right person. Another of the Asan Shelter dogs, who was also a biter, found his forever home with an amazingly patient and loving volunteer. While Blitz is emotionally battered and scared, he isn't broken. Please find it in your heart to help this little guy.

Update: December 2012

Blitz spent this Christmas at the shelter. He is REALLY in need of someone patient and kind with no children. He is aggressive around humans and living at the shelter is not helping him get any better. This boy is in need of a seasoned dog owner willing to reach out and show him he doesn't need to be fearful of people.

Blitz is a long-haired dachshund mix. He's had a rough time living in a shelter and has become fearful, shy, and defensive around people. Adoption is a long-term goal that we're working on while socialization and lots of positive human interaction are our short-term goals. Please come by the shelter and help this little one understand what life could be like with a little TLC.