Oscar and Emmy were found by the Chicago Police Department in an abandoned building on July 6. They were near death from starvation.
The pit mixes were in bad shape. According to a post on their Facebook page:
Emmy weighed in at only 22.4 pounds and her body was in starvation mode. She was anemic, had an elevated white blood cell count and was dangerously dehydrated. Emmy was started on IV fluids, pain medication, antibiotics and a slow feeding regimen. The slow feeding regimen was to prevent “refeeding syndrome” that could have overwhelmed her starved system and cause organ failure and even death. Several small, high fat meals were fed to Emmy over the course of the day to help her system adjust.
Oscar was in worse shape:
His body has gone into starvation mode and he is suffering from hypophosphatemia. This means there is not enough phosphorous in his blood which causes a reduction in the amount of oxygen getting to his heart, red blood cells, skeletal muscle cells and brain cells. His liver enzymes are also elevated which may mean he is dangerously close to liver failure. Oscar was immediately started on IV fluids as well as vitamin B and other electrolytes.
The feeding schedule included feeding the Emmy and Oscar 4-6 times a day over an 18 hour time period, Bridgid Nolan, Medical and Rescue Director for Trio Animal Foundation (TAF) told iHeartDogs.com.
Three compassionate vet technicians as well as the vet themselves, took on the task of bring these dogs back from the brink.
“They were both hospitalized for 3 weeks,” Nolan said. “It honestly took them 10 days to turn the corner, especially Oscar. I think it was 5-6 weeks before we knew they had physically made a complete recovery.”
During her hospitalization, Emmy fell in love. She fell hard for Anthony, one of vet techs taking care of them both.
“Emmy chose Anthony from day 1,” Nolan explains. “She followed him around and always wanted to be touching him. He is an exceptionally kind and caring person so Emmy obviously picked up on that, and he spent a lot of time working with her while at the hospital.”
Fortunately for her, the feeling was mutual.
“If a dog shows that kind of loyalty and affection towards you it’s hard to ignore,” continued Nolan. “When I picked them up from the hospital and was taking them to our partner boarding facility, Anthony was so upset she was leaving…he carried her out to my car and waited until we pulled away. He asked me about her several times a day. The next weekend he convinced his fiancé to come meet her, and the rest is history!”
Anthony told iHeartDogs.com:
“I just really thought she was a beautiful dog. I let her follow me around and spent time just hanging out with her whenever I had time. I also began training her basic manners and commands and she caught on very quickly. I saw the attachment she had to me, and the more attached she got to me, the more attached I started getting to her. She would sit outside the bathroom and wait for me. Or she would lay outside the exam rooms I was in. She was so excited to see me every single day when I got to work! I saw how much love she had for me and because it seemed she was such a good dog I couldn’t let her go. I do a lot of the same training and have the same fondness for the other Trio dogs, but Emmy was just different.”
Oscar Is Still Waiting For The Love Of His Life
While Emmy has her happily ever after, Oscar is now completely recovered and ready for a love of his own! He is even participating in a “board and train” where he stays with a trainer at her house while receiving training.
Nolan said the perfect home for Oscar would be:
Oscar needs an experienced dog owner. He is a happy-go-lucky dog the majority of the time, though he has some fear issues that are residual from his past. Oscar needs a home where people are going to keep up with his training, be consistent and be confident to show him the ropes. He could either be an only dog or he could be a buddy for your existing pup….he will go with the flow. Oscar is good in his crate, walks nicely on leash, is awesome in the car, knows all his basic commands and LOVES to play. He is pretty lazy, as most Bulldogs are, and sleeps a lot.
If interested in adopting Oscar, please visit their websitewww.trioanimalfoundation.org and click on the “Adoption” icon. There you will find info about our adoption policies as well as the application. If you have any questions about Oscar, please email bridgid@trioanimalfoundation.org.
