|
Elefanta
|
She was a medium sized black dog with a blaze of white down her muzzle and on her chest. Bare patches of skin were more prominent than hair. Her skin was as thick as a rhino’s and caused her considerable discomfort as she frequently scratched and chewed at invisible irritants from head to toe.
Elefanta lived outside a small food concession on the main drag in Tulum. The owner fed her but didn’t consider Elefanta to be her dog, just one of many street-dogs in Tulum. Elefanta kept close to the concession and it was obvious that she had adopted those few paces of sidewalk to be her home. Elefanta lay on the sidewalk when Lucy first introduced me to her the day we arrived in Tulum to set up our veterinary clinic, she weakly wagged her tail and lifted her head in greeting. We were just driving by and Lucy insisted we pull off the road so I could meet Elefanta and give my medical opinion of her condition. Lucy had encountered Elefanta on a recent errand to Tulum.
When she did stand, it was a struggle. It was obvious that she had suffered several serious injuries. She was reluctant to put weight on her left front leg which I palpated and felt a healing fracture of her radius/ulna. She was also weak in her hindquarters. The asymmetry of her frame and muscle atrophy of her thighs told of an old pelvic fracture. The proprietor said that passersby often kicked her as she lay in front of the concession and a car probably had hit her at least once. As we walked away she hobbled after us wagging her tail. It was obvious that Elefanta already had a bond with Lucy. We couldn’t take her that day, but knew she would get a meal until our clinic opened. The woman promised to bring her by to be vaccinated and spayed.
Two days passed and finally, Elefanta arrived at our clinic, improvised in a closed laundry facility. She seemed stronger than before and greeted everyone with her weak tail wag, a tilt of her head and submissive bend of her body. Her skin was covered sparsely with dull hair that couldn’t disguise the underlying skin condition--- thickened by chronic mange and flea infestation. Her teeth gleamed white and her eyes were bright and clear. It looked like she had recently weaned a litter of pups. Elefanta had a certain shine in her eyes that revealed a special spirit and hope in the face of great adversity.
I spayed Elefanta; we vaccinated her and started her treatment for the mange. At least she wouldn’t have the burden of raising pups or the risk of contracting transmissible venereal tumor, a common tumor we found in the Tulum dogs. The tumor grows in the vagina or penis, a large ulcerative cauliflower-like mass that eventually restricts the passage of urine. After surgery she was moved into the recovery area with some puppies and a few other dogs. Owners came in the afternoon to pick up their pets; no one came for Elefanta.
The next day she seemed even stronger. She enjoyed her breakfast and the attention she got from all of us. Still no one came to get her. It was apparent that she was expected to find her way back to the concession or whatever. She touched everyone in a special way and found benefactors. I dearly wanted to bring back with me to Boulder, to allow her skin to heal and her hair to grow back thick and shiny, to see her romp in a grassy park and share her special greeting with others. Unfortunately, the airlines had placed an embargo on pets due to the heat. She was too big to be brought back as carry-on luggage. We found her a foster home and a sponsor to provide funds for her care until we could arrange her transport to the US or until a permanent loving home is found for her locally.
"Fanta" lived her last years in a jungle hideaway with 3 other similarly abandoned dogs, a dozen or so cats, two horses and Lucy, the woman who convinced the concession owner to bring her to our clinic. Lucy is the local unofficial shelter for animals, but alone, she cannot afford their veterinary care or the burden of feeding and caring for so many alone.
Fanta died in February 2004 and will be missed by many and always remembered.
Lesli Hick, DMV
Donations were made in loving memory of Mulatto by Kenward and Sara Post Lee
|
|
|
