David & Rascal's Story
We originally went out to the property David was living at because we got an email that there was a dog that had been left abandoned on the property for about 6 months. We were told that the dog was waiting by the mailbox for its owners to return. When we got there we found the trailer and it appeared to be completely abandoned - it was falling apart, had no front door (just a mess of things piled up to "look" like a door), the grass was 4 to 5 feet tall, and there were beat up cars in the drive way with no windows in them. We would have never thought anyone lived there. We found the dog and she seemed frightened so we spent 2 days working with her before we finally got her into our car and brought her home. We put a posting on craigslist asking if anyone was interested in giving her a forever home. Amazingly one of the next door neighbors saw the post (just about the only neighbors who knew someone was living inside) and contacted me to let me know the dog had an owner!
We thought there must have been a mistake since no one could live in that trailer! We took her back the next morning and sure enough a 71 year old physically handicapped man was living inside. He said his name was David, and that he was so grateful to get her back, he had 2 other dogs living inside with him and this was his "yard dog" Sheena. He said he had no family at all, not much in the way of friends, and that these dogs were all he had. His wife died about 3 years prior and everything seemed to just go downhill after that.
He was so frail and his legs and back were in such bad shape he could only talk to us for a minute before he had to get back into bed. We told him we wanted to help him and he thanked us, saying that he appreciated any help he could get at this point. I wanted to get APS involved but we were trying to fix his situation ourselves so he and the dogs could stay together. We came back a few days later and spent an entire day cleaning up the property-we hung a brand new front door for him, cleared the yard of all the grass and brush, removed 2 truck beds full of garbage and debris from around the trailer, shaved Sheena down, as her fur was matted, and put a new collar with tags on her with our phone number just in case; we were not even sure if David had a phone. The place actually looked like someone lived there when we were done!!
We started coming back regularly to make sure David was ok and try to talk him into letting us do work inside the trailer- as it was in very bad shape from years of him not being very mobile. We came out each time and spent time with Sheena and brought food and water. When David was too weak to get up and answer the door I would make Matt use the spare key we kept from the door we put on to sneak in and check on him!
We thought there must have been a mistake since no one could live in that trailer! We took her back the next morning and sure enough a 71 year old physically handicapped man was living inside. He said his name was David, and that he was so grateful to get her back, he had 2 other dogs living inside with him and this was his "yard dog" Sheena. He said he had no family at all, not much in the way of friends, and that these dogs were all he had. His wife died about 3 years prior and everything seemed to just go downhill after that.
He was so frail and his legs and back were in such bad shape he could only talk to us for a minute before he had to get back into bed. We told him we wanted to help him and he thanked us, saying that he appreciated any help he could get at this point. I wanted to get APS involved but we were trying to fix his situation ourselves so he and the dogs could stay together. We came back a few days later and spent an entire day cleaning up the property-we hung a brand new front door for him, cleared the yard of all the grass and brush, removed 2 truck beds full of garbage and debris from around the trailer, shaved Sheena down, as her fur was matted, and put a new collar with tags on her with our phone number just in case; we were not even sure if David had a phone. The place actually looked like someone lived there when we were done!!
We started coming back regularly to make sure David was ok and try to talk him into letting us do work inside the trailer- as it was in very bad shape from years of him not being very mobile. We came out each time and spent time with Sheena and brought food and water. When David was too weak to get up and answer the door I would make Matt use the spare key we kept from the door we put on to sneak in and check on him!
In September of 2011 I spent two weeks in the hospital so we did not go out to see David and the dogs for several weeks. One Saturday after I was released from the hospital we went to do our regular check on everyone only to find that the trailer had burnt to the ground. One dog remained on the property, sitting in a burned up pile that used to be his home. We were informed by the neighbors that the man was taken away by the Red Cross, one dog perished in the fire, and another dog was taken to the local SPCA. We contacted the SPCA to learn, that yes, they had the dog at one point but felt it was not adoptable and it had been euthanized. We also learned that they were unable to catch the last dog...so they left him. This is the dog that we found when we got the property, he was terrified and thin, very afraid, as he had been left alone for 2 months, with no food and his owner and other dogs were gone. We did everything we could to rescue this dog, we went out to him for several days to try to get him to come to us. Slowly he started taking Whataburgers out of my hands and even let me pet him but flinched each time. We were even given a kennel by a nice man we met while going to buy a cage to catch him in but the dog was just too nervous to trust us enough to go in.
We found out where David was, living at a nursing and rehab facility in a nearby city, went and got him and took him to his old home site, where he could see the devastation from his burned out trailer and relive the nightmare. As a last resort we thought that, just maybe, the dog would be put at ease seeing his owner once again. Rascal (the surviving dog) knew David was with us, he was so excited as we pulled up. We have pictures and video of this wonderful moment when David & Rascal were reunited. Matt has gone back to the burned out trailer to find the only thing that David wants to find from the ashes: his wedding ring.
We found out where David was, living at a nursing and rehab facility in a nearby city, went and got him and took him to his old home site, where he could see the devastation from his burned out trailer and relive the nightmare. As a last resort we thought that, just maybe, the dog would be put at ease seeing his owner once again. Rascal (the surviving dog) knew David was with us, he was so excited as we pulled up. We have pictures and video of this wonderful moment when David & Rascal were reunited. Matt has gone back to the burned out trailer to find the only thing that David wants to find from the ashes: his wedding ring.
UPDATE TO DAVID'S STORY
Over the following months Matt, Rascal, and I would go see David at the nursing home and grew to consider him our "adopted grandpa". David became part of our family, very near and dear to our hearts. We had David over to our house for Thanksgiving Dinner, took him for doctor's visits, and helped him collect the pieces of his life after the fire. He in turn referred to us as "the kids" and had made the decision to move to Michigan with us when we moved home in February.
One Saturday in January, 2012, a few weeks before we were to move, we called David to let him know we would be on our way for our usual visit, except that he did not answer. A woman answered his phone and informed us that David was in the hospital and was in very serious condition. We rushed to the hospital and found David hooked up to what seemed like a million machines and wires, with tubes everywhere. David was on life support and the doctors and nurses told us that he would not be coming out of this. He had suffered congestive heart failure, and an ultrasound showed that only half of his heart was had any function at all.
What followed was the most difficult and emotional experience of our lives. David had so trusted us and the bond between us had grown so strong that he had made Matt his medical power of attorney. So the heartwrenching decision whether or not to remove life-support fell to us. Standing by his hospital bed, hold his hands in ours, we asked for guidance on the "right" thing to do. In the end, David made the decision somewhat less painful for us. His organs began to fail, his breathing began to slow and all of his vital signs began to drop. The nurses and doctors felt this was his way of telling us it was okay, that we were making the right choice and that the time had come.
David Ralph Martin passed away on January 15th, 2012. He is forever in our hearts and in our thoughts. We cherish the memories of the days we had together and we will always live up to our promise to him: to give Rascal the best, most loving home any dog could ever want.
One Saturday in January, 2012, a few weeks before we were to move, we called David to let him know we would be on our way for our usual visit, except that he did not answer. A woman answered his phone and informed us that David was in the hospital and was in very serious condition. We rushed to the hospital and found David hooked up to what seemed like a million machines and wires, with tubes everywhere. David was on life support and the doctors and nurses told us that he would not be coming out of this. He had suffered congestive heart failure, and an ultrasound showed that only half of his heart was had any function at all.
What followed was the most difficult and emotional experience of our lives. David had so trusted us and the bond between us had grown so strong that he had made Matt his medical power of attorney. So the heartwrenching decision whether or not to remove life-support fell to us. Standing by his hospital bed, hold his hands in ours, we asked for guidance on the "right" thing to do. In the end, David made the decision somewhat less painful for us. His organs began to fail, his breathing began to slow and all of his vital signs began to drop. The nurses and doctors felt this was his way of telling us it was okay, that we were making the right choice and that the time had come.
David Ralph Martin passed away on January 15th, 2012. He is forever in our hearts and in our thoughts. We cherish the memories of the days we had together and we will always live up to our promise to him: to give Rascal the best, most loving home any dog could ever want.