Sweet Ralph is a 5 yr old cattle dog mix that urgently needs to get out.
Behavior Notes:
6/30/17 moderate kennel pull- pulled dog from back of kennel- trembling/shaking; walked on leash; warmed up as time progressed in yard; tolerant of other dogs; anxious when left alone and wanted to be with handlers/other dogs; gentle dainty. due to dog’s initial timidity recommend family and dog intro
7/24/17 Ralph is a regular in gentle dainty play groups; he greets/inspects other dogs, mingles, and coexists without issue; enjoys petting from handlers
Update August 3rd 2017:
Hey all! So we are arranging to have an East volunteer transport Ralph to Alta Vista in the morning. The plan is to have him there at 7 AM when they open.
Kim is doing a home check for the new foster late morning. Everything is kind of up in the air right now until he sees the vet and we know if he’s going to be able to go home with the new foster that afternoon etc. Everything is going to hinge on exactly what we figure out is going on with him.
Update August 4th 2017:
Freedom ride for Ralph! He is out of the shelter and on his way to Alta Vista Veterinary Hospital!
He is in good spirits and ready to fight this! He has been rescued by M.A.I.N, and his medical treatment is anticipated to be expensive. Thank you Kim Mason for your assistance getting him out!
Update later on August 4th 2017:
These are the posts that we hate to write, but sometimes things don’t go exactly as planned…..
Today started out as a happy day. Ralph was sprung from the shelter this morning by some of his favorite ladies, and taken to the vet. Those of you that have followed his story around FB know that he suffered some type of sudden spinal injury and was paralyzed. Several wonderful people worked behind the scenes to make his rescue happen.
Sadly, the decision was made to help him cross the bridge. His girls stayed with him, he got a massage and lots of kisses, and then he was gone.
We spoke to the vet at length. We reached out to other vets for other opinions, but it was determined that his odds of recovery were less than 10% even with surgery. He had a Hansen type II IVDD lesion. Prognosis for this injury is grave. He lost bowel and bladder control. He had Grade 5 (on a scale of 1-5) paralysis with loss of deep pain response. It was as bad as it gets, and not the outcome we were hoping for. Ralph was distressed, and having to move him was just causing him more injury.
Thank you to Kim, Mj and Elizabeth for being there for Ralph and advocating for his rescue. Thank you to Trudi for opening your home to foster. Thank you to Dr. Frasier and the team Alta Vista Veterinary Hospital. And finally, thank you to Ralph, for being so sweet despite his horrific injuries, and for bringing a bright spot to our day, even if it was but for a moment.
Rest easy, Ralph. 
💔
