Clearwater Hounds Update

It's been three months since I first stepped out of my truck into the mud and filth that the Clearwater Hounds called home; since their rescue the dogs have made steady progress, and while they still have a lot of work ahead of them, I'm happy to report that the girls are happy, gaining confidence every day, and are perhaps healthier than they have been in their entire lives. All four dogs were spayed and vaccinated two weeks ago, finally healthy enough to undergo the procedures.

Mabel continues to be the easiest of the four to handle, although she still prefers to only go outside for a few minutes at a time. During her spay operation, Mabel had a tumor removed from her side and a second one removed from one of her ovaries; thankfully, and somewhat to my surprise, both masses were benign. As she continues to gain weight and her fur grows back, after perhaps years of battling an awful skin infection, Mabel loves her socialization with the Sanctuary staff. She seems to be more tolerant of other dogs as well, and perhaps soon she'll be able to socialize with some of the the other hounds who live here. We will continue to work with Mabel to help her enjoy the outdoors, but we won't push her too hard - if she'd prefer to stay inside, that's her choice.

The other three girls have been named: Lila is the biggest of the group, Betsy is the mother dog, and Rudy is the puppy. Lila has made the most progress of the three; she calmly approaches staff and visitors to seek affection. This gives Rudy the confidence to interact with people as well, although she has a difficult time being calm - not surprising for a puppy. Betsy remains somewhat timid and independent, but all three younger dogs happily follow our staff around the yard, take treats from our hands, and Rudy has even shown some interest in chasing a ball. Even though they are alert and easily spooked, when the dogs are outside they are all about having fun: running and chasing each other, sniffing the ground and the air, and taking an occasional dip in the pond. One of the rare benefits the Sanctuary provides is the stability these girls feel in being kept together; every so often, two or three dogs arrive here that are very bonded to one another, and we opt to keep them together to minimize their stress and help them to feel safer. Most rescues have to split dogs up to increase their chances of adoption, but we feel that in the case of the Clearwater Hounds, this would be highly traumatic, and since we're a permanent placement facility, we don't have to even consider it. We're happy that we can keep their family together as they undergo continued rehabilitation, become more confident and outgoing, and forget the time in their lives when they were chained in their own waste, rife with infection, and stinking from substandard nutrition.

Construction on the new wing of our building that will house the hounds was delayed by an unexpected complication in the form of a sinkhole we uncovered while installing a drainage system in our yard, but we have gotten back on track with the project and expect to have the outer shell of the building completed within a couple of weeks, weather permitting. The roof is going up this week. The ongoing retrofitting and improvement of our building ensures that we are able to provide ever-better housing and care for the dogs that have their home with us.
You can help us by continuing to support the Clearwater Hounds through Causes.com, by donating through our website, or you can mail your donation to Olympic Animal Sanctuary, 1021 Russell Road, Forks, WA 98331.

Thanks so much to all of you for your support for these special dogs over the last three months, and we hope you'll continue to help us erase the horrors of their past and give them the lives that all dogs deserve.

Steve Markwell

Posted on February 1, 2011 | Link