Weekly Photo Challenge: Fresh

Weekly Photo Challenge: Fresh.

Fresh – it’s a state (new, recent, previously unknown).

Prior to July 19, 2013, I had never heard of a Treeing Walker Coonhound.

On July 19, 2013, we were scouting the trail head for a hike along the Appalachian Trail which starts at Deep Gap, North Carolina. To reach Deep Gap, you must use Forest Service (FS) Road 71. We found the trail head and then on our way back out on FS Road 71, we saw an emaciated dog in the middle of the road.

When we stopped the car, the dog went back into the woods. We called to the dog but she stayed put in the woods. We could tell that the dog was not in good shape. We lured the dog to our truck using Little Debbie “Nutty Bars.”

We stroked her entire body and since she was not aggressive, we lifted her into the truck.

We took her to the Macon County Humane Society but unfortunately they were full.

So, we took her to the Macon County Animal Control (828-349-2106).

She was treated for mange and given shots for Bordetella and parvovirus. She did not have a microchip.

The Macon County Animal Control must hold her for 10 days. They asked us for a name for the dog and we named her “Cullowhee” since we are attending the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s 2013 Biennial Conference in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

We were told that she was a Treeing Walker Coonhound. She seems like a very sweet girl who needs a good home.

I contacted two Coonhound rescue organizations via e-mail. I did not get any response.

I posted messages on the Facebook pages for two rescue organizations. I did not get any response.

This is uncharted territory for us. Any help would be appreciated! Please share!

** Update as of August 7, 2013 **
Cullowhee was transferred on August 5, 2013 to the Macon County Humane Society. She still has some mange on her legs and needs to continue to put on weight before she can be spayed.

** Update as of August 15, 2013 **
Cullowhee was evaluated by a vet yesterday. It appears that her skin condition is caused by a yeast infection and not mange. She is being treated for the yeast infection and hopefully it will improve in a week.

** Update as of August 29, 2013 **
Cullowhee is responding well to the medication for the yeast infection on her skin and ears. She is continuing to gain weight. If her health continues to improve, she may be spayed next Wednesday.

** Update as of September 18, 2013 **
Cullowhee was healthy enough to be spayed today.

** Update as of September 20, 2013 **
Cullowhee was evaluated by a local dog trainer this morning. The trainer said that she is underweight and still has a pretty bad skin issues but is a very sweet dog.

Cullowhee passed the “cat” test with flying colors. Cullowhee entered the cat room and 4 cats came right up to her – apparently she has a great cat vibe!

We dropped off clothing and household items at the Humane Society Thrift Store – several nice folks came out and helped us unload the boxes.

Humane Society Thrift Store

We arrived at the Macon County Humane Society around 2:30 PM. We donated 5 large bags of dog food and 5 large bags of cat food.

The staff brought Cullowhee out to the main room and we got to spend time with her. It was good to see her energetic with her tail wagging. She was interested in all the animals and the people in the room.

We were glad that the trainer told us about her skin condition so we were not surprised when we saw her. We took her for walk and it was clear that she does not know any commands. Lisa said that she was not house broken.

The staff was thrilled when we agreed to adopt Cullowhee! It was clear that they had all loved Cullowhee when they were saying their goodbyes.

Lisa

Saying goodbye

Once all the paperwork was complete, we loaded up the dog and headed north.

Saying goodbye to NC

We stopped for the night in Erwin, TN. We put Cullowhee in the crate for the night and she barked and whined. Since we were staying at a motel and did not want to disturb the other guests, we let her out of the crate and put her on the bed with us. Once we turned out the lights, she curled up into a ball and slept like a log.

Even though she is not housebroken, she did not attempt to go to the bathroom in the motel room.

** Update as of September 21, 2013 **
The ride today was uneventful and Cullowhee slept most of the way. It was raining when we arrived home so we put Indigo’s old raincoat on Cullowhee to keep her dry. We were told to keep her dry for 1 week after her spaying.

When we brought Cullowhee into the house, all the cats ran downstairs. But within 2 minutes the kittens were upstairs assessing the newest member of their family. Springer seems to be very interested in Cullowhee.