Critter Stories
Bishop Before
This was Bishop's life before he came to Cedar Valley Humane Society. Thick mats of hair trapped him in his own body, tugging and pulling on his skin in a devilish web of pain. It’s hard to imagine how he could walk, move, urinate, or even see. Sickening and sad but this was his reality. Circumstances that trap animals in a spiral of inhumanity is not uncommon in the Eastern Iowa area. Luckily for Bishop, he landed in the right place! CVHS contacted us to assist with his medical issues.
Bishop After
Bishop had surgery July 5th for a patella luxation at Frey Pet Hospital. Once this knee is healed it's onto his next one! CC wants to take this opportunity to say a HUGE THANK YOU to our donors and supporters. None of this would be possible without you. Bishop also says Pooches Gracias!
ZEKE
Zeke was struck by a vehicle and sustained injuries that included his left eye and a badly fractured humerus that will require surgery. The break is very close to the elbow joint so he will most likely need an external fixation and several months to heal. Fur Fun Rescue will care for Zeke during his recovery. We've got ya covered big boy!
HOPE
Hope was gravely injured as a 4 month old puppy. A victim of suspected abuse which left her with two fractured hips, a fractured femur, damaged eye, multiple surgeries and months of recovery.
She is pictured here as takes her last few paddles in the therapy pool at ISU's Lloyds Small Animal Hospital. It has been our good fortune to be on this amazing journey with her. Hope has been an inspiration to SO many! She is a survivor of epic proportions and holds no grudges of her past! What a girl! Nothing but love and respect for her
MR MOUSE
WHO NAMES A KITTEN MR. MOUSE?
We LOVE the name for this tiny kitten!. This baby was a hot little mess but thanks to the care from the great folks at the Anamosa Vet Clinic and to our friends at Gems Forever for fostering this little cutie, Mr. Mouse not only has a new name, but an entirely new life! Kristen Shook, a vet tech at Anamosa will be a great foster mom and gave this tiny tyke a memorable name!
LILLY ROSE
Our medical miracle Lilly Rose is now 3 years old! When she was 3 months of age she was diagnosed with 4 different defects in her tiny little heart! Puppies generally die before their first birthday with this condition. When Lilly Rose came to Critter Crusaders for treatment, we set out on a mission to save her life. Her journey led us to Colorado State University, one of the world leaders in animal heart surgery. Lilly has had two ground breaking heart surgeries which will help many other dogs. Quite a legacy for one little beagle! CSU will continue to follow Lilly her entire life. Lilly Rose now enjoys a normal, healthy life with only two medications. You are a true gift to the many people who love you. Happy 3rd Birthday Girl!
BERT
Little kitten Bert came to us through Last Hope. He has been diagnosed with an injury to his brachial plexus which is a bundle of nerves around the shoulders and neck. Because of this injury, he has limited use of his front limbs. But that doesn’t slow him down! We think he’s pretty darn cute!
LARRY
What an life of adventure Larry has had! From emaciation, paralysis and surviving against all odds, he has a functional life on all 4 paws! This kitty continues to beat the odds!
Larry has been a little Critter Crusaders medical project from the start! Larry recently gave us quite a scare. He was vomiting after every meal! After spending 3 days in the hospital, filled with barium studies and x-rays, no obstruction or ongoing issue was found! Whew! After his last set of x-rays, while still under sedation it was decided not to waste an anesthesia and have him neutered! As you can guess, when we picked Larry up to return him to his foster home, he looked upset! Poor boy! Came in for a bowel obstruction and left neutered!
TAGINI
One very special moment in the life of foster mom…
Tagini was feral when she was struck by a car. After surgery through CC, Tag was placed at Fur Fun Rescue and into the home of Alison and Travis.There just aren’t enough words to express what a foster mom or dad means to a homeless pet. Many times these animals have been discarded, neglected, sick, injured or abused.
They each have a story to tell and it’s the foster family who unravels it bit by bit. Fostering is by far the most altruistic, hard earned link in the entire rescue chain. It’s where the most incredible things can happen. Over the past two months as Tag recovered from surgery, she avoided eye contact, affection and any type of attention…until last week. The photo tells the whole story. A giant breakthrough and a few extraordinary moments captured in the life of a little dog who did not trust people. We say Thank You to all foster parents and wish you each a moment of sheer joy like Alison’s. It is so worth the effort!
CLYDE
Thanks to HEART Rescue, Clyde…aka Dude, had surgery through Critter Crusaders for a bowel obstruction that would have proven fatal! He is fully recovered and doing fantastic!
TAGINI
Tagini came to us through Fur Fun Rescue. She was hit by a vehicle and had surgery for a broken forelimb. It was later discovered that the impact of the vehicle had also caused a tear in her pericardium, the protective sack around the heart. This diagnosis changed her simple case into a complex one. But we won’t give up on this little girl! It’s complex cases like this that require us to constantly fund raise to meet the overwhelming needs of the animals we serve.
ZEB
Zeb is a VERY SPECIAL CC Alumi! His pelvis was crushed after being struck at high speed and thrown into a ditch to die. Fate stepped in when Spencer Garlinghouse saw Zeb’s head poking out of the ditch as he drove by. Spence contacted Critter Crusaders and with some coaching, rescued Zeb. From there, Zeb’s story of survival spanned over 7 months and a huge surgery to piece him back together. Today, Zeb is very happily adopted. He can run and play like a normal dog. As you can see by his picture, he is also spoiled like every pet should be!
REBEL
Meet Rebel, from Cedar Valley Put Bull Rescue. Rebel is a 2 year old female Boxer with a very dramatic case of heart-worms. This disease places her into a potentially high risk category for treatment. She will need everyone to send their good thoughts to her. We gotcha Rebel girl! No worries!
MAX
Max came from our friends at Cedar Valley Humane Society who brought him to Iowa from Tennessee. He was in bad condition when he arrived. Max has been diagnosed with Aspergillosis, a fungal infection not common to Iowa. Once diagnosed, the treatment is very complex and expensive so CVHS asked for our assistance and it has been nothing but a pleasure!