ohmidog!

It’s time for an update on Hector — the scraggly and toothless American Eskimo dog who, when we first met him, looked every bit as down on his luck as he was.

Since then, Hector, as we reported, found a new long term foster care home, has been enjoying free K-9 Kraving Raw Diet dog food (easier on the gums), has been checked out by more vets and specialists — with more visits ahead — and got himself spiffed up with a grooming (also contributed by K-9 Kraving) from Kelly at Dogma.

Here’s what he’s looking like these days.

For a video on Hector’s progress, put together by K-9 Kraving, which is documenting Hector’s response to a raw diet, combined with ample portions of love and care, click here.

In addition to the before and after, we’ve gotten some information that predates before. We still don’t know anything about Hector’s life prior to BARCS — though suspicions are he may have had his teeth removed so he could be a bait dog for dogfighters. But we do have new information on how he ended up at BARCS.

Tom Askey, who teaches American Government to 10th graders at Patterson High School, said Hector was found lingering around the door to the school, cold and shaking.

“When I tried to get close to him to see if he was okay, he ran from me towards the ball fields and Lombard Street. He then ran across a busy Kane Street into an area that was fenced in by the City Sanitation facility. He was cornered and super-sweet. Just layed down in a pile of garbage. I called a friend at school who I knew wasn’t teaching and owned a dog while I stayed there and talked to him. He drove over to us, gave me his dog’s leash and we fashioned a leash without a collar…

“But I didn’t have a break till 1:30 and it was only 10:30. I left my car running (a little dicey in that neighborhood and with 1500 high school students there), gave him my lunch, and then had my students go out and periodically check on him. They brought him water and all kinds of love. I brought him down to BARCS and prayed for the best. I called BARCS once, but didnt want to get bad news about him so I kind of let it go.”

Askey continued: “I was so touched by your posts/video on him and the progress videos that are posted on the K-9 Kraving website. The fact that people are doing such great things with him really moves me. In a town full of stray animals and badly-behaving humans, Im still struggling to grasp that this little dog I found is getting so much attention and love. Really really heart-warming.”

Hector was pulled from BARCS by Sallyann Jennings, on behalf of the rescue group Stop Killing Dogs. Since then, a number of people have stepped in to help him out. Tobey McGuinness provided short term foster care, and Hector’s now living in a long term foster home with Dave Adams, owner of FlexPrint Graphics.

Several veterinary organizations have also offered to assess Hector’s issues. He’s a little wobbly on the back end, and may have some hearing problems, which could be related to sinus issues and gaping holes in his mouth from tooth extraction. We’ll keep you updated on those as well in the weeks ahead.

My brief experience fostering a dog over the weekend — a lively and lovable pup named Fanny — renewed my admiration for those who do it regularly, my own fading memories of puppyhood, and my appreciation for my dog Ace, who was, for the most part, both dependable role model and patient host.

Fanny, who was pulled out of BARCS by the new local rescue group Stop Killing Dogs, is back at the Downtown Dog Resort & Spa, out of which the group works, and available for adoption.

My best guess is she’s part chocolate Lab, part German shepherd, with a small sprinkling of pit bull. Eight months old, she’s sweet, smart, recently spayed, with a lush silvery-brown, short-haired coat. She’ll probably grow into a good-sized dog, and, with proper upbringing, a well-behaved one.

She’s sociable, but sometimes snarly with other dogs. A couple of times she growled and jumped on Ace, but he quickly put Fanny in her place. By weekend’s end, she seemed enamored with him, following him like a shadow, which Ace tolerated.

Ace, who is four, also came from BARCS (Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter). Fanny’s let’s play, let’s play, Energizer bunny enthusiasm brought back memories of his puppyhood — at least to me, if not him.

Fanny’s previous name was Wonder Woman, and she ended up in shelter when her owner could no longer care for her.

Sunday afternoon, we returned her to Downtown Dog Resort & Spa and said our goodbyes. The new kennel and veterinary center was built by Baltimore attorney Barry Glazer, who is also involved in the rescue group. His hope, according to its website, is to rescue dogs and make a profit at the same time. In addition to seeking new permanent homes for homeless dogs, the rescue is seeking volunteers to serve as foster parents.

It’s a good way to liven up a weekend, or more, and the hardest part, most foster parents will tell you, is saying goodbye at the end — breaking the bond you just made.

While the time’s not right for me to have another dog, there were times it entered my mind — such as when both of us were on the couch, and she, her head on my belly, gazed into my eyes for about 60 seconds.

Twice, I had to ask her to stop doing that.

If you’re interested in adopting Fanny/Wonder Woman — the rescue charges a $200 adoption fee – send an email to  sallyannjennings@gmail.com, or stopkillingdogs@gmail.com.

It may not take a village to save a dog, but the more people that pitch in, the easier it is.

Take Hector. His headed-for-a-happy-ending story is the kind that happens thousands of times a day. At it’s simplest, it’s merely a matter of well-intentioned people communicating. But when you take a closer look, it’s amazing, and a little inspiring, how many people can get involved to save one dog.

First, in Hector’s case, came the animal control officers who swooped him up.

Found wandering at a Baltimore park, Hector — believed to be, beneath all his scraggliness, an American Eskimo dog — was taken to Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS), where staff and volunteers cared for him, gave him a name, arranged to have him neutered, and assessed his temperament and condition. The former was fine. The latter needed some work.

Hector was not just underweight. He was toothless.

He showed no other apparent injuries, but some suspect Hector, because his teeth appear to have been pulled, might have been used as a “bait dog” by dogfighters. Because the wounds in his mouth were still open, and subject to infection, Hector was taken to veterinarian Marcella Bonner, of Swan Park Animal Hospital.

She tried to repair his gums, but the holes were too big. Hector probably needs a specialist, and even then — once the holes in his gums are healed — isn’t likely to be gnawing any bones.

Hector was returned to BARCS, but, because of his medical problems and his less than stellar appearance, he was an unlikely candidate for adoption — the only alternative to which is to end up on the PTS (put to sleep) list.

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