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[MThanded]

For the lazy there is a TL;DR at the bottom of this post.


I apologize for typos. I'm heated right now. I haven't been this mad in a long time.


Everyone say hello to Ace. He's a sweet and obedient dog that has been a part of my family for less than 72 hours.

Let me start by saying I have never had a pet in my life. However, my GF of ten years and I decided we were going to get a dog this year. Initially we were interested in getting a pure bred corgie. However, after seeing so many rescue dogs in need of a home we decided that grabbing a rescue would be a great idea.

We contacted a local rescue organization in Baltimore and went through the application process. Had to get three character references. We had a phone interview. Finally we were approved. Next you have to pay 280 dollars. They use this money to support the rescuing of new dogs and to run the organization.

I guess I should add some background on the organization ( I'm not going to share the name right now). They rescue from high kill shelters, vaccinate, spay/neuter and microchip the dog. Then they place the dog in a foster home until an adopter is found.

During the application process we looked on the site to find some dogs we were interested in seeing. Every weekend they do a thing where some of the dogs that people have requested are brought to a petsmart. We went there to see 2 dogs. One of the dogs did not care for us at all. Wouldn't even eat a treat from either of us. The other dog was extremely well behaved and agreeable. We actually left the petsmart thinking we were going to attempt to adopt her. However, we set up an appointment to see some other dogs at a foster's home.

This foster has 8 dogs from this organization and 24 rescues in total. Additionally, he breeds german shepherds on the side. We showed up to see 2 dogs. However, he showed us 4. The last dog we saw there was a little runt( they used to call him jordan). He was clearly underweight and had a thin coat. However, because many dogs are neglected this is not a surprise. This is not a problem that some overfeeding couldn't solve. We agreed that we wanted the guy.

Fast forward to a week later ( Friday April 17th). I took the day off from work so we could pick the little guy up. He hopped right into the car crate and we took off. Not a peep in the car. Dude was just chillin. We went to get him washed. During this time we noticed his skin was red. Didn't really think anything of it though. The groomers seemed to think it was just a contact dermatitis issue( skin allergy). He did great with his wash. Didn't react to any of the other dogs and hopped back in the car when it was done.

We get him home on friday afternoon. Took him for a walk so he would do his business. He had no problem pooping and peeing. Next we took him into the house to crate him and feed him. After feeding him we noticed that he was scratching himself pretty badly. I've never owned a dog before but, the amount he was scratching did not seem normal. I looked closer at his coat and saw that some of his body had marks and spots that were balder than others. About this time we submit a request to get the vet records from the rescue.

A side note, he eats and drinks like eating and drinking is going out of style. The guy can't get enough food. He also won't play with a toy unless it related to food.

Saturday he was still scratching like a wild man. When i woke up on Saturday I heard him scratching so much that the crate was shaking. Took him for his walk and fed him. During the day I saw even more scratching, biting, and licking. It was infuriating to see him do it. I could tell he was not happy. Additionally, he would sigh every now and then. We had a wellness visit scheduled for next weekend. However, I suggested we move it to Tuesday.

Sunday morning I get up to walk him. He's scratching even worse. His skin is full of red marks and spots. Some I did not see the day before. We decide to take him to the animal hospital down the street ( one of the top rated animal hospitals in the state). We get him there and we gets weighed. He comes in at 35 pounds. He's like 15-20 pounds underweight. We expected this. What we did not expect is what came next. He was diagnosed with scabies(Sarcoptic Mange) and a secondary skin infection. This is serious stuff. Luckily dog-borne scabies can hop to humans but it cannot survive long. We still need to be very careful around him and cannot interact with him that much. We dropped the 350 dollars on the visit and the medication so we can get this guy in order. He is our dog and we are dedicated to getting him where he needs to be.

Skip to a few minutes ago. We get the vet records from the rescue. On January 26th he weight 47 pounds. 47-35 is 12 pounds. During his stay at the foster he lost 12 pounds. That is a ridiculous amount of weight. Additionally, there was no sign of mange during his visit in january.

This along is very upsetting. The rescue is supposed to be placing the dogs with foster homes that will take care of him. Clearly the foster for this guy was not taking care of him. Even if there is some other underlying problem for his weight loss, he should have told the rescue that he was getting smaller. Additionally, since he has a bunch of other dogs, it is likely that Ace got mange from a dog there. His feeding habits make me believe he was being fed with a bunch of other dogs and maybe had to struggle to get the food he needed.


Tomorrow we will be having a call with the rescue. I'm going to drop that hot fire on them. This is ridiculous and they should be ensuring that their dogs are getting the care they need. This seems like negligence.

I needed to vent. This has been upsetting to say the least. Not what I expected at all.

TL;DR : My new dog( of 72 hours) was not getting the attention he needed at his foster home. He lost 15 pounds in 3 months and has the mange. All of this while under the care of a rescue organization. Already has a vet bill of 350 in less than 72 hours in my care. I'm mad as hell

 

[Stahsky]

Poor little thing. Hopefully that tail wags soon, now that you guys are in control of this nonsense.

 

[MThanded]

Poor little thing. Hopefully that tail wags soon, now that you guys are in control of this nonsense.

Despite his issues the guy is super happy on walks and we we feed him. He's also super obedient. Once things get on track I have no doubt he will be a great companion for years to come.

I can't believe the situation we have encountered. None of this is his fault. He doesn't deserve it.

 

[MThanded]

Another picture. This is from his online rescue profile.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I feel you brother. Recently rescued a puppy from a shelter. When I first met him he was fit as a fiddle, kind of shy but hey he warmed up to you really fast. When I got him a couple of weeks later (they had to do some early vaccines and snip snip his goodies) he refused to move and was skinnier than all hell (like easily 10 pounds underweight). I thought it was him being nervous so I picked him up. He started doing this coughing/gagging noise so I immediately assume I'm picking him up wrong. He's still doing it in the car, I think it's a nervous habit. Research it. Find out it's kennel cough. I go to the vet the next day and he has a high ass fever and has refused to eat the whole day prior to this and is on the floor breathing really heavily.

The vet tells me that in situations like these people usually put the dog to sleep. I burst out crying. When I calm down she tells me there's the option of either taking him to an overnight center ($1000 per night) or she gives me a bunch of antibacterial pills and some shit to inject him with. I do the latter, cost me a couple of hundred, and for the next two days I have to make his food into mush and force feed it to him with a fat syringe. That night I could barely sleep through the worry.

A couple of days later he's a bit better and already eating, drinking. It's a relief. So I start feeding him plenty to make him gain weight. We go again to the vet within the next week and he tests positive for tapeworms so they give me some medicine to mix into his food. Whatever, I'm already used to having to prepare his food.

Couple of days ago (4-5) I come back home from work and notice two patches of hair missing from his face and side of his body. Take him to vet thinking it's ringworm, but fortunately it's the less serious case of mange. He makes me go buy him some shit to squirt into his mouth and that's what I've been doing recently.

This dog has been a rollercoaster of stress and emotions from the regular puppy things (relieving himself inside once in a while, being an attention whore, training him to not jump on couch) mixed with all of the medical shit.

But you know what? It was all worth it. He might get me angry occasionally but I love this dog. Keep your chin up and keep chugging through these hard days and the dog will know how much you care.

Also funny enough I also wanted a corgi at first but decided to go with a rescue lol.

 

[Dennis]

I burst out crying. When I calm down she tells me there's the option of either taking him to an overnight center ($1000 per night) or she gives me a bunch of antibacterial pills and some shit to inject him with.

waaaaaaaaat

 

[Admiral Woofington]

waaaaaaaaat

That's what she told me, she might've exaggerated but the point was that I just recently started working and while it's a nice paying job I don't have that cash upfront. I've barely started to save up outside of the standard job 401k. And a lot of it has gone to paying for furniture and this dog haha.

 

[MThanded]

I feel you brother. Recently rescued a puppy from a shelter. When I first met him he was fit as a fiddle, kind of shy but hey he warmed up to you really fast. When I got him a couple of weeks later (they had to do some early vaccines and snip snip his goodies) he refused to move and was skinnier than all hell (like easily 10 pounds underweight). I thought it was him being nervous so I picked him up. He started doing this coughing/gagging noise so I immediately assume I'm picking him up wrong. He's still doing it in the car, I think it's a nervous habit. Research it. Find out it's kennel cough. I go to the vet the next day and he has a high ass fever and has refused to eat the whole day prior to this and is on the floor breathing really heavily.

The vet tells me that in situations like these people usually put the dog to sleep. I burst out crying. When I calm down she tells me there's the option of either taking him to an overnight center ($1000 per night) or she gives me a bunch of antibacterial pills and some shit to inject him with. I do the latter, cost me a couple of hundred, and for the next two days I have to make his food into mush and force feed it to him with a fat syringe. That night I could barely sleep through the worry.

A couple of days later he's a bit better and already eating, drinking. It's a relief. So I start feeding him plenty to make him gain weight. We go again to the vet within the next week and he tests positive for tapeworms so they give me some medicine to mix into his food. Whatever, I'm already used to having to prepare his food.

Couple of days ago (4-5) I come back home from work and notice two patches of hair missing from his face and side of his body. Take him to vet thinking it's ringworm, but fortunately it's the less serious case of mange. He makes me go buy him some shit to squirt into his mouth and that's what I've been doing recently.

This dog has been a rollercoaster of stress and emotions from the regular puppy things (relieving himself inside once in a while, being an attention whore, training him to not jump on couch) mixed with all of the medical shit.

But you know what? It was all worth it. He might get me angry occasionally but I love this dog. Keep your chin up and keep chugging through these hard days and the dog will know how much you care.

Also funny enough I also wanted a corgi at first but decided to go with a rescue lol.

Thanks for this. I'm sure your dog will come out well too. Hard to not love these awesome creatures.

 

[Octavia]

It seems to me that animal shelters and the like are just severely underfunded and understaffed. They should definitely be doing better, but they can't be expected to be infallible. As for animal rescue organizations, I don't know how much it differs so maybe it might be different. They should definitely be informed though of that issue, they might not even be aware honestly.

I know when I got my cat, they could barely tell me anything about her besides what the volunteers wrote on an index card taped to her cage, which was she was a lap cat and maybe didn't like other cats. However, she clearly had a constipation problem that they were exacerbating horrifically by giving her free range dry food all day, but had no idea about it. I'm absolutely amazed it didn't fuck up her colon and kill her. She also lightly stunk, was super greasy, and was definitely depressed despite having access to her favorite thing (food).

But, they're funding is minimal so ya-know, I didn't expect perfection.

Having her was also a roller coaster of medical issues and unsolvable problems. Luckily, it seems things are under control at this point.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

also this is pretty funny but I have a labrador mix most likely with pitbull and he has the same colors from what I see of your dog (white base with brown spots) and the painted pink lips with black spots haha. This is freaky. I don't mention the pitbull thing out loud because my complex has a no-aggressive breed policy but legally in all the papers all they have is "labrador mix". I love me some pitbulls but I really should've noticed when I first got the guy. He just looks like a spotted labrador with a big forehead.

 

[MThanded]

also this is pretty funny but I have a labrador mix most likely with pitbull and he has the same colors from what I see of your dog (white base with brown spots) and the painted pink lips with black spots haha. This is freaky. I don't mention the pitbull thing out loud because my complex has a no-aggressive breed policy but legally in all the papers all they have is "labrador mix". I love me some pitbulls but I really should've noticed when I first got the guy. He just looks like a spotted labrador with a big forehead.

Our rescue put boxer/bulldog mix on the papers. We told the animal hospital this. However, they put lab/pitbull mix without even confirming with us. Not sure what that is about.

 

[RoninChaos]

Hang in their bro. Dogs will love you like nothing else on this planet.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Our rescue put boxer/bulldog mix on the papers. We told the animal hospital this. However, they put lab/pitbull mix without even confirming with us. Not sure what that is about.

Animal hospital probably went with their gut and said it looks like he has pitbull in him (which he does seem to have). Mine does too. Legally some homes all they need is something on paper that assures them it isn't an aggressive breed for insurances purposes. If you still have the paper from the shelter that says otherwise that's all you probably need (assuming you're asking for situations like these).

 

[tycoonheart]

I rescued my dog from a shelter close to Baltimore too. He was only 8 weeks old when we got him though. We brought him home, and within a week he fell super ill. He had all kinds of issues. I ended up dropping close to a grand for vet visits and meds. He is 5 now and in perfect health. Some of these shelters keep these dogs in some of the worst conditions man.

 

[Mentaiko_Allergy]

I hope you have insurance my friend. I just recently went through some shit with my dog. I noticed my dog straining to pee thursday afternoon. I touched his side and he seemed to be guarding. I rushed him to the er. He got some xrays and was diagnosed with bladder stones. One of the stones made its way down to the urethra and caused an obstruction. Luckily, i got it early and he didn't get any blood toxemia. So he spent a night in the ER to get unobstructed and then had to have a cystotomy surgery (stone revoval) the following morning. The grand total for the er stay and surgery was a whopping 4000 something dollars...man. I love my dog to death, but vet care cost an arm and a leg. As soon my little dude recovers, i'm gonna look into pet insurance. It was a painful and expensive lesson learned.

 

[MThanded]

I hope you have insurance my friend. I just recently went through some shit with my dog. I noticed my dog straining to pee thursday afternoon. I touched his side and he seemed to be guarding. I rushed him to the er. He got some xrays and was diagnosed with bladder stones. One of the stones made its way down to the urethra and caused an obstruction. Luckily, i got it early and he didn't get any blood toxemia. So he spent a night in the ER to get unobstructed and then had to have a cystotomy surgery (stone revoval) the following morning. The grand total for the er stay and surgery was a whopping 4000 something dollars...man. I love my dog to death, but vet care cost an arm and a leg. As soon my little dude recovers, i'm gonna look into pet insurance. It was a painful and expensive lesson learned.

Seems like we need a support group.

 

[NoRéN]

Shit. Stuff like this makes me not want to try and adopt a dog from a shelter.

Also makes me realize how lucky I've been that my two dogs(rescued off the streets) never developed any serious health issues.

Well, one of my former dogs was allergic to corn.

...and certain types of grass.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Shit. Stuff like this makes me not want to try and adopt a dog from a shelter.

Also makes me realize how lucky I've been that my two dogs(rescued off the streets) never developed any serious health issues.

Well, one of my former dogs was allergic to corn.

...and certain types of grass.

It really is a luck of the draw type of situation. If you go with purebred/pedigree dogs from reputable breeder you have to be ready to pay anywhere from like 800 to 2000 depending on what breed you want. And that's JUST for the dog. For many people that's not an option and they might also want to give a dog that doesn't have a home and likely won't have one, a home.

 

[Iadien]

I left my dog with an animal care place for a week once, and he was super depressed for a good while after picking him up. He was so happy to get the hell out of there. Never again.

 

[Outdoor Miner]

Definitely report that foster to the rescue. Most rescues will screen and interview foster candidates to avoid situations such as these but its impossible to 100% prevent. If the rescue cares (and from my own experiences they do), they'll pull whatever other dogs of theirs that foster is harboring.

I'm glad you went the rescue route and saved the dog from what looks to have been a dire situation.

 

[MThanded]

He must really love us lol. He pooped in his crate last night. Somehow he managed to transport the poop like 5 inches outside of the crate.

 

[slider]

Man, that sucks. But I guess when organisations are dealing with large volumes (I assume), standards can slip. That is until you bring the issue to their attention. So good on you for doing the right thing and hopefully they'll take remedial action.

A friend of mine got a rescue a few years ago and I was helping out with training and noticed he had something similar. Took a lot of veterinary care to get him right.

 

[MThanded]

Man, that sucks. But I guess when organisations are dealing with large volumes (I assume), standards can slip. That is until you bring the issue to their attention. So good on you for doing the right thing and hopefully they'll take remedial action.

A friend of mine got a rescue a few years ago and I was helping out with training and noticed he had something similar. Took a lot of veterinary care to get him right.

If anything this thread seems to imply that this is the rule not the exception to the rule.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

He must really love us lol. He pooped in his crate last night. Somehow he managed to transport the poop like 5 inches outside of the crate.

Imagine being me where whenever I think "yeah I can finally leave him roaming around my/my friends house without fear he will do something inside I hear the sound of liquid being poured or go see where he is and I find some kids dropped off at the pool which by pool I mean carpet. and the issue is that if you don't catch him in the act he doesn't get it. But whatever regular puppy problems lol. I always make sure to praise him when he goes outside but by now he should be getting the message that I only do loud angry noises when he does it inside.

 

[slider]

If anything this thread seems to imply that this is the rule not the exception to the rule.

Yeah, just caught the other stories after I posted. Shit.

 

[EvilMario]

Ah man, the costs of pet ownership. We had to take our dog into an emergency clinic for a bite before. No stitches, just some anesthesia, cleaned the wound and released in about four hours. Still came in at just under five hundred bucks though. It's a shitty situation you were put in by their foster home. I wonder why people take the time to foster animals if they don't want to put any effort into it and just neglect them.

Our rescue's real issue when we first got him was his separation anxiety, which is pretty common with dogs that have been in and out of shelters, but varies wildly by the degree they experience it. Our guy was very severe so it took months of conditioning to stop him from chewing up stuff, but mostly, he just howled. It's really sad because dogs with SA get returned to shelters because of it, regressing again, and then it just becomes a cycle. We're renters, so we've moved twice in the 8 years we've had him and every time it's rough in a new place, but better slightly every time.

 

[studyguy]

When I first picked up my puppy from the shelter out in LA a good while back, she had a terrible TERRIBLE case of worms. They were supposed to be dewormed there, but HOLY FUCK. The poor girl was bloated to shit. Felt fucking awful, but she grew up big and healthy to be a lazy shit with some love and care.

 

[dskillzhtown]

Sad story. I got my dog from the humane society about 8 years ago. I went through alot of agencies, rescue groups before going there and I learned a few things.

1. Some groups are in it for purely profit. When I was reading the OP and saw that the guy was a breeder on the side, red flags went up. So this guy fosters a bunch of animals but still has time to breed dogs? Nope.
2. Some groups/individuals really don't have the time, money, resources to take care of animals. They want to help all the animals they can, and have never turn any away. Overcrowding leads to the same neglect that they are trying to protect the animals from. Ends up being a sad situation.
3. Sometimes your pet search should start with the a vet. The vet can give you advice about potential costs, common ailments of dogs in the pound or foster situations and usually can steer you in the right direction to getting a pet. The local humane society has a network of vets that you can take your dog to after you adopt free of charge. That way you can get a through exam for free and decide if any ailments are serious enough to make you reconsider.
4. Pets take a huge chunk of money out of your wallet. Accidents, illnesses, preventive care, monthly medicines are all associated costs. Heaven forbid you have to do surgery. Take that into account as well. At some point you are going to have to come out of the pocket in large amounts. Look into pet insurance ASAP.

For all the nightmare stories, there are alot of great situations in getting a rescue/foster pet. My dog was the picture of perfect health until this year. No illnesses, just the usual issues of being a small dog and close to 9 years old.

 

[MThanded]

Sad story. I got my dog from the humane society about 8 years ago. I went through alot of agencies, rescue groups before going there and I learned a few things.

1. Some groups are in it for purely profit. When I was reading the OP and saw that the guy was a breeder on the side, red flags went up. So this guy fosters a bunch of animals but still has time to breed dogs? Nope.
2. Some groups/individuals really don't have the time, money, resources to take care of animals. They want to help all the animals they can, and have never turn any away. Overcrowding leads to the same neglect that they are trying to protect the animals from. Ends up being a sad situation.
3. Sometimes your pet search should start with the a vet. The vet can give you advice about potential costs, common ailments of dogs in the pound or foster situations and usually can steer you in the right direction to getting a pet. The local humane society has a network of vets that you can take your dog to after you adopt free of charge. That way you can get a through exam for free and decide if any ailments are serious enough to make you reconsider.
4. Pets take a huge chunk of money out of your wallet. Accidents, illnesses, preventive care, monthly medicines are all associated costs. Heaven forbid you have to do surgery. Take that into account as well. At some point you are going to have to come out of the pocket in large amounts. Look into pet insurance ASAP.

For all the nightmare stories, there are alot of great situations in getting a rescue/foster pet. My dog was the picture of perfect health until this year. No illnesses, just the usual issues of being a small dog and close to 9 years old.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Liljagare]

Sad to hear the story, hope it all clears up well!!

Always get insurance, and always make sure you got that extra $$$ for when they get ill, be it from eating a sock, or getting a flu.

Or like one of our dogs did, ate rolls of pennies.

Yes, rolls of pennies. Much prefer the kitties nowadays, they usually don't eat wierd stuff... apart from some mushrooms once.

 

[NoRéN]

4. Pets take a huge chunk of money out of your wallet. Accidents, illnesses, preventive care, monthly medicines are all associated costs. Heaven forbid you have to do surgery. Take that into account as well. At some point you are going to have to come out of the pocket in large amounts. Look into pet insurance ASAP.

This right here. I live in a low income area but everyone needs to have a damn dog. Some of these people can barely afford to feed themselves. Next thing you know, their poor dogs are dirty and their nails are so long they are curling and digging into the paw. What happens when a dog gets sick? Leave the gate open and let them go or drive down a mile or two and dump them.

Any recommendations for pet insurance? Never heard anything good about them and really hate the whole having to file a claim and hoping it gets approved thing. At least, that's the type of pet insurance I've come across.

 

[xxracerxx]

$350 is a drop in the bucket for how much an animal will cost you over their lives.

 

[MThanded]

We have a call with the organization today at 7pm. I'll report back.

 

[roxyd43]

Deadly Cyclone and I had similar issues with both our kittens. We adopted both from area shelters. Our first boy, Orion, had a terrible upper respiratory infection. He kept sneezing, was lethargic, didn't eat, eyes kept watering. We took him to the vet pretty quickly and got him on some antibiotics, but then one night it sounded like he was gasping/choking when he was breathing. We took him to the ER just to be sure he was ok. He ended up being fine, but it was terrifying because he was still only a few months old.

Our second kitten, Stormy, had the same symptoms, though not as severe, the day after we brought him home. After talking to the vet, it seems like both boys have feline herpes, which can manifest as upper respiratory symptoms. It flares up when they're stressed. We just have to pick up medicine when we notice the symptoms.

We paid $30 each for them, but close to $1000 in vet bills so far (even with pet insurance), but they are totally worth it. I will sell everything I own if it ensures my pets are happy and healthy.

 

[pj]

I've had my rescue dog for about 3 years now and I've had no expenses other than routine checkups and food (and two macbook chargers in the first couple months). #blessed. Her only issue is that I have to express her anal glands once or twice a month or she'll leave stink dots around the house. All that costs me is a rubber glove and 2 minutes of an awful smelling bath tub.

My boss on the other hand adopted a dog about a year ago and has had several 4 figure vet visits already including more than one surgery. I wouldn't be surprised if he was nearing $10,000 at this point. That's what he gets for adopting a middle aged great dane I guess.

 

[edbrat]

you're a good human OP, that dog hit the cosmic jackpot when he met you. Hope it turns out well.

 

[CosmicQueso]

Congratulations, OP!

We rescued ours a year ago, and ended up with little over a grand in medical bills post rescue.

She had broken teeth, was malnourished, had ear infections and parasites. And this is after the rescue place had her for months.

I'm just thankful we have her now and have gotten her back into tip top shape.

He'll rebound... shame about the rescue place. But awesome that he's in a good home now.

 

[Icebluelily]

$350 is a drop in the bucket for how much an animal will cost you over their lives.

This is so true. They're so worth it though

 

[MThanded]

Update on Ace:

We never got really more than a runaround from the rescue organization.

Soon after i posted this thread i noticed that he had worms on top of his other issues. Got the pill he needed. Since then he has gained 10 pounds. He clearly has no problem gaining weight and was most likely not getting the medical attention and food he required.

 

[warthog]

Nice update! Great job. He looks a lot better.

 

[maquiladora]

Good to see him looking better.

 

[Archpath1]

Awesome, enjoy and take care

 

[kswiston]

Update on Ace:

We never got really more than a runaround from the rescue organization.

Soon after i posted this thread i noticed that he had worms on top of his other issues. Got the pill he needed. Since then he has gained 10 pounds. He clearly has no problem gaining weight and was most likely not getting the medical attention and food he required.

It's horrible that you and your dog had to go through all of that, but at least he lucked into a caring home. Hopefully he enjoys a happy life from this point forward.

 

[Razmos]

What an adorable, happy looking dog. I came into this thread expecting the worst after reading the title, and I'm so happy to be wrong.

It's so good that he found a loving home and such great owners.

 

[Baraka in the White House]

A pibble!

Yes, GAF, THIS cute guy is a pit bull.

 

[RumblingRosco]

Sounds like worms may have been a factor in his weight loss. Great work rehabilitating him OP (and OP's girlfriend). Seems like Ace is in the clear now. Sorry you had to deal with a badly-organized shelter.

 

[Nephtis]

Update on Ace:

We never got really more than a runaround from the rescue organization.

Soon after i posted this thread i noticed that he had worms on top of his other issues. Got the pill he needed. Since then he has gained 10 pounds. He clearly has no problem gaining weight and was most likely not getting the medical attention and food he required.

I'm glad to see he's doing well!

Unfortunately most, if not all of those 'rescue' places treat dogs awfully and neglect them often. Asking for those references and such a high adoption fee are red flags. I go to the dog pound when I want to adopt a pet. They get treated far better and will take care of any issues that come up.