When DeKalb County Animal Control officers first saw a tiny puppy on the ground on a patch of grass in late July, they assumed the seemingly lifeless dog was dead. The skeletal little pup wasn't moving. But as the officers, following up on an anonymous tip, inched closer to the dog, they saw a tail begin to wag.
The dog, who was later named Forrest, was one of five dogs recovered on that summer day in southwest DeKalb County and brought to the DeKalb Animal Services veterinary clinic.
Forrest, a small pit bull mix, was the most fragile, most emaciated.
Forrest ended up at LifeLine Animal Project which has managed the DeKalb County Animal Services (DCAS) shelter since 2013. Brandi Crabtree, LifeLine DCAS foster coordinator, took an immediate interest in Forrest.
LifeLine Animal Project’s employees often volunteer to provide extra care for animals who have been abused, neglected or injured and require extra attention. But Forrest was an extreme case. Requiring around-the-clock care, Forrest was hooked up to an IV for fluids and nutrition.
On the first night with Forrest, Crabtree posted on Facebook “There is no other way I would rather spend my Saturday night. When people ask me how I do it, I wonder how they don’t.”
Forrest was so weak, he wasn’t thriving initially. Crabtree had to bring the pup back to the shelter veterinarian after the second night because he developed severe diarrhea and had a virus. For the next few days, it was touch and go but then he suddenly turned the corner, and was able to eat small amounts of food and get better.
Once he recovered from the virus, he quickly put on weight and was well on his road to recovery.
Less than a month later, Forrest was adopted.
Karen Hirsch, public relations director at LifeLine Animal Project, shared this story with The AJC to put a spotlight on shelter employees, “who work long hours for not a lot of money, because of their love for animals and passion for saving lives.”
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