2021 Rita Yager Memorial Ag Fund Grant Recipient: $707.98

Submitted by: Kasey Hanna, Director

This is the story of Lokie, an emaciated dog we impounded after being left in the back yard to die. The camera and video recorder we were able to purchase thanks to the Rita Yager Memorial Ag Grant have assisted in his case and many more just like his.

When Lokie arrived at the Rushville Animal Shelter in April he looked like a skeleton. He was left in a residence backyard for weeks with no care. Lokie was so emaciated that he had lost pretty much all his fat and muscle, scoring him a 1 on the body condition score, the most severe rating. He weighed just 23lbs and couldn’t stand even with assistance. It’s unlikely he would have lasted another night without care.

Lokie was rushed to a local veterinary hospital where he had blood drawn and tests run to rule out any sickness. It was quickly found that his condition was purely from lack of care. He was sent to the shelter with a strict, high calorie refeeding program but staff were prepared for a bleak outcome.  Much to our surprise Lokie continued to fight. He had to be hand fed the first three days, rotated to prevent “bed sores” and we started the road of building his strength to get him back on his feet.  We knew he had a kind heart, you could tell from the way he looked at us while we pushed, poked and prodded that he trusted us and knew we were there to help.

Within days he found his voice and would often howl for attention. A week in he was able to stand and take a few steps with assistance. By two weeks he could take short walks, we were amazed by his resilience and happy go lucky attitude.  Through his recovery we had one volunteer who Lokie bonded with more so than the rest, the individual decided to have their family come meet Lokie and it was an instant connection. By three weeks Lokie had put on 10 pounds and was ready for a foster home. Our volunteer and her family quickly jumped at the opportunity.  Once Loki was 45 pounds he was neutered and officially adopted by our dedicated volunteer and his foster family.

Five months after his intake date Lokie is now a whopping 60 pounds and his coat is shiny. His ears that once couldn’t stand properly have stood up – a great sign that he is continuing to gain his health back.  We follow his progress and receive updates and visits from Lokie. The stories that come along with those visits are nothing less than comical.  Fortunately, Lokie had the best outcome possible and will now live out his years loved and never hungry.

This is Lokie today. It’s hard to believe he’s the same dog!

Unfortunately, all charges were dropped on Lokie’s case. On 9/14 we received another case involving the same residence and owner.  This time one of the dogs was not so lucky and had already passed.  We believe thanks to the recorded information and past history we were able to document, charges and justice will be found.