HELP! Marty's new home fell through!

If you are interested in adopting Marty or if you know of anyone who might be searching for a companion, please contact C.A.R.E. at wecare4pets@mindspring.com.  Right now he still staying at the animal shelter in Sherman Oaks and incurring daily boarding fees.  We need to find this pooch a home. He's a great dog. For an interview give us a call at
(818) 464-6848 ext. 2953 and ask for Joanna.

as told by two journalists
of the Daily News

Rescued Dog Needs Home, Loving Care
March 31, 2001
By Lisa Mascaro
Staff Writer

VAN NUYS -- An emaciated dog 
that caretakers described as little more than a "bag of bones" and days from death when it was found now needs a place to call home, rescuers said Friday.

Marty, a 10- to 12-year-old Shar-Pei, is improving from one of the worst conditions rescuers have encountered, said the group C.A.R.E. Marty still faces ongoing medical needs, but otherwise is getting increasingly active.

"I've never seen anything like it. It's amazing he's still alive," said Carol Brooke, a member of Cat/Canine Assistance, Referral and Education in Sherman Oaks, and also a receptionist at the animal hospital treating the canine.

"There's so many animals that get dumped in the hills. This is what happens."

Rescuers said two teens hiking in the Box Canyon area found the dog more than a week ago, and brought it to one of the group members known in the neighborhood for saving canines.

Emaciated and dehydrated, the dog had been huddled near a tree, whimpering, the rescuers said. Brooke said carrying the dog was "like carrying a bag of bones down the hill."

After a few days at an animal emergency center, the group brought Marty to the Animal Medical Center in Van Nuys where he has undergone tests, X-rays and a special diet to bring him back to health, Brooke said.

At 16 pounds, he was half the weight a dog his size should be, said Lloyd Pilch, a veterinarian at the Animal Medical Center.

Pilch said in his 25 years as a vet, Marty is the most emaciated dog he's ever seen. "It's a pretty awful condition," he said.

Brooke said the dog suffers from cataracts, needs dental care and is still being tested for other possible medical problems. He also suffers from a skin infection that could take a few weeks to clear, the vet said.

Though Marty will need additional medical attention, she said, he also needs a home.

She suggested a calm environment would be best, and added that the canine is fairly inactive and appears to be house-trained. She expects he could live an additional four to six years.

"He just needs somebody who can pay attention to him," said Brooke. CARE. is seeking tax-deductible donations to help pay for his medical bills, which are expected to reach [in excess of] $1,000, she said. Also, the group will help pay for costs of food and medical care if the dog is taken into a temporary foster home setting.

"He's really cute," she said. "If he could have a good home to live out his days."

Rejected Canine Returned to Health
May 16, 2001
By Jason Kandel
Staff Writer

VAN NUYS -- More than a month after he was found starving in Box Canyon, Marty the shar-pei mix is set to be released to a foster family this week from a Van Nuys animal hospital.

"Before you could count every rib in his body," said Joanna Patrice, vice president of [C.A.R.E.] a Sherman Oaks animal rescue organization.

"Now he looks solid, and muscular and shiny. He looks firm, strong, young and healthy."

Two unidentified teen-age boys found the starving and cold canine while hiking in the Box Canyon area between the Simi Valley and West Hills/Chatsworth.

They alerted Cat/Canine Assistance Referral and Education, the Sherman Oaks nonprofit organization.

The dog was then taken to the Animal Medical Center in Van Nuys, where he was fed a special diet to bring him back to health. He got his name after a directionless character played by Ernest Borgnine in the 1955 film "Marty."

As many celebrated Marty's comeback, some animal care workers still wonder who were the two teens who rescued the dog, and who abandoned a helpless animal in Box Canyon.

"Unfortunately people abandon animals all the time," Patrice said.

But Marty's lucky. After about $3,000 in medical bills, he still needs cataract surgery, blood work and a good, permanent home, Patrice said.

A family has come forward to provide a "foster home", and the final paperwork will be completed this weekend.

Carol Brooke, a member of C.A.R.E., who works at the Animal Medical Center, and named Marty, said he has turned around remarkably.

"Initially, he was disengaged from humans," she said. "He's such a happy dog now."

For information call
(818) 464-6848 ext 2953
or on the Web at
https://www.angelfire.com/ca3/CARE/index.html
or www.c-a-r-e.petfinder.org

Since C.A.R.E.'s rescue of Marty, they have taken on the sole responsibility of his well-being. Since Marty has not yet been adopted or fostered we are in great need of donations to help cover his ongoing boarding fees for him to continue staying at the vets office. But more than anything Marty is in desperate need of a permanent home! Right now even a temporary foster home would be an enormous contribution. This would help to alleviate the continuing daily cost of care and boarding by the vets office. Please keep in mind to share Marty's story with all of your family and friends! This guy really deserves all the love a caring family can give. 

Any amount you can donate toward Marty's MEDICAL CARE would be a great blessing!

The Cost
The extensive medical care for treating Marty has run into the thousands.  C.A.R.E. has assumed the responsibility for his medical tab, but as a struggling non-profit organization that already cares for hundreds of homeless animals [currently up to 300 at their shelter], this is a humungous financial blow.

If you are not able to make a donation, please share this website with friends who may be able to spare a little something.

For more information on how to help or if you are interested in giving Marty a loving, caring home for the rest of his days please contact C.A.R.E. at
wecare4pets@mindspring.com

To read more about
this amazing 6 month old
kitten click below!

Great News!
Stubbs has been adopted!  His new mom and dad are thrilled to have him and love him to death. Stubbs is still healing but his spirit has been great!  He's as playful as any other kitten.  

Stubbs' mom 'Scarlet' is still up for adoption. For more information visit C.A.R.E.'s website here or give us a call at (818) 464-6848 ext. 2953.

Click here to make a donation

Related Links

Daily News Newspaper
SERVING - San Fernando Valley, Conejo Valley, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita, Glendale, Burbank

C.A.R.E.
Los Angeles area pet rescue group

Feral Cat Alliance
Assists Los Angeles-area residents
with protection and spay/neuter of feral cats.

Alley Cat Allies
National organization; provides great info. and assistance to feral cat caretakers.

FORUM

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C.A.R.E. P.O. Box 56631 Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
E-mail: wecare4pets@mindspring.com
Phone: (818) 464-6848 x 2953
For L.A. City Spay/Neuter Vouchers call (818) 999-4022