The Faces of Project 121

Cactus Jack

It was his painful cries for help that led two curious Good Samaritans to peer over their backyard fence. As they surveyed the desolate desert landscaping they spotted a nine-week-old puppy, whimpering in pain, and stuck to a Cholla cactus. The Good Samaritans acted quickly and called AHS' Emergency Animal Medical Technicians™ but not before they carefully released the puppy from the cactus' thorny grip. Once removed, the little prickly pup's four-pound body remained consumed with cactus spines.

When AHS EAMT, Nicole McCormick arrived on scene, she along with the Good Samaritan began removing spines from the little puppy. So many, in fact, that it filled a five-gallon bucket. Despite his pain and the predicament he had gotten himself in, the little puppy, who became known as Cactus Jack, was nothing but loveable. His tail continued to wag as he made his way to AHS Second Chance Animal Hospital™ where AHS veterinarians removed the remaining spines as they checked for corneal abrasions and lesions.

Throughout his 72-hour stray hold time no one came forward for the little Border terrier, yet as his story of survival became national and international news, his adoption day drew over 70 people clamoring to become the puppy's new pet parent. Cactus Jack went to a wonderful home that day and so, too, did eight other dogs whose new pet parents had initially fallen in love with Cactus Jack.

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Indiana Jones

A commotion of growling and meowing stirred the quiet neighborhood streets near 19th Avenue and Bethany Home Road one evening in April. After shooing away two stray dogs with a garden hose, it was clear that the little feline stuck in the middle had gotten the worst of it and the Good Samaritan was left standing over a tattered, motionless feline who was barely hanging on. Minutes after receiving the phone call for help, the cat was in the arms of an AHS EAMT and on his way to the state's largest shelter-based trauma center for homeless animal – AHS' Second Chance Animal Hospital™. AHS veterinarians quickly worked to clean his wounds and stitch him up so that he could recover in peace within a foster home. Time did wonders for the feline, yet his severely injured leg was refusing to heal, and veterinarians had to perform an amputation on his leg. Now bouncing around on three legs, Indiana Jones has a constant reminder that life is much safer indoors; a reminder that suits his new family perfectly well.

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Isadore

Isadore had little chance of surviving after being abandoned in the desert and her odds worsened when she was attacked by another animal. With severe lesions and bite wounds along her back and hind legs, she struggled to carry on and finally collapsed near a shrub alongside the road. Days passed before a Good Samaritan finally drove by and leapt into action on the Miniature Schnauzer's behalf. As AHS EAMTs responded to the scene, they found Isadore dehydrated, weak and lethargic. Rushing her to AHS' Second Chance Animal Hospital, it took veterinarians nearly a dozen stitches to mend her wounds. Isadore spent the next six days in AHS' intensive care unit before heading to an AHS foster home where her wounds healed for good. Fortunately for Isadore, finding her forever home didn't take nearly as long as her road to recovery and now the well-mannered five-year-old enjoys a leisurely lifestyle with her new owner in Sun City.

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Hugo

AHS veterinarians quickly gathered around the new arrival, an English Bulldog, who was lying helplessly on the exam table in AHS' Second Chance Animal Hospital. His neck and ears had been poorly wrapped in gauze for some time. As soon as the bandages were removed, a foul smell of infection, comparable to that of a landfill, lingered in the air and what they discovered next was absolutely heart wrenching. From the crown of his head to the base of his chest, he was covered with open wounds; his left ear was almost completely gone - a wound that had gone untreated for so long that maggots were festering there.

The three year-old bulldog, fondly named Hugo, spent two weeks under observation as AHS veterinary technicians cleaned his wounds and administered medication to treat and prevent further infections. Once his wounds began to heal, Hugo was sent to AHS' foster care program where he is currently receiving the love and affection he needs to make a full recovery. Although we will never know exactly what happened to Hugo before he came to AHS, we can rest assured knowing that he has been given the second chance that he deserves.

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Cinder

Cinder's story is one of pure survival. Born as a stray, life was never easy and her devoted mother had the best intentions when she relocated all five kittens from the shrubs under a living room window to a backyard toolshed. Minutes after, an animal barged into the toolshed as Cinder watched her mother and all four of her littermates get attacked. Frantically searching for an escape, Cinder crawled into an old septic pipe where she found safety for the time being. However, safety soon turned to fear when Cinder realized she was stuck. As she began meowing for help, the homeowner heard her cries as he stumbled upon the devastating scene. Unable to free the trapped kitten himself, he called AHS EAMT, Andy Gallo, and after six hours of handy work, Cinder was pulled from the pipe without a scratch on her. Shy, underage and underweight, Cinder headed to a foster home so she could gain the weight needed to get spayed before heading to her forever home; a home that will surely replace memories of loss with memories of love.

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Chang

It was a hectic and emotional day in AHS' admissions department, as is often the case, when a two-year-old Chinese Shar-pei wandered in with his previous owner. A landlord/tenant dispute over the four-legged cuddle bug ended in a trip to the Arizona Humane Society and soon Chang and his owner were saying their heart wrenching goodbyes. Despite the confusion, Chang displayed a happy-go-lucky personality, a velvety soft coat, and A LOT of wrinkles. And that is where the problems began.

Chang had so many wrinkles that it prohibited him from seeing clearly and living life to the fullest. Additionally, he was having trouble breathing through his nasal passage making long walks and strenuous exercise very difficult for him to endure. Committed to giving Chang the great life that he deserved, veterinarians in AHS' Second Chance Animal Hospital™ began scheduling the much-needed and long overdue surgeries. For Chang, the entropion surgery, or eye surgery, was more than just a "face-lift" and soon Chang was exploring the world with his eyes wide open. While under anesthesia, AHS vets also performed a stenotic nare correction in an effort to open his nasal passages so he could breathe better and go on those long walks that he so craved.

Thousands of dollars later with stitches along his eyelids and nose, Chang spent the next several weeks recovering and enjoying the company of the other dogs in his loving foster home until he was finally ready for adoption. "Nipped and tucked," Chang quickly stole the hearts of the Clark family and is now pampered beyond belief.

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