Spay Day Success Story: Wicket W. Warrick

Not so long ago, in a galaxy we might call Sacramento, a young girl found a lost dog. In this interview, a Spay Day 2018 client manages to find the humor in some of the hurdles that come with unexpected pet ownership.

Transcript:

My name is Nicole Williams, and this right here is little Wicket–Wicket W. Warrick [smiles].

I found her. I took her to the vet to see if she was microchipped; she didn’t have a collar: so I ended up keeping her and getting all the her stuff done because I didn’t expect to have a dog.

The reason I’m participating in Spay Day is because I don’t want her bleeding everywhere [laughs], and I don’t plan on having puppies with her, and getting her spayed for $20 is amazing. Without the Spay Day program I probably would have had to wait a little bit longer and had to have her in diapers for a few months until I could afford to get her actually spayed, because it’s pretty costly.

Wicket is an interesting dog–she likes to be held like this [cradles dog in arms like a human infant], which is pretty weird, and she doesn’t know how to play with other dogs yet. She still–I think she is not used to them, but she’s very friendly with them. And she loves treats but doesn’t like toys. I’ve tried every single toy–she will not she acknowledge it at all. It’s the weirdest, weirdest thing. I’ve never had a dog not play with toys.

Spay Day Success Story: Hercules

In this interview,  SAAC Board member Alexis Raymond and Spay Day 2018 client Savannah Chambers talk about her dog Hercules’ playful (but one-person) personality, the prohibitive cost of anesthesia for such a large dog’s neuter surgery, and how SAAC was able to make the unaffordable affordable.

Transcript:

SAAC: Can you tell me your name and where you’re from please.

Savannah: Savannah in Citrus Heights.

SAAC: And what’s your dog’s name?

Savannah: This is Hercules. This is a Cane Corso mastiff, he’s a year-and-a-half. He’s extremely playful but he’s very one-person–he loves his mama and his dad and that’s about it (laughs).

SAAC: What would you have done without Spay Day? Would you have been able to get him neutered, or . . . ?

Savannah: Probably not. I wouldn’t have been able to get him neutered just because it was, like, $600 to. Due to the anesthesia for his weight. I decided to participate [in Spay Day] because he is a very big dog and it’s super expensive; and it was just a really, really great deal. My mom found it for me, so it was nice.

Spay Day Success Story: Honey

In this interview,  SAAC Board member Alexis Raymond and Spay Day 2018 client Brenda Hoyt talk about the challenges of owing an un-spayed female dog, the gift of Spay Day, and how Brenda’s dog Honey watches TV!

Transcript:

Brenda: I’m Brend Hoyt. I’m from West Sacramento. This is my dog, Honey. She was a gift for me for protection. We’re best buddies.

SAAC: Why did you decide to participate in Spay Day today?

Brenda: I needed the help. I’m on Social Security, and Spay Day was a God-given gift. I couldn’t afford it. And she needed to be fixed. Every time we go for a walk or outside, the boys come running. And we have to run–which I’m not good at (laughs). It was a gift, and I appreciated it. My granddaughter helped me with it. It’s great. It’s a great program.

SAAC: What would you have done if Spay Day didn’t exist? How would you have solved this problem? 

Brenda: I wouldn’t have.

SAAC: Can you tell us a little bit about Honey?

Brenda: I’ve had her for a year. She’s a year old–a little over a year old. She’s a handful (laughs). Very protective. She doesn’t let anyone in our yard, unless they’re invited. And then she’s good with you.

SAAC: She sounds like a good companion to have.

Brenda: She is, she is. She keeps me company, sits next to me on the couch. We’ll watch all of our programs (laughs). And it’s funny because she does watch TV with me. Her ears will go up and she’ll sit there and look and she’ll turn her head. Just like sometimes they’re talking to her–which they could be.

SAAC: Thank you so much. We’re so glad we’re able to help you today.

Brenda: Oh, I am, too. It was a gift! I really appreciated it.

Spay Day Success Story: Dixie

Dixie's two youngest human family members smile beside Dixie, who has a big dog-smile on her face. Spay Day SacramentoDixie sits on grass with family. Spay Day Sacramento

Dixie cuddles with family. Spay Day SacramentoIf you had asked Jesse Sanchez of Woodland about his hopes and plans for 2016, it would not have included a puppy.

Only a few months prior, Mr. Sanchez and his family had adopted Dixie, an adult pit bull, from a rescue group in the Bay Area. Thinking Dixie was already spayed, the rescue sent her home with her new family. “We thought they would spay her, but she hadn’t gone into heat while at the rescue, and she had these scars across her abdomen,” Mr. Sanchez explains. It wasn’t until New Year’s Eve that the family realized something wasn’t quite right:

“She was going like she had to go to the restroom, and you see puppy legs coming out.”

Dixie was pregnant.

More Surprises on Spay Day
Jesse Sanchez holds his dog Dixie after her hours-long surgery on Spay Day Sacramento 2016.

Jesse Sanchez holds his dog Dixie after her hours-long surgery on Spay Day Sacramento 2016.

Mr. Sanchez wasted no time. “We didn’t want that for her. She’s everything to our family. My kids love her, she loves my kids. She’s a good dog.”

He signed her up for an appointment on Spay Day Sacramento, an annual event coordinated by the Sacramento Area Animal Coalition (SAAC) for pet owners in Sacramento and Yolo counties. Through Spay Day Sacramento, families in need can get their pets altered for just $20 per dog and $15 per cat, all thanks to donors and sponsors who make cash contributions, as well as the vet clinics who volunteer to provide the surgeries.

Mr. Sanchez and his family knew that Dixie had been abused by her former owner, but only on Spay Day did it become apparent how much—the scars on her belly weren’t from a botched spay surgery: they were c-section scars. Dixie had been used as a breeder.

Because of all the scar tissue from her previous c-sections, Dixie’s spay surgery at the Sacramento SPCA required three veterinarians. It took two hours—about four times longer than it takes one veterinarian to perform a typical spay.

“Every year on Spay Day the Sacramento SPCA staff alters sixty or more dogs, which takes the entire day,” explains Alexis Raymond, SAAC President. “But they took the extra time to make sure that Dixie was well taken care of and would never have another litter. It shows how committed they are to helping animals and reducing pet overpopulation in our community.”

Transformation

“Real skin and bones,” Mr. Sanchez recalls how Dixie looked during the adoption process. She had been found abandoned in the middle of nowhere, alone in a drainage canal. Mr. Sanchez and his wife were moved by her story and not intimidated by her appearance. “A lot of people judge her when they look at her until they get to meet her and touch her and pet her,” Mr. Sanchez explains. “She looks mean when you first see her, but she’s the biggest baby.”

Mr. Sanchez acknowledges the reality of taking on a dog with history: “She’s still a little timid, probably from when she was abused. Certain movements we can’t do real fast; she thinks we’re gonna hit her.”

When asked what would have happened without the spay/neuter opportunity from SAAC, Mr. Sanchez resolutely replies, “We would have had to take her and look for other resources to get her spayed.”

“When [my wife and I] saw Dixie’s profile online, we fell in love. We wanted to give her a better life.” And they have. They ensured that she won’t give birth to any more unwanted litters. They kept Malo, her final puppy, and have since watched Dixie blossom in a safe environment. “She always wants my attention,” Mr. Sanchez laughs. “Very playful, real quiet—she listens.” 

Finally, in contrast to the pit bull’s oft-maligned image, they discovered she loves other dogs. Mr. Sanchez describes Dixie’s transformation with true joy and appreciation in his voice: “When she comes around other dogs, she just comes alive, like nothing ever happened.”

One Word

I always ask people to describe their pets in one word. Dixie’s?

“Precious,” Mr. Sanchez replies. “There’s more than one word, but if just one . . . precious.”

Dad, Daughter and Dog. Spay Day Sacramento