“Without them taking drastic measures, she would not have survived much longer”
Abandoned in the desert, a white German shepherd roams on her own. The wide-open space makes it nearly impossible to catch her. Fortunately, rescuers refuse to give up hope.
For four months, Barbie Henderson, Robin Smith, and Tracy McDonald went out to the desert to feed the dog they call Venus. They tried everything they could think of to capture her so they could try to save her. But the dog was so scared, that none of their plans worked.
Venus was leery of humans and every attempt to use a humane trap failed; the dog was too afraid to let herself be caught. That lack of trust was going to take her life unless someone could come up with a workable plan.
Since the desert was over 100 degrees and the only way to cool herself was a filthy water source, time was running out. She also had an injured back paw or leg. Her rescuers needed to take drastic measures to ensure that she’d survive let alone be caught.
Hope for Paws got involved and, with no other choices, Dr. Scott Amsel was contacted. They requested that he go out to the desert and use a tranquilizer gun so that they could catch her before it was too late. Thankfully, he agreed but even that proved difficult.
For hours the team watched Venus, waiting to take a safe shot at her. Since she hung out by a highway, it just wasn’t safe. Finally, after many hours, they were able to tranquilize her. It was heartbreaking to see her fight the medication but despite this, she was finally in safe hands.
She was rushed to a mobile vet where she received immediate care. After the team stabilized her, she was taken to a hotel where veterinarians would care for her throughout the night. It was there she woke up and they got to meet her for the first time.
Despite her ordeal, she soon began to trust the rescuers and was soon on her way to Los Angeles. After veterinary care, lots of love, and a much-needed bath, soon Venus would be ready to go onto the next stage of her life, a new home.
It took a lot of people committed to saving her to finally get her out of the desert. Thanks to all of them for all they do to save helpless dogs. We hope you enjoyed the video. As always, please feel free to share with your friends.