PUMBA'S STORY

Who rescued who?

Pumba is a special dog. His story starts as a stray in a rural town, 10 hours inland from Cairns. Dogs in these areas are typically known as bush dogs. Pumba was a small puppy who was all alone when he found his way to this township. He was scared, starving, limping and full of worms. 

He was rescued and brought to me in Cairns. I got him straight to the vet for treatment. The vet confirmed he had worms, gave him treatment and organised an x-ray for his sore leg. The results of the x-ray were very sad, his whole back right leg was completely shattered and the tissue was already dying. Determined to give him a fighting chance at life I decided to get his leg amputated. He was so brave, he got his surgery and came home with me. I thought the hard part was over and we were focused on his recovery and development. 

Well.... I was wrong. Pumba developed a condition called Megaoesophagus. which basically means his oesophagus was enlarged and the muscles didn't work to push food down. So I dove into action and found ways to help him get food down and keep it down. This was exhausting to work through, he needed so much attention and care. I spoon fed him for months! After a lot of trial and error I found what worked for him and he started improving with his health. 

However... as he grew into adolescence the behavioural problems started. Just as I was getting on top of his medical care and health conditions, his mental state became the new challenge. Because he couldn't eat properly for so long he developed resource guarding around food. His trauma stated affecting his behaviour out in public, towards other people and dogs. At the time I was COMPLETELY out of my depth. I had no idea how to handle his behaviour and there was little resources and help at my disposal in Cairns. So I jumped online and googled and googled and googled. The information out there is very conflicting. One article said one thing and the other said something else! I bought books, did online courses and I taught myself everything I could on the subject of reactivity. 

I applied the methods I learnt, I made mistakes, we had breakthroughs and bad days. But, together Pumba and I worked as a team to help him with his behavioural issues. Very quickly I realised how much i enjoyed understanding dog behaviour, how dogs communicate and training with him. He sparked this passion inside of me and put me on the path I'm walking today.

It was an incredibly hard but rewarding experience rescuing Pumba. If I had the chance to do it again, I would. even with all the financial, emotional and mental challenges. Rescue isn't easy but he was worth every penny and every second. It was definitely a who rescued who relationship. He gave me my purpose and I will always be grateful to him for that. 

Shout out to Lyn who does amazing work rescuing bush dogs in Far North Queensland. You helped Pumba get the medical care he needed to be diagnoised with Megaoesophagus. Without your help I may not have been able to save his life so, Thank you Lyn from Bush dogs and Pups.🙏🐾💜