SIMON UPDATE!

SIMON SAYS, GUESS MY BREED!

Simon was rescued by the Greater Birmingham Humane Society just before Easter and everyone keeps asking what kind of dog Simon is, and to be honest, we do not know! Which is where the fun starts!

Embark Vet has donated a DNA kit for us to figure out what breed sweet Simon is, so we thought it would be fun for everyone who has kept up with Simon's journey to guess his breed! For everyone interested in guessing the breed, enter your guess here: http://ow.ly/rcB250zshV8.

We will receive the DNA results within 2-4 weeks. Whoever guesses the correct breed will a loaded swag bag from GBHS featuring a #VodkaForDogPeople prize pack from Tito's Handmade Vodka, a year's worth of Hill’s Pet Nutrition pet food for one pet, gifts from the GBHS gift shop, and a 'Triple Wide' family pack dinner for 6 from Moe's Original BBQ- Lakeview BBQ.

May 14, 2020

We're still waiting on Simon's Embark Vet DNA test results but we thought we might share a similar story of transformation from GBHS Alumni, Bama!

Bama was surrendered to GBHS in 2016. Her small body was covered in mange much like Simons. Her journey was long but today she is thriving in her forever home sporting a healthy full coat of fur!

We cannot wait to see Simon transformation and look forward to sharing every step along his journey with you!

And don't forget you can still enter the al.com contest to guess what breed you think Simon maybe: http://ow.ly/rcB250zshV8.

Whoever guesses the correct breed will take home a loaded swag bag from GBHS featuring a #VodkaForDogPeople prize pack from Tito's Handmade Vodka, a year's worth of Hill’s Pet Nutrition pet food for one pet, gifts from the GBHS gift shop, and a 'Triple Wide' family pack dinner for 6 from Moe's Original BBQ- Lakeview!

May 11, 2020

Simon loved his visit from GBHS Board Member David Young today! ♥️ As always he soaked up the attention, snacked on yummy treats, and was THRILLED to get a new bed with his name on it!

And don't forget to guess Simon's breed! Head on over to the al.com contest and enter your guess here ⏩⏩http://ow.ly/rcB250zshV8.

Whoever guesses the correct breed or mix will a loaded swag bag from GBHS featuring a #VodkaForDogPeople prize pack from Tito's Handmade Vodka, a year's worth of Hill’s Pet Nutrition pet food for one pet, gifts from the GBHS gift shop, and a 'Triple Wide' family pack dinner for 6 from Moe's Orginal BBQ!

May 1, 2020

April 24, 2020

SIMON, THE ELEPHANT DOG

Every now and then while looking at the sun,
a cloud will come
and give you rest.
 
I wrote that poem when I was a sophomore at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. I have thought about those words a lot these past few weeks.
 
I thought GBHS would be finalizing our land deal and beginning a capital campaign to co-locate all of our locations to one campus. We had scrimped and saved, carefully managing our money and finally, finally we were at a place where we could realize a long-held vision.
 
And COVID-19 hit and everything came crashing down.
 
I’ve told the staff and board we need to avoid getting depressed or mired down in negativity. We just need to serve. Stay the course and serve. But it has been hard. So yes, I have thought about that poem a lot these past few weeks as I have cried, prayed, and searched for meaning and blessings from the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
And a dog named Simon came along and gave me both.

On Good Friday, GBHS was alerted to a video that had been posted on Facebook. A woman in a neighborhood of Fairfield, Alabama had filmed a gray dog crossing an intersection. He was so covered in mange he looked more elephant than canine. His head hung low and his back leg was broken and twisted. He struggled as he tried to limp away in fear. No one tried to help him.
 
The first few comments on the video made fun of the dog and as people began to reply, the comments got nastier. Some of the commenters expressed outrage at what seemed to be a lack of compassion for this poor creature. Others were just as angry that people would immediately try to help a dog, when there are so many people in that same neighborhood, at that same intersection, struggling with poverty, violence, and crime.
 
The video and the comments thread went viral. Comments like: 

• “This dog is severely neglected, it looks like mange and has been starved that's it's skin hanging off! This dog needs a vet! Not ignorant statements. Shame on the person that filmed this, then just left the dog! Now mocking it!!!! Disgusting”

• "This dog been cross bread with a damn elephant. That shit look all messed up"

• "Shoot that mf now"

• "He has mange and he is in terrible pain. Did you do anything to help him?"

Saturday GBHS stepped in and offered a reward for this dog, and as a result, our animal control officers were able to locate and rescue him. When he arrived at the GBHS Critical Care Clinic our expert veterinary team did an initial evaluation. 
 
Simon is young, probably somewhere between 1 and 4 years old. He has suffered for most of his short life. He has demodectic mange which caused the loss of all of his hair, sores that coat his skin, and an extremely fragile immune system. He has heartworms which have enlarged his heart and caused his breathing to be labored. His hip, pelvis, and right rear leg are broken. The injuries are old and chronic.

We began to hear from people who live where he was found. He was called the Elephant Dog.

We learned he had been walking around that neighborhood, in that condition, for years. We also heard that he had been bullied. When he came near, people threw rocks at him. People were scared of how he looked, scared to touch him, and scared that whatever it was that made his skin look that way, might somehow infect them. He was ostracized so he learned to hide and forage for food at night. He survived, but he suffered.
 
All of this seemed a metaphor for so much of what was happening around us that Easter weekend that we decided to name him Simon.

Simon is now at the GBHS hospital. His journey will be long and no doubt, full of challenges. But, Simon isn't giving up, and neither are we! Simon is receiving excellent daily care at our hospital from Dr. Latham, and this week he was evaluated by Dr. Vaugh at Veterinary Specialists of Birmingham. He will need extensive orthopedic surgery to replace his hip and to try to fix the problems caused by the chronic injuries to his leg and pelvis.  Simon hurts and it hurts us to see that. His pain is being managed through two medications that ease the pain his body is all too accustomed to feeling.

We are using emu oil and antibiotics to kill the infection and parasites, and to heal the mange. Simon is getting soothing oil massages, multiple medications. He is starting heartworm treatments to kill the worms that are overtaking his heart. Finally, he will be able to rest after hundreds of days fighting for relief. Once his skin is healed and the heartworms are dead, his immune system and heart will strengthen, and Dr. Vaughn will determine if he can withstand anesthesia and surgery to fix the broken hip and leg. Simon is strong. His spirit is mending, and you can see a glimmer of hope returning in his beautiful amber eyes.
 
His recovery will be expensive. Hundreds of donors have donated thousands of dollars to his care and we will need it. But I want to make sure that any donor reading this email knows, without your continued support of GBHS this past year, we would not and could not have been there for this dog. During a pandemic no less!
 
Simon was rescued not by GBHS but by you.

Every now and then while looking at the sun…
 
This cloud has given us rest. And it gave GBHS the opportunity to make some new friends in Fairfield and when this is over, we will go there and have a conversation. We will make sure the people there know, we are their neighbors not their jury, and that we are here for them as well as for the pets in their neighborhoods.
 
We will talk about compassion and empathy and we will let Simon be the lesson in both.
 
And just like we are doing now, we will find blessings in this cloud that has come to give us rest and reflection. And we will continue to serve our fosters, pet owners, and animals like Simon.
 
If you are in a situation where you can help Simon or GBHS, you are blessed, and we would be grateful if you would consider a gift. Every penny is needed to help Simon and all of the people and animals we serve to survive. Please give today.
 
And if you need help, you are also blessed, because we are here for you and always will be.
 
Just call.

Allison Black Cornelius

C.E.O

Greater Birmingham Humane Society