Heartwarming Story of the Month!
My name is Hoja and this is my story.
I am not really sure how I got to where I am right now but I am very thankful to be here. My life began somewhere in south Texas which is a very difficult place to be a female pit bull puppy. If I was a pedigree my papers must have gotten lost in the move, or one of my brothers or sisters ate them! I guess I am lost like hundreds if not thousands of other animals in these parts. I don’t remember who took care of me, playing very much, enjoying the beach and chasing the birds through the surf. I do remember a lot of pain, both emotional and physical.
I think my job in this life was to have as many puppies as I could as often as I could. I always wondered why the puppies I had could only stay with me for a few weeks and then they were gone. One veterinarian told me that I have had multiple litters in a very short time and this is not good for me, or my puppies. Somewhere in my second, third, or even fourth litter I became very sick and weak. It could have been those little red ants that constantly were eating at me; maybe it was the small worms in my heart, or the parasites eating my insides, the infections in my lungs, or maybe just a broken heart and spirit. Either way I had to press on for the puppy’s sake, as well as my own survival.
Sometime during the first week of October 2011 I lost everything that I had tried my best to maintain. My lavish living environment with all the ants, my last litter of puppies, my handler, my food and water which was meager but it was mine. My wonderful world was gone in an instant. This is where things really go very dark for me and I cannot even speculate on how the events unfolded to land me in the middle of Hwy. 44 walking in a circle with a head injury. Somebody told me I was lying on a pile of discarded lumber off to the side of the road covered with a sheet earlier in the day, I just can’t remember. I do know that two men picked me up off of the highway and placed me under a tree with some water. I believe they were there to help me, but I was already to sick and injured so I passed out again while more ants ate at my flesh.
As I lay under this tree with the other fallen leaves I knew that I was dying. It would be slow, it would be painful, and I would be alone. But at the same time I realized I would be free of the pain and suffering very soon; I would cross that rainbow bridge to a place where all animals can be happy and forget about their pain. So I didn’t think about those red ants eating at me again, the knot on my head, the inability to breath, or the weakness of my heart, my hunger, my thirst, the heat, or the loneliness; I just waited to die.
After a while I heard a voice with an accent that I had never heard before. He was very excited and at the same time worried about me; that was something new to me. Maybe he was from the rainbow bridge and it was time to go. Soon there was another voice there; he also spoke very excitedly about me. Strangely no-one touched me, no one held me, no one cared for me; they just looked at me with sorrow and maybe a little
bit of guilt knowing what was going to happen to me. Another person then
came over and he also looked at me with sorrow in his eyes; but he also had
something else in his eyes; anger. But I knew that his anger was not
directed at me but at who ever did this to me. This man touched me, he
held me for a moment, and then he picked me up and brought me to where I am now.
At this new place I heard the doctor say I most likely will not live through the night. I was not ready to give up now, I want to do so many things that I don’t even know what they are called; but I am going to do them. So, I lived through the first night! Every day I am getting a little stronger and healing as best as I can. The doctors tell me that I have infections and fluid in my lungs, a concussion that gives me “dizzy eyes” a lot of nasty bugs inside of me, worms in my heart, some bumps, bruises, and a few cuts to deal with. My prognosis is still day to day; but I hope by midweek of October 10, 2011 I will be strong enough to begin my heartworm treatments and a few other medications for some other issues.
I am told that my healing process will take up to 120 days and I will need a
safe place to do my recuperation.
The first man that found me was from England and asks about me everyday and I want to thank him for not leaving me there like so many others have done to me in the past. The second man who came to me
was a policeman and I also want to thank him for doing the best that he could within the law and customs of this part of south Texas. The third man who came to me brought me here. He cannot keep me and I will miss him but he already has three dogs with similar stories to mine and just does not have the room for another. He has told me that all he wants for me is to be happy, to be loved, and to be cared for until it is truly my time to cross that
bridge. I know he will watch over me until I am ready to go to a real home
where I am loved and truly appreciated. I also need to thank the doctors
and technicians who are helping me through this process. Without their
knowledge and caring I would still be suffering like many of my homeless and abused friends in this community.
My name is Hoja (o ha); which means “leaf” in Spanish. This is my story to date. Please help me as well as others like me in this community change their story.
Thank you
Hoja
I am not really sure how I got to where I am right now but I am very thankful to be here. My life began somewhere in south Texas which is a very difficult place to be a female pit bull puppy. If I was a pedigree my papers must have gotten lost in the move, or one of my brothers or sisters ate them! I guess I am lost like hundreds if not thousands of other animals in these parts. I don’t remember who took care of me, playing very much, enjoying the beach and chasing the birds through the surf. I do remember a lot of pain, both emotional and physical.
I think my job in this life was to have as many puppies as I could as often as I could. I always wondered why the puppies I had could only stay with me for a few weeks and then they were gone. One veterinarian told me that I have had multiple litters in a very short time and this is not good for me, or my puppies. Somewhere in my second, third, or even fourth litter I became very sick and weak. It could have been those little red ants that constantly were eating at me; maybe it was the small worms in my heart, or the parasites eating my insides, the infections in my lungs, or maybe just a broken heart and spirit. Either way I had to press on for the puppy’s sake, as well as my own survival.
Sometime during the first week of October 2011 I lost everything that I had tried my best to maintain. My lavish living environment with all the ants, my last litter of puppies, my handler, my food and water which was meager but it was mine. My wonderful world was gone in an instant. This is where things really go very dark for me and I cannot even speculate on how the events unfolded to land me in the middle of Hwy. 44 walking in a circle with a head injury. Somebody told me I was lying on a pile of discarded lumber off to the side of the road covered with a sheet earlier in the day, I just can’t remember. I do know that two men picked me up off of the highway and placed me under a tree with some water. I believe they were there to help me, but I was already to sick and injured so I passed out again while more ants ate at my flesh.
As I lay under this tree with the other fallen leaves I knew that I was dying. It would be slow, it would be painful, and I would be alone. But at the same time I realized I would be free of the pain and suffering very soon; I would cross that rainbow bridge to a place where all animals can be happy and forget about their pain. So I didn’t think about those red ants eating at me again, the knot on my head, the inability to breath, or the weakness of my heart, my hunger, my thirst, the heat, or the loneliness; I just waited to die.
After a while I heard a voice with an accent that I had never heard before. He was very excited and at the same time worried about me; that was something new to me. Maybe he was from the rainbow bridge and it was time to go. Soon there was another voice there; he also spoke very excitedly about me. Strangely no-one touched me, no one held me, no one cared for me; they just looked at me with sorrow and maybe a little
bit of guilt knowing what was going to happen to me. Another person then
came over and he also looked at me with sorrow in his eyes; but he also had
something else in his eyes; anger. But I knew that his anger was not
directed at me but at who ever did this to me. This man touched me, he
held me for a moment, and then he picked me up and brought me to where I am now.
At this new place I heard the doctor say I most likely will not live through the night. I was not ready to give up now, I want to do so many things that I don’t even know what they are called; but I am going to do them. So, I lived through the first night! Every day I am getting a little stronger and healing as best as I can. The doctors tell me that I have infections and fluid in my lungs, a concussion that gives me “dizzy eyes” a lot of nasty bugs inside of me, worms in my heart, some bumps, bruises, and a few cuts to deal with. My prognosis is still day to day; but I hope by midweek of October 10, 2011 I will be strong enough to begin my heartworm treatments and a few other medications for some other issues.
I am told that my healing process will take up to 120 days and I will need a
safe place to do my recuperation.
The first man that found me was from England and asks about me everyday and I want to thank him for not leaving me there like so many others have done to me in the past. The second man who came to me
was a policeman and I also want to thank him for doing the best that he could within the law and customs of this part of south Texas. The third man who came to me brought me here. He cannot keep me and I will miss him but he already has three dogs with similar stories to mine and just does not have the room for another. He has told me that all he wants for me is to be happy, to be loved, and to be cared for until it is truly my time to cross that
bridge. I know he will watch over me until I am ready to go to a real home
where I am loved and truly appreciated. I also need to thank the doctors
and technicians who are helping me through this process. Without their
knowledge and caring I would still be suffering like many of my homeless and abused friends in this community.
My name is Hoja (o ha); which means “leaf” in Spanish. This is my story to date. Please help me as well as others like me in this community change their story.
Thank you
Hoja
My name is Hoja and this is my story (Part II)
As some of you may remember my story was printed in the October 8, 2011
edition of the Padre Island Moon. I was found dying under a tree in Corpus
Christi, TX. and the man who saved me called me Hoja which translates to
leaf. My story now has taken a turn towards the positive aspect of life and I am very excited, scared, and sad all at the same time.
I spent the last month at the VCA Oso Creek Animal Hospital where everyone
there took very good care of me. I would like to especially thank Dr.
Cozad, Dr. Prewitt, and the entire staff for the care, kindness, and dedication
that they showed to me. I will miss them very much. Most of my
external injuries have healed, the intestinal parasites, worms, and infections
have been pretty well taken care of. I still have the heartworms and I
cannot run around as much as I would like to yet because I begin to cough and my lungs still have some fluid in them. But I am on medication for this
illness and I have been told that within 30-60 more days I should really feel
better. I did not get spayed because I was still not strong enough to
handle the surgery; but that also will be taken care of in the next few
weeks. The head injury I suffered has caused my head to lean a little bit
to the left, and my vision is still a little off. (I bump into walls a lot and
stairs are not my favorite thing either) The vision thing is something
that I may have to deal with for a while. No matter; I am still much
happier than I was one month ago. So my health is still improving and I
have been told that my breed is a very hardy style and I will get better.
I would also like to thank the people who published my story and all the
people who read my story in the Moon and were willing to come to my aid.
Thank You! It meant a great deal to me and to my caretakers that there are
still people out there that will not tolerate this kind of treatment to an
animal. We need many more people like this in Corpus Christi, TX. I know that there are many fine establishments in Corpus Christi, TX that think the same way you do; I hope you will support them in any way that you can. Now more than ever there are many like me out there that do not have a voice, have the love and warmth of a true friend, and don’t have the ability to get the medical attention that they need. Some of them will never have a chance! Do what you can and think of me; I made it with the help of just one person saying this isn’t right!
My caretaker realized that I was a special dog that has gone through some
very terrible things. He had to make some difficult decisions for me but
we hope that these decisions will help me in the long run. One decision
that was made for me was where is the best place for me to go to continue with my recovery and have some professionals really help me adjust to a new lifestyle. We decided that I should go to Spindletop Pit-bull Refuge
located in EastTexas. It is a difficult place to get into because there are so many pit bulls like me that have been abused and are waiting. They
even have tuition so I suppose I will have a student loan when this is
over! I was one of the lucky ones to get in on such short notice. Here I will be evaluated both psychologically and physically. Any bad habits that I have they will work with me to eliminate them, and I can learn how to be a good friend to a loving person. This new place sits on 65 acres of land with horses, chickens, ducks, ponds, big trees, and butterflies. I love watching the butterflies! But most importantly I will be with other pit bulls that all have a sad story. There are former fighters, unwanted litters, and gals just like me used to make puppies. Spindletop is a no-kill shelter and I can stay as long as I need too. I will be matched with a “boyfriend” and we will become the best of partners. In the meantime for the next few weeks I get to live in the house while I continue to recuperate.
The sad part for me is leaving the man, his family, and the people of
Corpus Christi that did reach out to me. I hope that maybe someday I
can come back to Corpus Christi and be adopted by a family that will truly love and care for me. Until that time I will concentrate on getting better,
learning all the things a good friend needs to know, and hope for a loving
family. You can follow my progress by going to the website Spindletoppitbullrefuge.org. I hope to have my photo/bio up soon.
Thank you.
Hoja
Written by John McCaleb, Hoja's Guardian Angel
As some of you may remember my story was printed in the October 8, 2011
edition of the Padre Island Moon. I was found dying under a tree in Corpus
Christi, TX. and the man who saved me called me Hoja which translates to
leaf. My story now has taken a turn towards the positive aspect of life and I am very excited, scared, and sad all at the same time.
I spent the last month at the VCA Oso Creek Animal Hospital where everyone
there took very good care of me. I would like to especially thank Dr.
Cozad, Dr. Prewitt, and the entire staff for the care, kindness, and dedication
that they showed to me. I will miss them very much. Most of my
external injuries have healed, the intestinal parasites, worms, and infections
have been pretty well taken care of. I still have the heartworms and I
cannot run around as much as I would like to yet because I begin to cough and my lungs still have some fluid in them. But I am on medication for this
illness and I have been told that within 30-60 more days I should really feel
better. I did not get spayed because I was still not strong enough to
handle the surgery; but that also will be taken care of in the next few
weeks. The head injury I suffered has caused my head to lean a little bit
to the left, and my vision is still a little off. (I bump into walls a lot and
stairs are not my favorite thing either) The vision thing is something
that I may have to deal with for a while. No matter; I am still much
happier than I was one month ago. So my health is still improving and I
have been told that my breed is a very hardy style and I will get better.
I would also like to thank the people who published my story and all the
people who read my story in the Moon and were willing to come to my aid.
Thank You! It meant a great deal to me and to my caretakers that there are
still people out there that will not tolerate this kind of treatment to an
animal. We need many more people like this in Corpus Christi, TX. I know that there are many fine establishments in Corpus Christi, TX that think the same way you do; I hope you will support them in any way that you can. Now more than ever there are many like me out there that do not have a voice, have the love and warmth of a true friend, and don’t have the ability to get the medical attention that they need. Some of them will never have a chance! Do what you can and think of me; I made it with the help of just one person saying this isn’t right!
My caretaker realized that I was a special dog that has gone through some
very terrible things. He had to make some difficult decisions for me but
we hope that these decisions will help me in the long run. One decision
that was made for me was where is the best place for me to go to continue with my recovery and have some professionals really help me adjust to a new lifestyle. We decided that I should go to Spindletop Pit-bull Refuge
located in EastTexas. It is a difficult place to get into because there are so many pit bulls like me that have been abused and are waiting. They
even have tuition so I suppose I will have a student loan when this is
over! I was one of the lucky ones to get in on such short notice. Here I will be evaluated both psychologically and physically. Any bad habits that I have they will work with me to eliminate them, and I can learn how to be a good friend to a loving person. This new place sits on 65 acres of land with horses, chickens, ducks, ponds, big trees, and butterflies. I love watching the butterflies! But most importantly I will be with other pit bulls that all have a sad story. There are former fighters, unwanted litters, and gals just like me used to make puppies. Spindletop is a no-kill shelter and I can stay as long as I need too. I will be matched with a “boyfriend” and we will become the best of partners. In the meantime for the next few weeks I get to live in the house while I continue to recuperate.
The sad part for me is leaving the man, his family, and the people of
Corpus Christi that did reach out to me. I hope that maybe someday I
can come back to Corpus Christi and be adopted by a family that will truly love and care for me. Until that time I will concentrate on getting better,
learning all the things a good friend needs to know, and hope for a loving
family. You can follow my progress by going to the website Spindletoppitbullrefuge.org. I hope to have my photo/bio up soon.
Thank you.
Hoja
Written by John McCaleb, Hoja's Guardian Angel
Update: Please email spindletopabr@aol.com if you are interested in adopting Hoja!
