For The Love Of Huskies

RY once in a while a dog enters our life and changes everything.

Ragnar is the result of backyard breeding. at just two weeks old he was bitten in the face by another dog but instead of seeking veterinarian help, the breeder left the little pup’s wound to fester and rot. When Brenda Meyer, owner of Husky Heaven rescue, was eventually alerted, ragnar was at death’s door.

He had pneumonia, his body was skeletal and one of his eyes was septic and swollen shut. It would take a miracle for Ragnar to pull through his ordeal.

“At the time he weighed just 600 grams and was literally skin and bones. He battled to breathe because his nasal cavity had been crushed; his eye socket had been fractured; his tongue was almost totally severed and the tip of his tail had been broken off. He was placed on antibiotics and watched around the clock. Unfortunately, one of his eyes was so damaged that he’d already lost the sight,” says Brenda.

“He was taken to Johannesburg Eye Hospital and put on chronic eye drops to prevent the eye from withering. Should there be complications, his eye will eventually have to be removed. He has fought hard and amazingly survived being malnourished, infected and in pain; he is the most amazing pup with such a fighting spirit.”

Due to the extent of his facial injuries, Ragnar has been scheduled to undergo maxillofacial reconstructive surgery at Onderstepoort Vet with Dr Gerhard Steenkamp, who also does reconstructive surgery on rhinos.

Brenda explains Ragnar will be operated on through his palate to clear out the bone that was damaged and open up his airway to breathe properly again. Sadly, the cost of his operation is way beyond the means of Husky Heaven Rescue and so they have placed an appeal for funds.