Harrison's Story

Each week, SCARS visits the Calling Lake pound to collect the dogs and cats that are brought down from the Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17. We are grateful the Municipality collects these animals so we can give them a second chance.

When we first saw Harrison in September of 2005 or for that matter smelled Harrison, we felt terribly sad. We could see he was in desperate need of medical attention. It was obvious he was suffering. His eyes were swollen, his teeth were rotten, his face and body was covered in sores, and his belly was bloated from malnourishment and worms.

Amazingly, he was still happy and full of love. But he was in poor condition and we knew it would take this little guy many months to fully recover. His first vet visit confirmed he had Glaucoma, a painful condition that puts pressure on the eyes, and Demodex, a skin condition caused by parasites. We could not treat his painful eyes or teeth until we treated his Demodex and malnourished body. He had to become stronger before he could undergo the extensive surgeries needed to fix his eyes and teeth.

After many months of treatment and seeing specialists, we received the sad news that Harrison’s eyes could not be saved. The Glaucoma had caused too much damage and was causing him too much pain. A specialist in Calgary suggested prosthetic eyes so a volunteer drove him to Calgary where he had the surgery. Fortunately, the surgery went very well. Several months later, Harrison’s eyes were pain free and we could turn our attention to his teeth. Another specialist recommended all his teeth be removed, something which seemed tragically obvious. Harrison received the surgery he needed to alleviate the pain caused by his rotting teeth.

Harrison, though almost fully blind since he was just a few months old, has adjusted amazingly well to his new life. His forever family is able to take him for bike rides and walks. They also take him camping and he has even made an appearance at SCARS adoption days. He loves life and he loves people. If you didn’t know his story, you would never believe a once haggard little Husky cross puppy with so many medical problems was able to transform into a beautiful adult dog. Harrison will live the rest of his life with a loving family, just as he deserves.

A huge thank you to Olivia and Ryan for fostering Harrison and making him part of their family and to Laurel and Mike for fostering Harrison while he was in Calgary. Harrison LOVES each of you! As well, thank you to all the veterinarians who made a healthy life possible for Harrison!

Harrison has been adopted. Please see his Look At Us Now story