Jake!
Thanks for visiting the Special Needs Dobermans page Jake! You can find more about our organization and the Dobes we help on our Main Page.
Please be prepared, Jake's story is a disturbing one. Thank you for visiting Jake's page and taking the time to learn about his story. If you would like to make a donation to help Jake, there are PayPal Donation links at the top and bottom of this page and you can find our mailing address here if you would rather mail a donation.
In
an effort to make this page more readable, here are some links that will take
you to the different sections of his story on this page. Use the 
Back to the Top symbols to return here.
Introducing
Jake
Jake's Needs and How You Can Help Him
The Woodland Center
Jake's Photo Gallery!
Jake in the Media!
Updates on Jake
Contact the People Helping Jake
What follows is the story of Jake. It is a story that starts off sad and disturbing. With the help of many kind and caring people, we are doing everything we can to make sure his story has the happiest of endings. Please send him all the good thoughts and prayers you can!
Jake is a black and tan boy that we think is about two or three years old. He was severely abused and abandoned, and used as a 'bait dog' in an Arkansas dog fighting ring. A bait dog is one that actual fight dogs practice on. Bait dogs are usually disabled in some way so they can't fully defend themselves and thus harm the actual fight dog. He somehow escaped this wretched existence and ended up in an Arkansas shelter. Louise Perry learned of him and then contacted Linda Lipe as well as Janet Bailey from Arkansas Dobe Rescue to make sure he was pulled from the shelter. A short time later, he was transported to Tulsa Oklahoma and into the waiting arms of SND member Marcia Cowen from the Doberman Rescue Group of Oklahoma. Marcia took him to the wonderful facilities at the Woodland Animal Medical Center in Tulsa, and he started his long road to recovery detailed below. Marcia is doing a wonderful job making sure he gets the very best care, and the doctors and staff at Woodland have done a tremendous job making sure he stays alive. Please read on, and learn more about our brave boy!
Jake has been doing very well considering the severity of his abuse and injuries. Marcia has confirmed some of the more disturbing aspects of his torment. Jake has scars all over his face from multiple bites. His canine teeth were not filed down. They were pulled right out of his head. (Sorry, we know this is tough to read. It's hard to type while drying your eyes too.) His leg was broken and allowed to set improperly. An orthopedic specialist thinks that he should be able to live with the leg as it is though. He can put his full weight on it. Finally, he has one of the worst heartworm infestations the doctors have ever seen. There will be three treatments administered over three months, starting in mid-April. Things are going well so far, but he could crash at any moment. As the worms die off, they should simply dissolve into the blood stream gradually and be filtered out. If a worm gets dislodged before disintegrating and float free in his body, he could be in serious trouble. This is similar to a blood clot that runs through the system unchecked, it can cause any number of catastrophes. Because there are so many worms, this remains a possibility. He could be doing great one day, then crash the next. The medication, which is actually a poison (an imiticide) meant to kill the heartworms, is also rough on his system and can cause him extreme discomfort.
Jake's Needs and How You Can Help Him
It is simply amazing that Jake survived his torment. The damage to his health has been severe and his bills will be substantial (please read the Woodland section to learn about what they are doing to help!). Here's what we know at this point: his initial care and the treatment for is extreme heartworm infestation will cost at least $1200. The treatment will be complicated by his heart murmur which will need monitoring. This total includes x-rays, ultra sound images, boarding, monitoring and the medicine itself. If there are any complications such as a crash, the cost will go up. After being examined by the orthopedic specialist for his horribly set broken leg, it doesn't appear that resetting the leg would be a good idea. Astonishingly, he is able to put his full weight on the leg. There will be some post treatment check ups and he still needs to be neutered before adoption (which is still months away!).
All in all, we may be facing a bill upwards of $1,400 or when all is said and done. This doesn't include the costs of saving him from a heartworm related crash. We know this amount isn't beyond the help of SND, but we need to marshal our forces and have everyone pitch in! One thing can't be stressed enough: no amount is too small! Even $5 helps. If everyone does what they can, Jake can get the help he needs. Everyone here cares about Jake and all our SNDobes, that isn't in question. Jake simply needs every last bit of help we can get him. Now you can use PayPal for easy and secure credit card donations. We still accept checks and money orders of course. A handful of generous donations have been made so far, and we have received some much appreciated items to auction on eBay (coming soon!). There are PayPal Donation links at the top and bottom of this page, and you can find our mailing address here.
One of our newest members, Virginia in North Carolina, is going around to everyone at her company telling them about Jake. People there are pitching in what they can, even if it is the change in their pockets. Add that up and... no amount is too small! Don't forget about items to auction off. Our auctions have done very well and we have raised a lot of money with them. All of that money has gone to help a Dobe. Keep in mind that not every item has to be Dobe related or a family heirloom.
The outpouring of donations has been tremendous so far, but we don't want to fall short if he runs into complications. If we are lucky enough to raise more money than is needed for Jake's recovery, the extra donations will go into the SND General Fund which is used to help other Dobes with Special Needs. Be assured that every cent donated will go towards the care of a Dobe. Every cent!
The
Woodland Animal Medical Center
"Sharing the Care"
The Woodland Animal Medical Center is a first rate medical center that is staffed by kind and caring people. We should all be so lucky as to have a Woodland near us. Marcia introduced us to them with Miss Di, so we know Jake is in great hands. We can't say enough about the care Jake is receiving from them. If it were just the medical care he was getting, then Jake would already be ahead of the game. There's more though. These people really do care about the animals they treat, and they have all fallen in love with our boy. He gets constant attention and love from the entire staff and the doctors. Hardly a minute goes by when someone isn't with him. When he feels under the weather, they practically have to form a line to get to him! What makes all of this even more special is that Jake is probably experiencing true love for the very first time in his tortured life. And is he ever soaking it up! He gets impatient whenever someone isn't hovering right over him. You can tell after everything he has been through, he never wants the kindness to stop.
But wait, there's more! The cost to save Jake's life would have easily been triple what it is if it weren't for the financial assistance Woodland is giving us. Remember, he needs to be observed for three whole months during his heartworm treatments. The boarding bill alone would have been staggering. They have also donated much of their time and services to Jake's care. The entire SND family sends their gratitude and appreciation to the doctors and staff of the Woodland Center. Without them, this story wouldn't be going as well as it is. THANKS!!
You want pictures, we have pictures! Here's two new pictures of Jake: the first is him with his new mom Marcia and the second one is him soaking up more love with Jamie, a vet tech at the Woodland Center and a new member of the SND family:
The bumps you see on his face are scars, the thick line on his ear is a scar from when it was nearly torn off. The look you see on his face is that of a boy being absolutely spoiled with love and attention! Now you can see more pictures of our boy in Jake's Photo Gallery!
Thanks to Marcia's hard work and dedication, the local NBC affiliate in Tulsa produced a four minute long feature story about Jake and the ills of dog fighting. TeamTulsa aired it on April 28th. Then they did a followup story on Jake May 19th. It showed Jake getting one of his heartworm shots and talked more about dog fighting. We're sorry to say that the stories are no longer available on the TeamTulsa archives. They were up there for a long time though, and we thank them for that. The folks at TeamTulsa did a great job and devoted more time than we had hoped to Jake's story. Everyone at SND sends them huge thanks and pats on the back.
Jake has been having a wonderful time with his new family. We will post some updates from Sharon soon. Everyone involved with Jake should be very happy and proud that our boy has come so far. Sharon will now take him the rest of the way to being the happy and loved Dobe that he always should have been. He will always be in our lives, and for that we should be very happy!
07/02/02 - from Marcia: "Today is the first day of the rest of Jake's life. I know it sounds like a cliche'. However, the Jakester left with his Mom today. Dave and I were there first and were visiting with Jake, when his Mom Sharon came in. He was so excited to see her. He just gave us the look. The look like okay I am outta here! His official departure date will be filmed by Channel 2. We wanted him to get comfortable in his home before all the good-byes. That way it will be a time for all of us to wish our boy well."
06/26/02 - Our boy had to have emergency surgery today. His prostate had enlarged to the point of blocking his urinary tract. Dr. Jones and Jamie performed laser surgery to neuter him (this will calm the prostate down hopefully). All went well during the procedure. While he is pretty angry with everyone for doing the deed, he should start to recover soon.
06/20/02 - After a rough go of it, Jake is doing better. The drugs he is taking for the Ehrlichia have been giving him fits. He is eating again and has stayed the night with Sharon. The change of scenery did him good and he loves his new home!
06/16/02 - Jake is having a rough go of it. He is lethargic and very tired. His anemia may also be a sign that he is developing Auto Immune Disease. It is too early to tell, but keep sending him good thoughts!
06/14/02 - Jake has thrown us another curve ball His pre-neutering blood work showed that he is very anemic. This is normal for dogs that are undergoing heartworm treatment, but Jake shouldn't be this anemic still. As it turns out, he contracted Ehrlichia. This is a tick-borne disease. Believe it or not, this is good news. We were afraid that there might be something else wrong with him. Ehrlichia is very treatable with antibiotics and Prednisone. Jake will be under the weather while he takes his medicine, but the prognosis is very good!
06/13/02 - Our boy is doing much better and... he tested heartworm negative!! Given the severity of the infestation, this is a major breakthrough. The medication did it's job, even if it made him feel punky along the way. Now he awaits being neutered. This should be one of the last things Woodland will need to do before he is released.
06/06/02 - The Doberman Rescue Group of Oklahoma has decided that Jake will be living with Sharon Casey! This is great news for Jake and all of us, Sharon is a very experienced Dobe person who cares deeply for all her kids. Jake will continue to be seen by the great people at the Woodland Center, so he will be receiving the best care from the group that knows his health the best. We are very happy for Jake and Sharon!!!
05/28/02
- from Marcia:
"Well it is late and we are just getting in! Wanted to update on the Jake
man. Well he is now referred to as the "KING". He was moved to his
suite today. Which is a huge and I do mean huge area. He has everything but
a microwave and a TV. I feel certain if they thought he needed one he would
get it. He thinks now that he runs Woodland. The people there are to please
him and pet him. He has taken a shine to eating only a specific canned food,
or he will not eat. So of course he gets his favorite. He does on occasion get
cookies and bagels. His Aunt Sharon who is a member of SND and a very good friend
of ours, has made sure that his feet never touch the floor. He has sheep fleece
rugs in his suite along with 2 beds. I can truthfully say he is better health
wise but he is certainly better emotionally. He is turning into a DOBERMAN!"
05/26/02 - Jake wasn't feeling to good after his last medication was administered two weeks ago. It took him most of the following week to feel better. Now he's back to feeling himself again, which means happy and spoiled for attention! The Cowens and the folks at the Woodland Center make sure he has plenty of love and attention. He may not know what to make of all this attention yet, but it is obvious he can't get enough of it!
He will have his last of three doses in two weeks or so. Then he'll be observed for another few weeks, at which point he will go home with the Cowens. They will spend some time observing his condition, educating him about how to behave in a house, and evaluating him for adoption. Standard procedure stuff. Please keep in mind any talk about adoption is still months away, this is just what his schedule looks like for the next few weeks.
05/16/02
- 11:00pm:
"Well Jake is feeling under the weather. We are just getting in from being
with him. Maybe he will feel like answering some of his email one day soon!
He got another dog bed today for when he has an accident on the other. He is
having some kidney problems right now. Sharon Casey brought him the bed and
lots of waterproof bedding. Seems he is having lots of accidents. So now he
won't be without a bed. He is not eating a lot but maybe he'll go for some SND
treats that arrived today."
05/15/02 - Jake is still feeling poorly today. He had his second shot and has developed a bad case of diarrhea. He just feels bad all over, and is telling everyone about it.
05/13/02 - 6:00am: "Today is a big day for Jake. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. He has his heartworm treatment and TV too. Jake is also getting another treatment tomorrow and then another drug in 4 weeks. He is going to feel like major poop. The next few days and couple of weeks are critical for our little man."
1:30pm: "Jake is in extreme pain. This shot really hurt! He has to have another tomorrow. We may go back and sit with him if he is not better in a few hours."
9:30pm: "Jake is doing better! He is still sick but not as sick. We have to go through this again tomorrow. Thank you all for those prayers and good thoughts!"
05/02/02 to 05/10/02 - Jake is doing very well! His spirits are high and he is being spoiled rotten by the Cowens and the folks at the Woodland Center. He's also received some great gifts from some SND members - these make him very happy since he's probably never had a toy before. Our boy heads into another potential rough spot on his heartworm treatment next week. This will be the second of three treatments for his severe infestation. It's great that he's done so well up to now, but each treatment poses another potential risk for a worm dislodging in his circulatory system. This is especially the case right after treatments when the dosage is highest in his blood. If any of you are wondering why he is getting three doses instead of the usual two, it is due to the severity of his case and the weakened state of his heart. With so many worms, having three treatments spread out the number being killed at any one time, hopefully reducing the risk of one dislodging. We will post updates here as frequently as possible. Our boy is doing great so far, but we still have some hurdles to get over!
05/01/02 - Jake continues to do very well! He's not out of the woods yet, but things are looking great so far. You can see his TV story now, scroll up to the top of this page and look for the Channel 2 symbol. What a cutie! The doctors and staff at Woodland deserve a very long round of applause! They have given us a tremendous discount on Jake's care - remember, he's being boarded for three months so they can monitor him during his treatments. Above and beyond the financial help, everyone at Woodland has adopted Jake as they're best friend and are make sure he is safe and happy. Thanks Woodland!
04/21/02 to 04/28/02 - Marcia reported that Jake had a great week. More importantly, it was an uneventful week! To keep the length of this page manageable, we will post daily updates as often as possible and then condense them down to weekly updates that will include any informational tips that Marcia passes along. So far so good with Jake's treatments! Keep the good thoughts coming though, he can run into difficulties at any moment!
04/20/02 - "Just a note to say the Jakester is good. He has the routine down well! With luck I will have new pictures of him soon. Today I will tell you all about the injection site. Jake's injection was right by his spine in the back. This was new to me. Before it was always in a catheter in the leg. It swelled up some and made him feel like he had the flu. Now however he is not suffering with any flu symptoms. The only symptoms he has is an incredible hunger. He seems to know that he has to take it easy. He is happy to eat then sleep!"
04/19/02 - "Just checked on Jake. He is sleeping peacefully. Every time I post I will try and add some heartworm information. Do you know the reason that Jake is more at risk next week than this week? The injection is now working on killing the worms. It has been circulating in his body and the worms are now slowly dying. This makes the chance of an embolism more likely." Thanks for the info on the heartworms Marcia, lots of people can learn more about this hideous and preventable infestation, even veteran Dobe people!
04/18/02 - "All is well here. Jake is going to have a rough week. Next week will be one of the big ones. If he is going to throw a worm it will likely be next week. So please channel those thoughts and prayers this direction. Jake is spoiled rotten. He is being a good boy."
04/17/02 - Jake had another good day. The entire staff at Woodland has fallen for our guy! He is being constantly monitored and constantly loved. He has had several good days since he started his treatments on the 12th. While we are all thrilled that he is doing so well, we mush remember that his battle is a long and hard one. He may do fine for weeks and then crash. There are a number of things that can still go against us. We need to keep up all the good thoughts and prayers for him - be glad he's doing so well, but don't think that he's out of the woods yet.
04/16/02 - Marcia reports Jake is doing great. He's eating well, getting lots of rest and his spirits are up! He is also being observed by the cardiac specialist on a daily basis. These treatments task the heart a great deal so him being paid such specialized attention is wonderful! So far he's doing very well - we still have weeks to go though.
04/15/02
- "Jake's
story hit the radio waves today. His vet was interviewed. Hopefully will bring
to the forefront these idiots who do crap like this. Jake is well this am. Hope
all of you are also!"
04/14/02 - "R. Jake had a great night. He is very animated today. Very HAPPY! Wants things his way. Which is pet me, feed me and sit with me. Still throws little temper tantrums so he gets his way! I want to remind everyone to keep him in your prayers. We are in a danger zone for 3 months."
and later
that night... "Just checked on Jake. He has had a quiet day. Been a very
good boy. Tomorrow he will be a star. A quiet star." Just to remind folks,
Marcia is doing an in-depth TV interview with the NBC affiliate in Tulsa. Good
luck to our media star!
04/12/02
- "Regal had his first treatment today. So far so good.
I have to tell you he is so spoiled it is almost embarrassing. They treat him
like a child. He is looked after and dotted on. The Vets all stop to pet him.
The Techs are always sitting with him. His favorite place is curled up under
one of the Vets desks. He screams and throws a fit if he does not get the attention
he thinks he deserves! I spent several hours sitting in his pen today after
his treatment.
Now to the serious stuff. He went and had an ultrasound. His heart is not enlarged
but he is in the early stages of Cardio. The good news is this is very treatable.
His lungs are infested with the heartworms. Thus his pneumonia. He is also very
anemic. He is also very uncomfortable tonight. The treatment makes them ache
and hurt all over. Please keep good thoughts and prayers coming his way!
Now to a new dilemma. Everyone feels we should change his name. At least for the media. Here in Tulsa there is a really tacky used car lot named Regal Motors. This place has the worst commercials you can imagine. So if no one would be offended his new media name is Jacob. Jake for short. Which means I am going to have to start using Jake or I will call him Regal. So how about I refer to him as R. Jake. Unfortunately we could call him Catfish and he would not care. He does respond to Baby, Poor baby, Handsome, Big Boy, well you get the picture!"
04/11/02
- "Regal had his tests today. He is loaded with heartworms
He also has pneumonia. We do not know if he will start his treatment tomorrow.
I will let all of you know. He had a bath which he loved. They agreed he needed
one before the treatment. Plus he is going to be a TV star on Monday.
He is so spoiled he reeks!"
04/09/02 - Regal was
successfully transferred to the Woodland
Animal Medical Center on April 9th by SND member Ben Joslen and his friend
Toby. Thanks guys! Marcia reports: "Well
the news is good. Regal's heart murmur is a 2 not a 4. He is still at 50/50
but this is good news! They have put him on some new meds. They are going to
let them work on his chest infection. They are going to x-ray him and do the
ultrasound on Wed. I will be there for the tests. The Orthopedic surgeon also
checked him. They are going to x-ray his leg but it looks like it has healed
up well. We will know more on Wed. They are planning to start his treatment
on Friday. He is already spoiled. He has a fit it anyone passes by without petting
him. Also it would appear he may be a lot younger than we had thought. I do
mean younger!"
Contact the People Helping Jake
One of the quickest and easiest things you can do is to drop a line to those helping Jake and letting them know that you appreciate their efforts. It really does brighten their day and it lets them know first hand that the great work they are doing really matters to a lot of people! The folks at Woodland are posting emails up on a wall and they love knowing that we appreciate what kind and caring people there. The people at TeamTulsa were also thrilled with the positive feedback that they received from their story about Jake. They have decided to do a follow-up story showing him getting his heartworm injections. That story will go a long way towards educating other dog owners in the Tulsa area about the very common problem of heartworm infections. So please, take a couple of minutes to say "Hi and Thanks" to the people that are making sure Jake stays alive and his story is known!
Contact Marcia Cowen, Jake's new Mom at okdobie@olp.net
The Woodland Center: email the Office Manager at sbiggert@nationalpet.com
NBC TeamTulsa:
email the Content Manager at rmills@teamtulsa.com
The Jake Stories reporter: email Amy Kaufeldt at kaufeldt@kjrh.com
Thanks from us at SND for taking the time!
The outpouring of donations has been tremendous. Thanks to everyone that contributed, Jake has recovered and is starting the rest of his life. Please consider making a donation to the SND General Fund so we have enough to help the next Dobe that crosses our path. Be assured that every cent donated will go towards the care of a Dobe. Every cent!
