Today, we took our (already) beloved new family member to the vet.

We spent 35 dollars to adopt our sweet boy from the animal shelter.

The vet informed us that he "has everything," ear infection, ear mites, hookworm, bronchitis, and heartworms...

To treat everything and have him neutered, it will cost nearly $1,000.

For that price, we could have gotten 2 purebred puppies, or 7 pre-screened rescue dogs.

The pound adoption form states that if the animal is in poor health, we could return it and recieve a refund.

However, that would mean the end of Gatsby.


Heartworms are a very serious parasitic infection, and the treatments are not guaranteed to work, but the literature about the new treatments state that the medicine has a 92 percent chance of success. To date, our vet has a 100 percent cure rate.

After serious deliberations, we decided that he is just too sweet to return to the pound... for better or worse, we will attempt to return him to good health, and give him the chance that the cowardly jackasses that dropped him with no information in the night deposit box at the shelter did not. Though this may make us "suckers," we just cannot sentence such a sweet, loving companion to death.

The situation makes us both mad. Janel said, "I want to go to the pound and yell at them about the condition of our adopted pet, but know they are doing what they can on a limited budget to get as many animals adopted as possible."

We would love to have a go at Gatsby's prior owner(s), though... though I do like for people to like me, I am more than willing to go at it with those that really deserve it. God, karma, or whatever, hopefully they will get theirs...

I will keep this space updated on the progress of our beloved Gatsby. Keep us all in your thoughts and/or prayers.