Meet Gabriel

Friends, Family, and Supporters-

Meet Gabriel. He is the most stunning pekinese most of us have ever seen. His physical beauty is only surpassed by that of his soul and spirit. He came to our rescue on november 29, 2010 after surviving an ordeal that, had it been inflicted on a human, would have resulted in charges of attempted murder against the person who caused this "angel" such suffering, sadness and pain. He was given the name gabriel, not only because of his wonderful, soulful personality, but also in homage to the angels that must have been watching over him.

Gabriel is 2 1/2 years old. He was brought into an urban shelter with blood coming from his mouth, ears and eyes. His face was so swollen, he could not open his eyes. His brain was swelling from the trauma. We believe he was barely conscious upon arrival. His "owner" said their daughter had beat him with a bat. They brought no vaccination records. He was not neutered. He was horribly matted. He was very underweight. His toenails were curling under and growing into his foot pads.

They gave no further information. They calmly left their pet at the shelter. No remorse. No grief. No punishment. We have no way of verifying their story.

Fortunately for Gabriel, the shelter knew he was critical and sent him to the emergency vet facility, where he stayed for about 4 days. The shelter sent out a plea for help, and MMR was the first to step up. We are so grateful to this shelter for the life saving care they authorized for Gabriel; Especially with a very small medical budget. We came to pick up Gabriel on the 5th day, when he was transferred back to the shelter. He still has a bag of medicine he has to take around the clock. He may have been blinded in one eye, and will receive follow up care with an eye specialist. He rode from the shelter on a lap, and was perfect the entire trip to our primary animal hospital, Montgomery Animal Hospital in Rockville, Md. The compassionate and capable staff fed him and gave him a warm, safe place in the kennel, away from all the noise. Today, they gave him a soothing bath and groomed his gorgeous coat. It was reported that they could see the bruising behind his ears when they were bathing him. He was hit with so much rage that it also bruised his tender skin! His eyes are still a bit blood shot, and one has a blood clot, but we are hopeful that it will resolve with the medicine he is currently being given. He will remain at the vet hospital for another day, and will then be transferred to his experienced foster home.

Gabriel will still need further medical care. He will be on opthamalic medicines indefinitely. We do not know if he will have to have any further surgeries resulting from the beating he endured. He will need speciality care until we can determine how much of his eye sight has been affected.

We do know that he does not appear to have any brain damage. He is a very sweet dog, who has a very calm personality and seems to like both big and little dogs, as well as people. He enjoys his good food, and likes to "burrow" a nest for sleeping. He is a perfect gentleman, and a wonderful ambassador for his breed, and for rescue.

Mutts Matter Rescue will be covering all of his medical bills. We are asking for help from our community and rescue friends as we continue to rehabilitate this wonderful boy. If you are able, any amount of monetary donation would greatly appreciated. You can donate via our web site at http://www.muttsmatterrescue.com/ by clicking on the "donate now" button at the bottom on our home page. If you cannot donate, good wishes are happily accepted. If you can post this story to your facebook page, or other rescue sites, we would greatly appreciate that, as well. We really want to get the word out not only to help us with his medical care, but to also share his story. This is what can happen when a community works together to right a wrong.

Thank you for your support!

Melanie Samet