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A follow up to Nico

Remember Nico? I wrote about him last year in my blog when he was in the shelter. The story below is another follow up. Nico has had another bad blow....

This photo is not unknown to animal lovers and rescuers. It captured the depressed and broken spirit of a suffering shelter dog. It’s Nico, the 6-year-old Dogo Argentino who’s picture appeared on Facebook July 2009 that immediately went viral and caught the attention of animal rescuers. He was malnourished, covered in sores, flea bitten, missing several teeth, covered with tumors, and deaf.

It was this photo, taken by Southern California animal rescuer Nikki Audet, that saved his life. It caught the attention of Kelley Gibson, a rescuer and animal transporter in San Diego, where she quickly helped get him to the Hamilton County Humane Society in Indianapolis.

After three months of training and medical care, his tumors removed, Nico (now known as Nico SwanGarris) found a home in Indiana with two loving moms and settled into a pampered life of playtime, good food, snuggles on a couch, and…squeaky toys!

It’s amazing that this dog – so broken – got a chance at the good life. There are many dogs in shelters that have their stories end right there – with a needle. It’s the rescue story from heaven.

But now life just dealt Nico another challenge. He has four different types of aggressive cancer. He is currently on oral chemotherapy medication until his two moms can afford highly expensive IV chemotherapy treatments at the Purdue Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Bridget and Melissa, Nico’s owners, are using holistic treatments including a special diet high in protein. They’re optimistic, but battling cancer is tough and they’re taking it one day at a time. They will do everything they can for Nico.

Here is the chip in to help with his care http://nicosfund.chipin.com/nicos-fund-3