Help Jake recover from pit bull attack

Summary

Incident

On Wednesday, August 10, Kyle Webb and Bill Meleski's beloved eight-year-old yellow Lab, Jake, was out for a walk with Bill in nearby Recreation Park when an unattended dog approached, uncontrolled and unprovoked, and viciously attacked him.

The attack inflicted a nasty wound to Jake's throat and was apparently meant to be lethal. Unable to reach their local vet after multiple attempts, they promptly took him to the area's emergency referral veterinary service, the Companion Animal Hospital at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine.

Aftermath

Jake was treated and released by Cornell and sent home that night with the expectation of multiple follow-up appointments and several weeks of a specific home-care regimen.

But the following day, he took a turn for the worse and was returned to Cornell, where the doctor discovered that the wound was worse than it had seemed. It would require him to remain at the hospital for ongoing treatment and close monitoring to remove dying tissue and treat infection.

Intangible costs

Although Jake is expected to recover, he has not been home since Thursday the 11th. He has never been hospitalized at all or away from his people for nearly this long. During our first post-hospitalization visit with him, he seemed sad and confused, especially when we got up to leave. Through subsequent visits, his spirits have lifted noticeably and he has begun to eat again, but he still has days of procedures and treatments ahead of him--including general aesthesia to install a temporary drain at the injury site--before going home will even be an option. And even then, further follow-ups will be needed to ensure proper healing.

The timing could not have been worse for Kyle Webb. She recently experienced her own hospitalization after falling, breaking a hip, and requiring emergency hip replacement. Although she returned home the week before Jake's incident, recovery is a long road and she remained in no condition to leave the house. So, she has been unable to be physically present for her furbaby as he has endured this prolonged and traumatic ordeal, left to coordinate his care from afar and rely on those of us who can be present to do so on her behalf.

Also, as a result of the hip replacement, she is currently on short-term disability and operating on 1/10th of her usual income, which makes unexpected large expenses even more challenging.

Perpetrator remains at large

The aggressor was a pit bull, regrettably reinforcing negative stereotypes about the breed. The dog appeared to be in the company of an unknown individual in the park who is believed to be homeless, but it was either off-leash or able to break free far too easily. Initial discussions with police and animal control indicate that the individual had previously been requested to steer clear of the park with his dog, but no further leads have surfaced and no progress has been made.

It is assumed that the dog's owner will incur no financial responsibility for the harm his animal inflicted on Jake or could inflict on any other innocent.

Financial costs

Unsurprisingly, this incident and the lengthy, intensive care it has necessitated are resulting in staggering veterinary bills. The initial visit, before hospitalization was deemed necessary, cost almost $600. The subsequent hospitalization was initially quoted at $3,000-$5,000, and the doctor felt it was likely to exceed that. The ultimate cost depends on the pace of Jake's progress and recovery, and that doesn't include the expected follow-up appointments.

There is nothing we wouldn't do for our animal companions, but this experience has dealt a significant and unexpected financial blow, especially considering Kyle's temporarily greatly reduced income (due to her hip-replacement recovery) and the fact that odds are slim to none that the attacker or its owner will face any consequences.

Kyle and Bill would have relied on their local vet rather than escalating to Cornell's "premium" services an hour from home, but they were unable to reach that vet on the day of the incident. When they finally did reach them the next day to try to set up follow-up appointments in town--before it was clear Jake would need to be hospitalized--the local vet declined to be involved with an injury of this magnitude. So they were left with no choice but to use Cornell exclusively. The Cornell vet's reputation for being more expensive than local vets is somewhat of a myth, anyway, but the extra hour's distance from home makes this tougher on Jake and his people-parents.

Our goal

Given the enormous costs already incurred already and the unknown costs yet to come, we have set an ambitious fundraising goal of $10,000. Any funds raised in excess of our actual costs will be donated to an organization, to be determined, focused on animal welfare and justice.

Our gratitude

Jake has a heart of gold and loves his people--and pretty much any other people he meets along the way! He was the innocent target of a senseless, unprovoked attack. Whether it was poor socialization or deliberate training, we may never know why that other dog behaved the way it did, especially in a public park typically full of people and other dogs.

We are grateful beyond words for the outpouring of love and support we've received as this situation has unfolded. Similarly, we would be grateful for any financial support you can provide to help defray the cost of this ordeal--no matter how big or small, every little bit counts.

Please also take comfort in the knowledge that should we be fortunate enough to receive more than our actual costs, anything extra will go to a good cause.