PLEASE help my friend Leigha in her recovery
Donation protected
Hello friends and family a dog rescuer needs our help !!!
I am asking for your help for my friend Leigha Genduso who was attached by a dog she was training yesterday . I don't even know where to start about Leigha as she is amazing. She has saved countless dogs that would have been euthanized if it wasn't for her. My heart is breaking when I look at the pictures of her as I know her heart is broken that she couldn't save this dog. She has taken so many dogs and trained them for homes , personal protection and police depts. I have been blessed to be for friend for many years and fostered many dogs for her. She now needs our help. Leigha will not be able to return to working with dogs for a long time so she needs us to show her tons of love and help her with medical bills , physical therapy and anything else she needs. She still has some rescues in her care and unfortunately the dog that attacked her will cost $500 to be put down. Please consider helping me raise money to help her as she would do it for you.
The following statement is in her words about the incident and in her words you will feel her compassion for all creatures big and small.
Warning: these photos are graphic.
Yesterday was a day where I can say I could have been killed. Between being on the job and rescue dog attacks, I’m not sure if I have nine lives like a cat, but I would assume I’m reaching my 8th or 9th by now.
Many trainers or rescuers don’t talk about the bad cases, the bites, the extreme situations and I am here to tell you they happen. I’m not afraid to share my stories - anyone who only posts perfection dogs and do not share the horror stories are basically as bad as the media not explaining the suicide percentages that occur each and every day (only those of you in public safety too know what I mean). Some say it tarnishes your reputation, I personally say it makes you honest, humble and able to show others who need to be educated on what a dog can really do to someone as an animal. This post is an educational one to be able to show what can happen.
So most of you know I’ve been working with a Dogo Argentino (115lb) rehab case. The dog has no bite history, however had shown its previous owner some significant dominance aggression, which for a month now, I have not seen with the exception of cage aggression (can be typical).
So yesterday at 0900, I was cleaning dishes and he was in an organic sit next to me when he began to growl for a couple seconds, I attempted to verbally correct him when he lunged at my face, grabbing me just lower of my neck. As i moved away, he grabbed my arm again as I was able to walk him into the dog room and shut the door. I didn’t think the injuries sustained were bad until I looked in the mirror and assessed my arm. Seeing the laceration on my face and the tendons and muscles exposed in my arm, I grabbed my old post surgery prescription of Percocets I had still for emergencies, swallowed 2 and called 911 (I was home alone per usual).
They were taking me to Holy Family hospital until the paramedic came on and assessed the damage, reverting us to the trauma unit in Lawrence General after giving me a large dosage of fentanyl. Upon arrival at LGH, I was as given 3 more injections of fentanyl and advised I would have to go to Beth Israel Hospital in Boston to be worked on by their trauma team and plastic surgeons. Emergency surgery was done on my arm (muscle tears) and face last night around 1900 hours.
Three of the very best civilian K9 guys I know locally went to my house to try and get the Dogo out of the house and into the kennels with no luck. With the incident, it’s almost as if the dog completely turned into full force dominance aggression and they were able to get him into the crate. We will be working on a plan to get him out today somehow, someway but everyone has agreed that he has flipped his switch and is on full defensive complete aggression mode.
I’ll be okay. Surprisingly the pain isn’t as bad as a broken bone, however I was told if it was a mere two inches lower, he would have gotten my jugular and the only place I would be in the hospital right now is in the morgue.
I don’t fail often with dogs & this is a back to back failure. With that said, other than training behavioral modification dogs, obedience issues and the basic civilian dog training stuff, I am taking a break for the rest of the summer with taking on the most severe aggression cases to heal and have some personal time with my own dogs. I just wanted to give everyone in the dog rescue world a heads up that I will be on a summer break. I’ll be back in a couple of months, but we all need a breather once in a while and I think it’s safe to say I’ve earned one. I’m sorry to everyone who I normally assist in rescue, but I hope you can understand.
BIG thanks to friends who have helped me during these past 24 hours and the absolutely amazing team of nurses and doctors I had to sew me all back together. I can’t begin to explain how appreciative I am.
I am asking for your help for my friend Leigha Genduso who was attached by a dog she was training yesterday . I don't even know where to start about Leigha as she is amazing. She has saved countless dogs that would have been euthanized if it wasn't for her. My heart is breaking when I look at the pictures of her as I know her heart is broken that she couldn't save this dog. She has taken so many dogs and trained them for homes , personal protection and police depts. I have been blessed to be for friend for many years and fostered many dogs for her. She now needs our help. Leigha will not be able to return to working with dogs for a long time so she needs us to show her tons of love and help her with medical bills , physical therapy and anything else she needs. She still has some rescues in her care and unfortunately the dog that attacked her will cost $500 to be put down. Please consider helping me raise money to help her as she would do it for you.
The following statement is in her words about the incident and in her words you will feel her compassion for all creatures big and small.
Warning: these photos are graphic.
Yesterday was a day where I can say I could have been killed. Between being on the job and rescue dog attacks, I’m not sure if I have nine lives like a cat, but I would assume I’m reaching my 8th or 9th by now.
Many trainers or rescuers don’t talk about the bad cases, the bites, the extreme situations and I am here to tell you they happen. I’m not afraid to share my stories - anyone who only posts perfection dogs and do not share the horror stories are basically as bad as the media not explaining the suicide percentages that occur each and every day (only those of you in public safety too know what I mean). Some say it tarnishes your reputation, I personally say it makes you honest, humble and able to show others who need to be educated on what a dog can really do to someone as an animal. This post is an educational one to be able to show what can happen.
So most of you know I’ve been working with a Dogo Argentino (115lb) rehab case. The dog has no bite history, however had shown its previous owner some significant dominance aggression, which for a month now, I have not seen with the exception of cage aggression (can be typical).
So yesterday at 0900, I was cleaning dishes and he was in an organic sit next to me when he began to growl for a couple seconds, I attempted to verbally correct him when he lunged at my face, grabbing me just lower of my neck. As i moved away, he grabbed my arm again as I was able to walk him into the dog room and shut the door. I didn’t think the injuries sustained were bad until I looked in the mirror and assessed my arm. Seeing the laceration on my face and the tendons and muscles exposed in my arm, I grabbed my old post surgery prescription of Percocets I had still for emergencies, swallowed 2 and called 911 (I was home alone per usual).
They were taking me to Holy Family hospital until the paramedic came on and assessed the damage, reverting us to the trauma unit in Lawrence General after giving me a large dosage of fentanyl. Upon arrival at LGH, I was as given 3 more injections of fentanyl and advised I would have to go to Beth Israel Hospital in Boston to be worked on by their trauma team and plastic surgeons. Emergency surgery was done on my arm (muscle tears) and face last night around 1900 hours.
Three of the very best civilian K9 guys I know locally went to my house to try and get the Dogo out of the house and into the kennels with no luck. With the incident, it’s almost as if the dog completely turned into full force dominance aggression and they were able to get him into the crate. We will be working on a plan to get him out today somehow, someway but everyone has agreed that he has flipped his switch and is on full defensive complete aggression mode.
I’ll be okay. Surprisingly the pain isn’t as bad as a broken bone, however I was told if it was a mere two inches lower, he would have gotten my jugular and the only place I would be in the hospital right now is in the morgue.
I don’t fail often with dogs & this is a back to back failure. With that said, other than training behavioral modification dogs, obedience issues and the basic civilian dog training stuff, I am taking a break for the rest of the summer with taking on the most severe aggression cases to heal and have some personal time with my own dogs. I just wanted to give everyone in the dog rescue world a heads up that I will be on a summer break. I’ll be back in a couple of months, but we all need a breather once in a while and I think it’s safe to say I’ve earned one. I’m sorry to everyone who I normally assist in rescue, but I hope you can understand.
BIG thanks to friends who have helped me during these past 24 hours and the absolutely amazing team of nurses and doctors I had to sew me all back together. I can’t begin to explain how appreciative I am.
Organizer and beneficiary
Kim Ahearn Bent
Organizer
North Brookfield, MA
Leigha Genduso
Beneficiary