Ruff Ruff! My name is TaterTot

TaterTot's Story...
To say that TaterTot is a special boy would be an understatement. TaterTot or Tater as he is fondly referred to, came to us in early December. We had seen him the week before at Animal Control but assumed he was a puppy so we didn't ask about him. When we saw him on 12/2 we had to ask about him since puppies are normally snatched up very quickly and he was so adorable we couldn't imagine why on earth he'd still be there. We found out that he was not a puppy but in fact a 2 year old dog. He had a cold and the staff was trying very hard to keep him off the kill list. He was a huge favorite with them but soon he ran out of time so we took him. As you can see he was so very skinny! Might be the skinnest dog we have ever rescued. :( We moved our sweet boy into foster care and within a week we started to notice some odd things about Tater. We scheduled a vet appt for him for a couple of days later. When he showed up for his appt he appeared to be on deaths door! He couldn't hold his head up, was limp and seemed to not be able to see. We rushed him from the vet to the specialty hospital where they rushed us into the back. Now if any of you have ever been to an emergency hospital you know that if they take you to the back right away, it's bad news! We waiting anxiously in the waiting room for the news. Within a few moments the techs came back with Tater and said that he was stable and the Surgeon would be in to talk to us. While that was a huge relief we couldn't imagine that the dog before us was "stable." The Surgeon came in and told us that TaterTot had a liver shunt and was probably born with this. He was acting this way because his body was not removing the toxins from his food and so his brain was basically "drunk" from all the toxins. He would give us medication to remove the toxins but then he'd need surgeon to repair his liver. The Surgeon explained the whole process and the cost. So we left with our meds, food and our instructions over the next week. Now we needed to raise the money to cover the cost of his life saving surgeon. By this time it was near Christmas so we sent our a plea to all our supporters in hopes of a "Christmas Miracle" for our sweet little boy. I'm thrilled to say that the community stepped up and because of their generosity Tater was able to have his surgery after the beginning of the year!! Tater came through the surgery with flying colors and is now fully recovered, eating "normal" food, no longer on medication, is in need of no further medical treatment and will go on to live a full and normal life!

Since Tater was born with this condition, it appears that he is making up for missing his puppyhoood! While he is two years old he acts just like a puppy! He now has a ton of energy, loves to play with just about anything, is curious about everything and is always on the go! Despite his previous illness, Tater has been a perfect house guest, although his new found puppiness does lend him to want to put everything into his mouth so precautious are needed. He is still learning what a leash is but he's a smart boy and we're sure he'll continue to learn and soon be a fantastic walk and jogging partner!

Tater is a cuddle-bug! He loves to be carries around and is happy to be carried around by just about anyone that will hold him. Now that he's putting on weight he is getting a bit heavy to carry around for a long period of time but we thrilled to have that issue!

Tater loves to play with other dogs and will need a home with another young, active canine friend! He loves to romp and wrestle and is adorable to watch.

Tater's foster mom has done a wonderful job caring for him but she is not going to adopt him. She wants to make sure that we find a very special home for our special boy. He has so much life to live and love to give! So if you think you are Tater's speical family, please complete an application for him today! He is eager to start the next chapter of his amazing life!! To learn more - www.azrescue.org.

Watch a video of TaterTot!