Thank you to Riley for saving Fred

This past week, I have been away vacationing with my parents. Riley, my minpin, stayed with our friends, David and Cle. They own a black minpin, named, Bea and a red minpin, named Fred.

When I was volunteering for the minpin rescue, Fred was one of the rescues that I fostered. He fell from a two story building and was left with no food out on the cement by his owners. He broke his leg and had two luxating patellas, one of which needed surgery. He was so tiny and malnourished, basically needed a lot of attention. The minpin rescue paid for it and I brought him home and did therapy on him for months. He was sooo cute and had a great temperament that I decided to adopt him. He had a hard life and I knew we would give him a great home.

Cle came over to see him and they instantly fell in love with each other...being that I already had two dogs, I let Cle take him. They gave him a wonderful home, fattened him up and finally got him to use his leg by pool therapy and lots of love. This was 2 years ago.

Now you know Fred's history...here is a little coyote background...a couple of months ago, David and Cle went to Palm Springs for the weekend and upon their return, they found that a coyote somehow got into their property, into their house and killed their cat in the kitchen. This isn't a very easy property to get into, in fact, they had it coyote proofed with big walls surrounding the entire house. It kind of looks like a compound. Anyway, they were heartbroken and figured they accidentally left the garbage can by the wall in which the coyote probably used it as a step. The dogs and cat have easy access to get outside and the coyote obviously found it. This was the Only time in the years they have lived there that this has ever happened.

Anyway, on Monday night, Fred and Riley went outside like they always do. David and Cle had left for a few hours and came home to an awful sight. They found Fred lying in the kitchen, blood everywhere, he had 2 huge puncture wounds in his neck, his ribs were broken and the leg he had surgery on was hanging only by skin.

Their immediate thought was that Fred was the only dog left and that Bea and Riley were taken. They came to find out that Riley barked so much and patrolled the area that Fred was let go in which he went to safety while the coyote ran out of the property. Riley was still patrolling the outside just scared to death and wouldn't come to anyone. She is my little tough cookie...she doesn't take shit from any dog and I am so proud of her for that.

We took Bea and Riley while Fred went to the ER and then off to a surgical vet clinic in West LA...he was put on oxygen, had a cathedar and IV's. He had to make it in the next 24 hours for them to determine if he would make it. They had to put plasma in his blood but still couldn't take blood samples due to his condition. It wasn't until this morning that we had no idea if he was going to live. Although he is going to lose his entire leg, he is walking a little, has peed on his own and has even eaten a little bit of baby food. The doctor said his coloring is back and is just oblivious as to what happened. David and Cle have been visiting him constantly to keep his spirits up and although they haven't been able to touch him (he was in an oxygen tent) it looks like it worked.

David and Cle are wonderful parents and Fred...you are my hero, I love you and can't wait to see you up and around. Riley, your are my little soldier...thanks for being so brave.

*They are selling their house (it's near Runyan Canyon) and will be moving into a condo.