HAPPY TAILS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"Shelter Vet Experiences Miracle of Life on Sept. 11"
Tuesday, September 12, 2006--Columbus, MS

While many Americans were reminded Monday of a time of tragedy and death, the staff of the Columbus-Lowndes Humane Society celebrated the joy of life. Late Monday afternoon, Felicia, a mixed-breed shelter resident, gave birth to eight puppies, with the help of veterinarian Dr. Meg Sutton and a surgical team of staff members and volunteers.

Felicia was surrendered by a family who had been feeding her as a stray outside their home. The mother-to-be sat in a concrete kennel since Thursday, heavy with puppies. Her small frame and large belly indicated urgency to Sutton: puppies would not be far away, and a Cesarean section might be necessary.

Sutton, who graduated from Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine on May 11, completed her first C-section Friday afternoon, on a beagle named Nana. "When I took this job, I expected to see a lot of unusual cases, even a lot of pregnant dogs," said Sutton, "But I didn't expect to do two emergency C-section in three days." Much of a young veterinarian's education occurs in the first years of practice. Sutton, who is the only veterinarian at the shelter full-time, has had to learn quickly. Nana, an older stray, is recovering well, though her ten puppies must be bottle-fed every two hours by a volunteer foster "mother."

Sutton, who was hired to perform spays and neuters for the humane society's low-cost program, needed advice from her MSU mentor, Dr. Philip Bushby. "Dr. Bushby [who is also board president at the shelter] is usually helpful by phone when I need him, so I can ask his advice," said Sutton. "But today when Felicia began labor, he was in surgery himself. And I had never done surgery on a dog who was already in the middle of labor."

Since Sutton had already determined that one large puppy was wedged in the birth canal and that the dog was in distress, she put in a quick phone call to Dr. Mark Burtman, a local obstetrician and supporter of the Columbus-Lowndes Humane Society. "He told me what he would do for a human birth in that situation," Sutton said. "Even though human and animal births are very different, he could offer advice about the actual surgical procedure. I just needed a little encouragement."

With a surgical team made up of veterinary technician Angela Holmes, shelter manager Jason Nickles, kennel worker Rita Richey, shelter public relations director Sarah Miller, and frequent volunteer Megan Dareing, Sutton began the procedure on the mother-to-be at 3 p.m. The first puppy was stillborn after being trapped in the birth canal. However, the next seven were born lively and healthy. "We just grabbed them and started cleaning noses and mouths as fast as we could go," said Miller. "I've seen Dr. Sutton do plenty of spays, but this was a first for me."

Dareing, who happened to be volunteering with the dogs at the time of the birth, stepped in to lend a hand. "I didn't know what to do," she said. "But Rita said to just keep rubbing them until we could hear a cry." Before long, the small room was filled with the mewling of seven healthy puppies. Dareing and Richey kept the puppies warm while Miller mixed up formula for feeding. Holmes and Nickles assisted Sutton with the remainder of Felicia's surgery. By closing time at 5 p.m., Felicia was resting quietly while her puppies fed noisily from tiny bottles.

"I thought when I woke up this morning that it would be such a sad day," Miller said. "I listened to replays of the tragic things that happened five years ago on the radio on the way to work this morning. I just knew that more sad things were to come when I got to the shelter. I'm so glad that I was wrong."

Sutton, who bottle-fed puppies while she watched the replay of September 11 footage with her husband Monday night at their home, found a kind of peace at the end of the day. "We see a lot of sad things in an animal shelter, and sometimes it gets discouraging. But on days like today, when puppies can be saved and enter the world alive and healthy, I remember how much I love my job."

Felicia, Nana, and all puppies will be available for adoption in six weeks.

     
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About Columbus-Lowndes Humane Society:
It is the mission of the Columbus-Lowndes Humane Society to protect animals from suffering and cruelty, to provide care for animals afflicted by neglect, abandonment and exploitation, and to enhance the lives of animals and people through education, adoption and compassion.