We asked Jo Maldonado, our animal communicator, to reach out to Rogue. She received the following informa- tion when she communicated with him in July: As a young pup, I see him being born into the hands of some not very nice people. It feels as though he and his brothers and sister
(Above): A June follow-up at Skyway Animal Hospital in June for Rogue. (Below): Rogue begins his recovery in May. Photography by Tina K. VaLant.
Everyone fell in love with Rogue. Even though he had to be in extreme pain, he never exhibited any aggressive ten-
dencies...never bared his teeth, snapped or growled, during treatment or otherwise. “Rogue always greeted us with his tail wagging,” said Dr. Slocumb. “He’s truly a model patient. We could not be more pleased with his progress. We know Rogue and Tomeka are going to do something really special together.” Like most Pits and Pit mixes, Rogue is a lover–not a
fighter. He probably wasn’t aggressive enough for the ring, so he was used as a bait dog. His extensive injuries would have raised a red flag with any reputable veterinarian, so he was probably dumped on the busy corner, like a piece of trash. “Dog fighting is often linked with other criminal activity including gambling, drugs and gangs. Dog fighting is vicious, well-hidden, and dangerous. We are seeing more cases because the plight of these dogs is being made more public with more education. Second Chance Fund provides a resource to assist in these spe- cialized cases,” said Jennifer Galloway of the Gulf Coast Humane Society. Three severe cases were recently accepted, including one dog who was found with his nose missing. “I had a feeling Rogue
was sent to me on a mission. I wondered what that would be.
But first, I knew we had to get him healthy,” said Tomeka. She began a FaceBook page: Rogue the Incredible Bait Dog Survivor. A friend started a fundraising account for Rogue’s care. Well wishes, prayers and donations flowed in, as Rogue’s story circulated throughout social media. His veterinary care was totally covered by the generos-
ity of Skyway Animal Hospital and numerous donors. “There are no words to express my gratitude for the
kindness of strangers and people stepping in to help. It is my hope to return the favor by training Rogue to become a therapy dog; an ambassador of hope and advocate against dog-fighting.” Rogue and Tomeka are currently in training, working
toward Rogue’s CGC (canine good citizen) title.U
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were bred to be used for money-making purposes. There does not feel to be any affection towards the dogs. They were fed sporadically, with food thrown on the ground in a “who gets it first” scenario. The dogs were fed for the pur- pose of fighting, so they could mature and be used for sport. Rogue’s life as a puppy was rough. His young adult years, even more so. I got a deep throbbing headache at the time of this ses-
sion. I also get a feeling of Rogue’s underdevelopment, neu- rologically, and unclear thinking for his age. There is confu- sion. Right now, he is still healing and has not come to full recovery. As he begins to feel stronger, his temper will be shorter, his patience, even shorter. If placed in a situation where there are children or other animals that he finds annoy- ing, he may, as a reflex, act out and bite. He is a strong being, with a soul that has been damaged spiritually and develop- mentally. His response is nothing personal, just a reflex. Regarding Cypress: he is not in favor of Rogue’s presence. Rogue has been accustomed to being around other dogs – physically. At this point he is willing to tolerate Cypress. There are no personal feelings toward either Tomeka or Cypress. He is not capable of this, as he has been “programmed” not to attach. He seems uncertain as to his present home and whether
he will stay there, be moved or something else. He is just going through the motions, as he knows no other way to per- ceive life. Deep down under the layers of numbness, there is what we humans would refer to as anger. This will come out eventually. If Rogue were a person, I would suggest lots of therapy.
Jo’s Comments: In this complicated world, there are countless days that present circumstances that we would like to change. One thing that continues to come across my desk as I speak to clients, is “we cannot control these circumstances.” The only thing we can control is ourselves, our actions,
our thoughts and our perception. We cannot stop someone from dying. If it is their time, they will die. The ultimate deci- sion is between them and their Creator. And sometimes, even if we save someone, the tragedy of what happened to them is so ingrained in their makeup, that they can never overcome the horror of that in a way that we would like them to.
U Summer/Fall ~ 2015 THE NEW BARKER 53
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