Micah Updates

As you may know, this sweet dog was one of 56 Akitas seized by authorities on May 20 from a woman in Palmdale, California who was masquerading as an
Akita rescue while horribly neglecting dozens of these noble dogs. This particular male stayed in the shelter as 'evidence'- known only as "Palmdale
51"... until he caught the eye of the women who run ARWNY. His picture (taken at the official seizure) is indeed heartbreaking and he was clearly
not long for this world.

I became acquainted with Kathy DeWees and Nancy Lamm of ARWNY about four years ago when I rescued my Akita off of a Southern California freeway. I
found their Adopters group on Yahoo and found them to be an extraordinary wealth of knowledge, compassion and supportive advice. If you adopt an
Akita you must join our Yahoo group.

Kathy and Nancy set the gold standard, in my opinion, for what animal rescue can be and I've been an ardent supporter of the organization ever since. I
had the pleasure of meeting them at the last Akita Nationals in Arizona and am proud to consider them friends. I admire them both greatly and they are
responsible for what must now be HUNDREDS of wonderful adoptions.

Nancy immediately identified "Palmdale 51" as a dog in desperate need of medical attention and she directed me to do whatever was necessary to get
him into urgent, immediate veterinary care. The moment the authorities allowed the dogs to be released to rescue on June 19 we pulled him and drove
him directly to an amazing veterinary facility here in Los Angeles. Nancy named him "Micah". Here's his full story, but please bear with me, because
it ends WELL.

He received a full evaluation and full blood testing at the well-regarded California Animal Hospital. We did titers for all possible tick borne
illnesses. He weighed 76.5 pounds and had almost no hair...he had an upper respiratory infection, demodectic mange and a secondary bacterial skin
infection. The shelter reported blood from his nose. He was admitted for the night for further evaluation, put on a course of antibiotics
(Doxycycline), Ivermectin for the demodex ..and he was given a nice, therapeutic medicated bath. From day one I've treated him like he was my
dog - not just basic veterinary care, but the BEST available.

The encouraging test results came back: No anemia. Normal urine. No heartworm, no lyme disease, no erlichia canine or equine...just a
subclinical indication that he had been exposed to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever from tick exposure (which the antibiotic would have resolved anyway,
but we repeated the test a week later and he's perfectly normal).

His major issue was that he had really bad demodectic mange that resulted in the alopecia (hair loss) and some fly strikes on his ears. But twice weekly
baths have complemented the medication nicely and the demodex is gone. Poor fella! And he was dramatically underweight !!! DRAMATICALLY. The vet gave
him a body condition score of 2/9.

We also sent his blood to Dr. Jean Dodds, who is an Akita expert, and she evaluated his thyroid function and other blood values for the Akita-specific
range - all perfectly normal :)

His teeth are a bit of a mess, but it doesn't stop him from flashing a winning smile...we will cover all of his dental work and he'll be a fully
healthy boy before he's adopted! He sees the dentist for the first time next week. We wanted him to regain some strength before seeing the dentist.

HERE'S WHERE WE STAND AS OF TODAY:

Micah is healthy and happy and it's hard to believe that he's the same dog in that "before" picture!!! He's off all of his meds except the Ivermectin,
which we're keeping him on for just another week or two, as insurance. With the demodex gone his coat is back with a vengeance (he's a beautiful fluffy
brindle guy now with great speckled white paws and a white chest!) AND he's gained 13.5 pounds!!! He probably needs another 15 or 20 pounds, but he's
made incredible improvements! The vet was shocked to see how dramatically his condition improved. An army of people have been rooting for him and
he's blossoming into one impressive guy! He loves to be pet and scratched and I'm loving his fluffiness!

But here's the most important story about Micah:

This guy has the MOST WONDERFUL DISPOSITION!!! From the moment we met him he has been extraordinarily trusting and gentle with people. I have NEVER seen
aggressive or otherwise negative behavior from him (and I wouldn't be able to say the same thing about my dogs, with whom I've been working with for
years!!!). He's just a doll. Even when he must have felt TERRIBLE he was sweet with us. He's the perfect combination of energetic and perky, but
MELLOW. He lays down on the vet room floor and just waits. No anxiety whatsoever. He's a "leaner", too, and loves to rub up against you. He's just
a trusting guy...and a SURVIVOR!!! I think that's the X factor with him - he's really fought for his life and he's going to enjoy every day, every
flower, every moment from now on.

While he pulled like crazy on leash when we first met him, I've been walking him 6 days a week and he now walks on a slack lead after a few minutes!!!
He's the greatest! He waits at street corners on walks!! I've been introducing him to some specific behaviors - like "sit" and "wait" and
"let's go"- and he's a very quick study who is learning quickly and cooperatively. He used to swallow my arm when taking treats - he just didn't
know how - but now he gently takes them.

He's been spoiled and pampered by the wonderful folks at Camp Best Friends - a wonderful private kennel here and they ADORE him. (Micah couldn't come
home with us because our dogs are dog aggressive). He gives a paw to everyone he meets and while we haven't tested him with other dogs
specifically, I've sat in the vets office with him several times and he shows NO INTEREST in the other dogs there - just the normal curiosity. So I
can't specifically vouch for him with other dogs, but he's certainly not dog aggressive on walks or when exposed to other dogs (which my Akitas ARE!!!)

I adore this guy. I would take him home with me forever IN A HEARTBEAT if I could - but with my other dogs I simply can't. Everyone who meets him falls
in love.

This sums up Micah: Camp Best Friends is located right behind the super swank Sports Club LA and for the first few weeks people were crossing the
street when Micah and I would walk by - thinking "that poor dog must be sick or dying"...Well, I must tell you that in the last couple of weeks I am
CONSTANTLY stopped by people getting in and out of their luxury cars saying "what a beautiful dog - wow - what a gorgeous dog - look at that cool
dog!!!". He is SOOOO handsome now and he gives a paw to all the people who stop on the street. A real charmer.

He's a big boy - 28" to the withers and 45" from tip of nose to base of tail...so when this guy gains his final 15 or 20 pounds, he is going to ONE
SPECTACULAR looking dog.

I would assume that Micah will need housetraining and don't want to lead you to believe anything else. I can tell you that he is very clean in his
kennel and pees and poops regularly on our walks. He has a tendency to jump with enthusiasm when he first sees me, but is such a quick study that I feel
he'll learn how to behave like a gentleman in a home in no time. He just hasn't had a home...perhaps ever :( and so he's a bit of a "counter surfer"
until corrected. As you can imagine, it's difficult to reinforce behaviors on a dog that's kenneled because so many different people look after him and
consistency in correcting is the key to establishing those manners. And with a dog that was starved, food is a fascinating commodity. But unlike other
dogs who have been starved, he's NEVER shown aggression around his food...just a nice appetite :)

My Akita, Greta, in contrast, has a dominant, tough streak (very typical for the breed) and is really a tough cookie in contrast. I feel that if Micah
has consistent home training that he'll be the perfect dog in no time. Akitas do require strong leadership and he's going to weigh well over 100
pounds, no mistake about that!

He doesn't know what to do with toys...but he doesn't shred them - a very good indicator, in my mind of a lack of destructive tendency. He just
nudges them and then ignores them. He doesn't know how to play with toys yet :(

He hasn't made a sound yet. No barking, no whining, no crying. No anxiety. Never. Akitas are known to be silent - until trouble arises or in defense
of their families...and Micah seems to be one of the silent types. I have a "talker" at home, and believe me, the silence is golden :)

It's difficult to accurately assess his age. Some of the Akita evaluators feel he is young - as young as three - but some of the vets feel he's closer
to six or so... because his teeth are in rough shape it's impossible to tell. My gut tells me he's perhaps somewhere in the middle - his physical
condition tells me he's not a super young dog, but he's very lively and energetic without being CRAZY like a puppy...and he hasn't had the
advantages of good nutrition and care, so he may just look older than he is now that he's underweight. He's got plenty of nice energy but calms down
too. He's definitely not sluggish and in my opinion doesn't behave like a senior dog at all. He's almost got a gangly puppiness to him now, so
perhaps he is on the younger side. His past is a great mystery but his future is incredibly bright.

I hope this information helps. I will know more about his adoption timeline after he sees the dentist next Thursday. ARWNY always fully vets their dogs
before sending them to their permanent homes, and Micah is no exception. He'll also see his regular vet on Thursday for yet another follow-up.

While I'm not anxious to say goodbye to this sweet guy, I am anxious to see him settle into a real home and as such, we'd make arrangements to meet you
and do the necessary home check relatively soon - ideally with Micah - and then we'll let his dental needs dictate how long before he goes HOME for
good.

Thanks so much for considering one of these dogs. Akitas are the most incredible creatures - they are loyal and loving and dignified companions
that make the most wonderful, devoted family members. They bond deeply with their owners and give their hearts completely. I've got a big, fluffy girl
at my feet as I write this and a big boy in the other room fast asleep. They have a funny, goofy side, too and I have a feeling there will be plenty of
smiles when Micah is around. He's got a big lolling tongue and his expression in repose is a giant smile. He just lifts the spirits. He loves
to have his head scratched, his chest scratched...he just loves the company.

I'm only too happy to answer any questions you may have or to provide more information about Micah. He's a one in a million dog and he just needs a
one in a million home.

Sending our best,

Lori, Bob, and Micah