Rooting for Rusty

In late July of 2024, a truck was witnessed dropping off a German Shephard mix dog at a remote location on the outskirts of Akwesasne. When dog-lover Toni Oakes and her family learned about him, they went on a mission to rescue him. But Rusty was skittish and wouldn't come near any humans.

For days, the Akwesasne community combined efforts showing love for this abandoned dog, who stayed at the spot he was dropped waiting for his owner to return. Food was left for him by caring strangers and many made attempts to catch him for Toni, but it took several days. Finally, some caring people caught him and delivered him to Toni and her husband Dan. She and her family loved him up from the first minute and he spent his first night at their home sprawled out on a comfy bed with Toni spending the night there with him petting him. "I think it was the first time he experienced belly rubs," she said.

The next day, "Rusty" became acquainted with the rest of the dogs and humans in the house and he was quickly loved and received lots of comfort. But soon, the family noticed a problem. Rusty was urinating while sitting, and seemed to be very uncomfortable. An anxious trip to the vet revealed Rusty was experiencing a bladder infection that medication would clear up. It was a relief.

But, after a week and a half, the medication hadn't improved Rusty's health. He continued to leak urine and seemed to be in pain. The family took a trip back to the vet, where a further look included an X-ray. It revealed the unthinkable. Rusty had been shot in the genitals and there was a bullet lodged in his private area.

Rusty is now scheduled for an $8,000 surgery to remove the bullet and will require a vet stay and recovery in Burlington, VT. Toni and her family have taken this innocent dog into their lives out of the kindness of their dog-loving hearts. They didn't ask for anything when they gave their hearts to this pup, so let's take their act of kindness and pay it forward to alleviate some of the financial burden they selflessly took on.

So many of us have been rooting for Rusty from the start; let's continue to root for his full recovery.