Harlequin Haven Great Dane Rescue

Harvey

I was purchased when I was an adorable Great Dane puppy and was a loved family member. Then when mom died dad was left to care for me. It was not bad at first but after awhile he grew tired of me and tossed me outside to fend for myself. My adult brother and his wife kept telling dad I needed medical care but dad just ignored them.

Then one day dad told my brother he was moving away and my brother asked dad what he was going to do with me and he said he was leaving me behind. My brother told dad he had to take me to a shelter and dad refused, he told him he could have me if he wanted, but my brother and his wife lived in an apartment and they were not allowed a dog let alone a Great Dane!!

Quite a while passed before my brother came to check on dad and found me living at home alone.  My sister-in-law called HHGDR and begged them to take me. The following day I was taken to the Rescue. I was terrified at first but it did not take long for me to relax especially when I was taken inside to a nice warm clean bed.

As you can see from my pictures below I am underweight and have a severe skin condition that has gone untreated for several years--according to my brother I was a real mess last summer. The Rescue told me I will go to the vet this week and will begin getting the medical treatment I so desperately need!

As you can see from the below picture I am getting better and so far the main thing has been good nutrition and being wormed!

Updated 4/17/05

Update August 8: Grandma has told me it is time that I tell the real story even though it hurts me so much to talk about it. She says it will do me good to tell the world the truth. The truth is I had been not only neglected but I had been severely abused. I am terrified of people in general unless they work with me on my terms. Grandma understands and gives me my own space and lets me decide what I am doing and I love her for that. The other volunteers are trying to do things with me but they scare me so I go hide in a corner until Grandma comes to get me. Some say I am not adoptable and that I am taking up space and Grandma just nods and goes on because she says I am worth saving.

I now am taking thyroid medicine and it has really helped my skin, unfortunately it has not helped my fear of people. I trust Grandma and she says the time will come and I will learn to trust others but it is a long ways off. I was so ashamed to tell people how abused I had been, that I made Grandma and the others not tell, but she is right, I needed to be honest. I am a long ways from being adoptable and I know that but I also know that if I am ever to trust I need to face my demons head on and telling you the truth is my first step.

Please don't tell Grandma that you think I should die to make room for another homeless Great Dane. I promise to be truthful and try my best to overcome my fear of people but it will not happen overnight after all I did not become the way I am overnight. It took years of abuse to become this fearful!!
Update September 11: Grandma said I have to do therapy and one was to go to the vets office. So I went this week and got neutered and had several skin tags and other lumps removed. Don't worry, none were serious. Grandma was right it really was good therapy. When we arrived at the vet's I was shaking. There were so many people there and one woman came at me with a big needle and I just hid behind Grandma. Grandma took the needle away from her and told her to go away! Then she explained to me what the needle was for and I told her as long as she stuck me with it I would be okay and she agreed. She promised she would stay with me the whole time and she did! She held my paw through the whole thing and brought me home immediately. I feel so much better that I am doing this therapy thing!! 
Update November 26: Things continue to improve for me. I have gotten most all my hair back and I feel great. I am no longer afraid of the volunteers and love to give love nips to my Grandma. My thyroid medicine was upped again and hopefully next time I get a blood test I will be at the right level it seems like a lifetime ago that I came to the rescue, I am so happy to be starting to put my past in the past where it belongs. 
Update December 25: I have been at the rescue almost a year now and each day gets better. Today was my first Christmas at the rescue and I got toys, bones, treats and even my very own Christmas stocking! I have learned the meaning of love this year and I am happy that in the New Year I will be available to a very special home. Thank you Santa and your Elves for making a old Dane feel the real meaning of Christmas.
Update January 11: Well I got the results back from my most recent Thyroid test and my dosage has been upped again. I now have to wait another month to see if my levels are correct. That is okay though because it is worth it to get feeling great!!
Update January 15: Today I went and joined the volunteers for grooming day!! I wanted to get my picture taken to show my great improvement!! I really enjoyed being with the volunteers and getting pampered!! Below is my updated picture!!
Update February 20: Last week on Tuesday when Grandma was giving us all dinner she noticed that I was not feeling well. Luckily she knows me well enough to know that I was in trouble. She rushed me to the Vet where they did emergency torsion surgery on me. I am now still recuperating but soon will be back to my old self!!
Update February 26: I continue to improve and Grandma is so proud of me because I did not have a set back! I did lose some weight but I have learned to trust people even more!
Update March 5: Well not much to tell but I wanted to let you all know that I am still improving and regaining the weight I lost after surgery. I am happier then ever and enjoy visiting with the volunteers when they come to the rescue. Soon I will be getting another thyroid test to recheck my levels but it has been delayed due to missing a few doses when I had surgery.
Update March 15: I have recuperated from my surgery but am still regaining the weight I lost. I also have sent off my blood to recheck my thyroid levels, hopefully it is all normal now. I will need to take medicine for the rest of my life. It is not real costly at this time a 500 day supply would cost under $110 to purchase on-line.

Update April 5: I NOW ready for adoption!!

Please if you can spare a few dollars to help the Rescue continue to help me and other Danes like me it would be greatly appreciated. Grandma says I have a long road to recovery ahead of me.
Thanks, Harvey