Mattie is a very sweet, collie girl who came to MWCR on February 1, 2004.  She was found wandering along a highway, listless and starving.  She weighed only 30.5 pounds and was near death from hunger and exposure.  We can only imagine the loneliness, fear and misery this gentle girl endured before coming to MWCR.
 
But though she didn't know it at the time, February 1st was Mattie's lucky day!  She was taken to the vet, weighed and examined.  Remarkably, she was found to have no major health problems beyond those obvious ones caused by her ordeal.  She was then brought to a loving foster home, where her days were filled with warmth, affection and (most importantly) FOOD.
 
The vet thinks that Mattie is between eight and ten years old.  She has a little cloudiness in her eyes which, according to the vet, does not affect her vision.  She also has some arthritis for which she is taking medication.  We are also looking at her having congestive heart disease that she will be on medication for.  She is working on her potty training, but quite frankly her main job right now is to rest, gain weight and regain her strength.
 
Once Mattie is stronger, it will be easier to assess her personality and what she will need in a forever home.  At that time, she will be ready to be adopted by loving people who will help her to forget the heartbreaking  chain of events that left her alone and hungry, wandering by the side of the highway.
 
Mattie's happy ending is just beginning.  Watch for updates on her progress.

Update for Mattie (7/11/04)

Mattie continues to improve in her foster home. She is eating well, putting on some much needed weight and trying to acclimate to her new environment. This petite, gentle girl is completely silent and doesn't seem to hear very well. Her house training is much improved, but she still has an occasional "accident." She is good with children, cats and other dogs, but her terrible ordeal has left her confused, and she does a lot of slow pacing. It is probably a leftover from her days as a starving, homeless girl constantly in search of food, shelter and safety.

Mattie is still not ready to go to her forever home, but when she is she will need a very special family that will be patient with her and help her continue her recovery. She has some ongoing medical problems, and will probably need to take low doses of a couple of inexpensive medications for the rest of her life.

Check back for periodic updates on this sweet collie girl.
She is being fostered in the Madison, WI area