TACOMA, Wash — The Humane Society of Tacoma & Pierce County is working to save a dog who was found suffering on a porch in Tacoma on Christmas Eve.
Haley Clirehugh and her husband found the dog on her neighbor’s front porch in central Tacoma and knew the dog needed help. The dog – who the shelter is calling Thomas – was emaciated, hypothermic and had painful, infected wounds, according to the humane society.
"I was trying to say hi to him and he didn’t even react," Clirehugh said. "I knew I needed to get him care before he froze to death."
Clirehugh brought the dog, who she named “Turkey Tom,” into her home to get him out of the cold weather.
As a vet nurse, Clirehugh said she could tell that Tom was outside for some time and was too weak to even stand, but there was only so much she could do.
"It was a little above my pay grade with the emaciation level that he was at,” she said.
Clirehugh knew she could treat the wounds on his paws, but couldn’t give him additional care, such as an IV, in her home. So she reached out to the Tacoma Pierce County Humane Society.
Clirehugh said initially she was worried that the shelter wouldn't have enough space for him, but the shelter said after seeing Tom's condition, workers made room to treat him.
At the shelter, the veterinary team wrapped him in heated blankets, gave him fluids and treated pressure wounds and hip and paw injuries. The humane society said Thomas was so weak that he could barely lift his head and needed help to stand and urinate.
The dog will need frequent bandage changes, continued medication and more diagnostic testing.
The dog went into the care of a foster family, and as of Thursday has been "steadily recovering." He is on a specialized feeding plan and working to increase his body weight by 30%.
Under the care of the foster family, Thomas is gaining an appetite, can stand on his own for short periods and is making short trips to the yard for potty breaks. It will take weeks for his wounds to heal, the humane society said.
"I am super invested in what happens to him, we kinda bonded in the half a day we were hanging out,” said Clirehugh. “He's my buddy."
The humane society said it is expecting more cases like Thomas’ this winter where animals have hypothermia or are starving.
The Dimmer Family Foundation is offering a matching gift through Dec. 31 where donations will be tripled up to $150,000. Donations will help Thomas get the care he needs, along with other animals in need. People can donate on the humane society’s website.