A mercy cut for Myrtle

Very sad, but everything worked out…

Yes, I acknowledge this is a terribly sad photo of poor Myrt. The saddest ever. But listen to the story behind it.

For a full two months, we tried to coax, relax, and bribe Myrtle to trust us and come closer to us.

Our priority was getting her a good grooming, just to get down to a base level of cleanliness and comfort.

We worked with a woman who's well-known in the rescue community for handling challenging cases. She came to observe Myrtle's behavior, and together we decided to get her into the vet for a "mercy cut."

Since Myrtle wouldn't go into the car, and probably wouldn't allow herself to be wrangled into her cage, she certainly wouldn't submit to a bath and grooming.

With the help of the "dog whisperer," as we called her, we devised a plan to cage Myrtle, and bring her to a vet who specializes in sedating and grooming dogs.

The whisperer came over at 5:00am, and was standing by with a snare, just in case she had to trap Myrtle to cage her.

It was beyond stressful to even think about. Having Myrtle snared inside the house terrified us, because we knew it'd just be more trauma for her.

Somehow, that morning, I got up early and was able to close the door on Myrtle's cage, where she'd been sleeping! It was pure luck.

We covered the cage with a blanket, and carried the whole thing (with Myrtle inside) into the car.

Good girl for the vet, surprisingly.

At the vet, with her leash on, she actually complied and stood for an exam before she was sedated for her grooming.

The ordeal took the entire day, and cost upwards of $700 (between the whisperer's fee, the vet's exam fee, sedation costs, and grooming fees).

It was emotional to see Myrtle that evening after she woke up.

The mercy cut exposed her thin, frail frame. She looked pathetic sitting outside of her cage that night.

We got her a sweater, and she looked like a totally new dog!

Maybe best of all... she could finally see! And we hoped the cut would be a good first step toward a more enjoyable life for Myrtle.

Post sedation and mercy cut… heading home.

We actually have no idea how we even got the sweater on.

If you are interested in my travel adventures, check out my travel blog Jared’s Detours.