‘We kind of had this connection, nose to nose’, woman saves dog from being put down
By Ja Nai Wright
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ESSEX, Maryland (WMAR) — Starving, alone, and in a random field during a heat wave, is how the shelter found two and a half-year-old pit bull, Jasmine.
“She weighed 68.5 pounds; she should weigh about 90,” says Leah Biddinger.
She was also missing a large part of her nose, and the shelter quickly discovered Jasmine couldn’t breathe through it.
“Unfortunately, there is nothing the shelter can do to help her, so she instantly moves from a stray to a final plea,” says Leah Biddinger.
The final plea is the last phase before the shelter has to put a dog down.
That’s when Leah Biddinger with Bring ‘Em Home Animal Rescue stepped in, deciding to take Jasmine to her shelter instead.
Biddinger’s shelter takes in dogs in critical condition, whether they are extremely sick or injured.
She then tries to help them get forever homes.
She says she couldn’t stand by and watch this young pit-bull lose her life, especially since she can relate to her.
“Six and a half years ago, I had squamous cell carcinoma level T4 started in my nose, went through my skull base, and into my brain, and I lost my nose to cancer. I have a prosthetic nose at this point, so seeing her kind of spoke to my heart,” says Leah Biddigner.
Wednesday, Biddinger took Jasmine to get checked out to see if doctors could do anything to help.
“I had our vet look her over just to see what he thought about the nose, and the nose is probably going to be an expense,” says Biddinger.
She says now they hope to find a surgeon who can at least re-open Jasmine’s airways, giving her the chance to breathe like a normal dog.
“I feel like I got a second chance at life; I survived; I was literally two weeks from not making it, and I feel like dogs deserve a second; she deserves a second chance,” says Biddinger.
Biddinger says despite the animal rescue taking care of over 20 other critical dogs, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to save Jasmine.
“Like, I’m so happy that we took the chance, and we will make sure that she has her happily ever after.”
Jasmine is at a foster home, and they are working to get her weight back to normal.
Biddinger says, according to the vet, Jasmine’s nose may be the result of some sort of injury, but it will take a specialist to determine the cause and extent of the damage.
Check out Bring ‘Em Home Animal Rescue and Trapping’s Facebook page for more details on how to help Jasmine.
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