On 12/22/17, the Chicago Police Department received a call from a 911 Dispatcher that a small dog was being repeatedly hit with a garbage can and kicked on the side of the road. When the police arrived they found an emaciated dog limp and barely moving. Even though it was a gang infested area, after bringing her kids home to safety, the 911 caller came back to check on Wynter… she was truly his hero. When responding police officers arrived (from the 09th District), the man that had been beating Wynter was already gone. The officers would wait until fellow rescuers, Jarod & Michelle, could pick Wynter up and bring him to us.
Once at the ER Vet, Wynter was rushed to the back and started receiving life saving care. In Wynter’s case, it was hard to know where to begin. Between his head trauma, emaciated state and the trauma around and in his anus, he was literally in pain from head to toe. In fact, the pain was almost too much for him to bear at times. His medical team would have to give him breaks so that his system would not shut down from the stress. At the conclusion of his medical testing, Wynter weighed in at around 5 pounds. This was half of his ideal weight, which should have been over 10 pounds. After having his fur clipped away, you could see that Wynter’s muscles had wasted away from his bones. It was a miracle that his internal organs were still functioning. Wynter’s initial neurological exam was satisfactory and it was believed that he would not have any long-term damage. Horribly, it was determined that the tissue around Wynter’s rectal area was necrotic (dead) and that he had been sodomized. X-rays would go on to show that he even had a bb pellet in his hip.
This is the point where Wynter’s life turned around… After hospitalization, Wynter went into a foster home for continued medical and psychological care. With the help of generous donors, TAF was able to provide Wynter not only with the best medical care but continued care at his foster home… people from around the country, and world, sent Wynter gifts in hopes of easing his pain. In the beginning, to prevent re-feeding syndrome, Wynter was fed 6 small meals a day. This allowed his system to slowly adjust to eating food, again. In addition to this, Wynter was taking some pretty serious medication to ease his pain, heal his bottom and fight off infection. After weeks of extremely thorough medical care, Wynter’s health finally turned around and he made a full recovery. He even went on to gain 6 pounds!
When it came to Wynter’s emotional healing, TAF’s therapy dogs played a big part in that. Once in the company of Antler, Hazel Grace and Bentley, Wynter started to lighten up and trust a little bit more. Before long, Wynter was hanging out with his new buddies and even helped out with two new foster dogs that came to stay… Wynter had already started to pay it forward.
When the time came for Wynter to be adopted, we knew that he had some specific needs that would need to be met. Luckily, since so many caring people submitted adoption applications for Wynter, we were able to choose from a variety of amazing homes. There was one, however, that would end up being the perfect fit. When Wynter first met his future family, we knew that he would be a little nervous and fearful and not show well. Up until then, his world had revolved around his foster mom. However, with his foster mom in the room, we knew that Wynter’s future family could see just how loving and sweet Wynter was with her. For extra emotional backup, Wynter brought his 3 favorite stuffed animals. If they played catch with him, it was a done deal.
With that, we are officially announcing that Wynter has been adopted!
Wynter now lives in a quiet suburb of Chicago where he can go for walks or just play in the yard. He already has claimed a spot in his mom and dad’s bed and wakes them up at 5:30am to play. Wynter’s parents are so head over heals for him and they continue to check in with updates. They say that Wynter is thriving, relaxed and even sits with the grandkids when they do their homework. As in his foster home, Wynter’s favorite thing is the play catch. If you didn’t know better, you would think he was part lab… he could go for hours. Luckily for Wynter, the grandkids are perfect playmates! As with all abuse cases, Wynter’s new mom and dad know that Wynter still has some emotional hang-ups that he may never get over. They are committed to providing Wynter an environment where he will always feel safe, loved and protected… Wynter can finally take a deep breath and know that he is home. TAF would like to thank everyone that help put our little guy back together, again. From donations to thoughts and prayers, you made his will to live possible.
