Oatmeal

Oatmeal was a 13-week old puppy that had been found outside of Antioch Animal Services after being stuffed in a box and dumped by their front door. 

Her arm was shaved as if she had had a recent IV, so they called the local emergency animal hospital and they DID have a record of a patient who had come in the night before with head trauma. According to the owner, she ran into a step. But according to our vet, this would have been impossible. This dog has suffered SEVERE head trauma. This dog took a BIG fall, was hit by a car, thrown, kicked, or had something large and heavy fall on her. Rescuers do not know why the owner lied, but she did, and rather than support her, she DUMPED her outside in the middle of the night when no one was around.

She may look cute in her pictures and she is ADORABLE. But she also had over 20 seizures the first day rescuers brought her in due to head trauma. It was a heavy and long journey, getting her the CT scans and treatment and medications she needed. But finally, she was evaluated by the wonderful Neurologists at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine who determined that her brain injury had fully healed Rescue then went on to find her a forever family. But how to pick her forever family? Her story struck the heart of MANY. However, one of the hearts struck by Oatmeal was an individual who shares in incredible amount of things in common with her.

Her new mom, began experiencing uncontrolled seizures as well about 6 years ago due to a lesion in her temporal lobe. After changing her medication three different times the doctors were finally able to control the seizures. Going through seizures and being diagnosed with Epilepsy is scary. Heartbreakingly her fiance, who should have been there to make her feel safe and comforted during this frightening time, abandoned her because his family disapproved of the marriage due to her newly diagnosed condition. She was devastated. Like Oatmeal she was abandoned by the person she loved when she needed them the most.

But like a resilient blade of grass that turns from gold to green, she too overcame the harsh winter. She completed school, switched to an industry that she loves. Joined the board of Epilepsy Foundation to advocate for the disease and reduce the stigma around it. Her trauma made her so much stronger. We need to remember to take it upon ourselves to educate ourselves, our children and the people around us to increase awareness about epilepsy to debunk the stereotypes surrounding it.

We want to say thank you for all of Oatmeal's supporters who donated, and shared her story. We were able to save Oatmeal because of you. We could not afford the medical bills and costs associated with medical cases like Oatmeal's without donations  so we are truly grateful that so many people stepped up for her when her family abandoned her.