Often I hear people use the terms abuse and neglect just being thrown out there. I wonder sometimes if people really know what abuse and neglect are. This is just one of the gliders that has come here that was abused or neglected...

This is Lucky's story:





One evening I recieved a call from one of our group members who had couple at her home with a ill glider and she asked if I could just come over and take a look at him. When I arrived I found the poor glider in terrible condition. He was unable to move his legs, it was clear that he was dealing with malnutrion to the point of starvation. It was obvious that he had had not eaten for some time and was not being given a proven diet or decent care. I asked his owners some questions and told them the glider needed immediate vet care and of course they said the dreaded words, we don't have the money to take him. I told them the kindest thing they could do for him was to surrender him to me and let me care for him, and they did.
I got Lucky to the vet within the hour, he weighed only 40 grams! This was a 5 year old male glider who only weighed as much as a month old joey! He was suffering from starvation.
The vet gave us some antibiotics and other medications and really was clear that the gliders chances of survival were very thin. We knew that in our hearts but we wanted to give him some chance of making it. So we brought Lucky here and began to give him sub q fluids to help his dehydration and began feeding him every hour. He was so hungry that he would lick the sryinge and we never had to force feed him. We began to pray that God do what was best for him...
Lucky lived only 5 hours, he seemed to perk up and even opened his eyes and responded to us. When I went to feed him his next feeding he was gone...he was with us short a short time but he touched so many members here.
Lucky remains in my heart, when I speak about feeding a good diet to owners and how imprortant it is to give sugar gliders the proper care I hope that he will continue to live on in a way.

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We need to be sure we don't use the term abused or neglected without just cause. For more information go to
http://www.pawsofaustin.org/stopabuse.html

very touching, and I absolutely agree

quote:

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Originally posted by AngieH
Lucky lived only 5 hours, he seemed to perk up and even opened his eyes and responded to us.

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Probably his way of saying "thank you" for noticing me!!

I seriously am crying my eyes out. I can't even imagine the pain, physically and emotionally, little Lucky was in. I just don't understand the things we(human beings) do.

i applaud you for being strong for these animals when they need it the most.

It makes me want to go home and squeeze my suggies so they know how much i love them.

This is so sad.. i feel so bad for the lil buddy...

Its so awful to know that all he needed was something to eat and it escalated to this.

wow! this reminds me of my dog LUCKY! we named him that because one night I pulled up to my house after work at about 10pm and see a dog kenel in my parking spot.. I was puzzled and scared to touch it (not the best neighborhood) I went inside and asked my whole familyif they knew what it was... no one had an idea.. I walked out side to look in it..there he was a 3month old puppy mix(we have no clue what he is..) he was so skinny and small.. his cage was disgusting.. he had an old t-shirt that was soaked and covered in his poop and pee.. I felt bad for him so I brought him inside and bathed him.. i'm asuming it was a first for him.. I took a couple pictures and sent them to my girlfriend because she had been begging for a puppy.. she thought he was cute and wanted him.. the next day we took him to the vet to see what his conditions was.. he had mange(scabies) a hurnia(i'm betting he was kicked a lot..) andhas a pretty bad under bite(the vet said he would have trouble eating.. she said there was a very great chance he would die soon =( and I was one step away from taking him to the pound.. but we kept him instead.. they gave us a dip like shower thing that I had to give him once a week it smelled like rotten eggs..we fed him regularly and gave him his bath and he started to show promiss.. my girlfriend was still in highschool and told friends about our new puppy.. a day later some stupid punk madethe smart remark "hey how's my lil mut doing?" ya he got a few choice words!

lucky's doing fine now.. he's a good lil pup..