MICKEY IN
THE NEWS:
Dog
lover has Texas-sized heart
Injured mutt had 5 hidden reasons to live
Mickey and Arlene Paoletta of Upper Allen Twp. are dedicated dog
lovers.
So, when Mickey Paoletta noticed an injured dog while on a recent
trip to Dallas, Texas, he rescued the maimed mutt and brought
it home with him.
At the time, others didn't share his compassion. When Paoletta
stopped along a busy Dallas street to help the struck dog - which
he has since dubbed Texas - a few motorists told him to leave
the animal alone, saying a passing bus or truck would finish it
off. A Dallas veterinarian advised him to put the stray to sleep.
But, the Paolettas couldn't. Texas, who had, by the looks of her,
survived a tough life on Dallas streets, was a fighter and they
weren't about to put her down for the count.
"We just couldn't do it as long as there was any hope," Mickey Paoletta said.
It turns out that Texas had a good reason to battle. She was pregnant.
She gave birth to five puppies yesterday, and now the Paolettas
have their hands full. They already have two other dogs they rescued
from equally tragic circumstances.
The two are trying to find people to adopt the brown and black
mixed-breed puppies.
"They've got to be good homes," said Mickey Paoletta.
"Not everybody that comes is going to get them. I think this
is a special case, and I want to find the right homes."
Mickey Paoletta was sleeping in the furnished basement of the
couple's Park Hills Drive home to keep Texas company when he was
startled by the new arrivals.
"I was lying on the couch, and I heard a noise," he
said. "I saw something moving down there, and said, 'Oh,
that's a puppy' I was very shocked."
Like the rest of Texas' life, her labor was difficult, lasting
almost 10 hours. A veterinarian had to help deliver the final
two puppies.
"We were really concerned about her," said Arlene Paoletta.
"She is not in good shape to be giving birth."
In fact, Texas has a broken pelvic bone sustained when she was
hit in Dallas; she cannot walk or stand. She will have to undergo
an operation to set the bone after she's finished nursing the
puppies in about eight weeks.
"She's had an uphill fight to come this far," Mickey
Paoletta siad. "She had the puppies, now she has to get her
legs fixed."
Dr. Brian Harpster, who has been caring for Texas at the West
Shore Veterinary Hospital in Fairview Twp. said the Paolettas
displayed unprecedented kindness in rescuing the dog. "I
have never encountered this type of scenario at all," he
said. "They are very concerned people."
The dog has repaid the couple's compassion with her loyalty. "She
is an extraordinarily gentle animal," said Arlene Paoletta.
"I really get a sense that she appreciates everything we
do for her. I think she knows that Mickey picked her up off the
street. When he comes down the steps, her tail starts wagging."