Burned dog keeps on improving
Annie Oakley, the yellow Lab who nearly perished in a fire last month in Olney, is steadily improving after an outpouring of support from the community.
Megan Evans, the veterinary technician who has been volunteering as the dog’s primary care physician and created the fundraising campaign to cover medical costs, said Annie still has about a month to go before she’s fully out of the woods.
“She’s been doing really good. She’s been at our house all day and all night this week, and last night was the first time she could stay in our room without a cone on her head,” Evans said Thursday. “She’s not chewing at her bandages any more and I think she’s realized we’re trying to help her. She’s becoming quite the little house dog.”
Oakley narrowly escaped the Jan. 18 house fire, rescued by her owner from a flaming mattress just before the house collapsed.
Her owner lost everything, and Evans was the friend-of-a-friend who took on Annie’s rescue effort, spending countless hours in an animal hospital room donated by Flathead Pet Emergency and raising more than $8,000 to date for the canine’s care.
The massive heat exposure left Annie with burns all over her body, and Evans estimated she has lost about 20 percent of her skin and fur in the weeks since.
“I’m changing her bandages four times a day, and every time we change her it costs $15 [in medical supplies],” she said. “I think the infection is pretty much out of her right now. There’s no odor coming from her, but we don’t want to reintroduce any more foreign contaminants.”
Despite still being on the mend, Annie was quick to warm up to Evans’ family and three other dogs, and Evans said the Lab’s spirits are high.
“I’ve taken her out, and people recognize her, asking. ‘Is this the burned dog out of the paper?’ She’s just as happy as can be, always wagging her tail. She definitely loves attention; she’s very much a Lab.”
As a “community thank you,” Evans added she plans to take Annie to Lawrence Park today at 3 p.m. when local dog enthusiasts are holding a rally to drum up support for a possible dog park in Kalispell.
Acknowledging it’s going to take a lot of time and paperwork, Evans said she is still moving forward with her plan to use any remaining money to kick off a nonprofit dog rescue organization in the valley.
“It’s going to be quite a process, but we are getting the ball rolling on the whole organization and finding out where to start,” she said, adding she has already gotten local interest from potential volunteers and the Sprouts Club in Evergreen to donate child-care services.
To donate to Annie Oakley’s recovery online, visit www.gofundme.com/klvvj0.
Donors can also send checks or cash to Flathead Pet Emergency: 3650 U.S. 2 E., Kalispell, MT 59901
Reporter Samuel Wilson may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at swilson@dailyinterlake.com