Bitter sweet

BarelyBreathing · 03-28-12, 08:21 AM

Last year, a female albino boa named Duffy came to live with me. She came into a rescue I voluneteer at and needed somebody to help her recover. She was so skinny, covered in mites, and had one of the worst case of scale rot I have ever seen (covering 3/4ths of her body).
Once the mites were taken care of and the scale rot was showing the first signs of clearing up, she began pounding rats like crazy. She put weight back on slowly but surely. In January of this year, she finally reached her weight goal.
Throughout this entire ordeal, she has never offered to bite. She's never even offered a hiss. She has been the most even tempered animal I have ever worked with.
The mites have been gone since the week after she came to me, and her scale rot has cleared up, as well. She isn't very pretty to look at because she has some major scarring and is missing a good deal of her scales, but she is healthy again. Today, she gets a new home. Her adoption has been made official yesterday, so this morning I dropped her off at the rescue. The man bringing her home is one of my clients. I'm very happy about this. He will be getting an amazing animal who I have grown very attached to. I will miss her very, very much.

Wish Duffy luck in her new home.

Bradyloach · 03-28-12, 08:23 AM

Wow Hedy

that's so good! Do you have a picture ?

alessia55 · 03-28-12, 08:24 AM

Aww I'm glad she'll be going to a good home

Well done, BB

KORBIN5895 · 03-28-12, 08:28 AM

I like happy endings!

hylia · 03-28-12, 08:30 AM

Great job on caring for her and getting her back into good health. Wishing her all the best with her new man. Will you continue to get updates from him?

BarelyBreathing · 03-28-12, 08:34 AM

Yes I will. He plans to bring her in for his band's next photo shoot, too.

I have pictures of her when she first came in, and I took a bunch of pictures of her today. I'll upload some of the pictures from today when I get home.

hellosugaree · 03-28-12, 08:46 AM

Great story. Can't wait for the pictures. Glad you found her a good home! I know it's tough to see animals you cared for go, even when you know they are going somewhere good.

Will0W783 · 03-28-12, 08:47 AM

Wow, that's great that you took the time to nurse her back to health- kudos! And it's wonderful that she will have a loving new home too, although I'm sure it will be hard to see her go. Know that you made a difference though; you saved her life and if snakes can hope, you gave her hope.

Norm66 · 03-28-12, 08:49 AM

Great story! Good on you.

BarelyBreathing · 03-28-12, 09:01 AM

Her whole ordeal has been hard on me. When I first saw her, it hit me especially hard because she looks so much like my Valentine. She even has similar facial markings. I became really attached to her, really quickly, which is something I try to avoid with rescues.

**lady_bug87** · 03-28-12, 09:04 AM

It is bittersweet but ou must feel wonderful about her recovery

BarelyBreathing · 03-28-12, 09:08 AM

I really do. And trust me, if it wasn't this particular person who adopted her, she would have stayed here permanently.

Valvaren · 03-28-12, 09:19 AM

Thats awesome and sad at the same time, but be proud that you did something I think we all wish we could do, helped save a life and gave them back a chance at a happy health life.

You have my respect!

BarelyBreathing · 03-28-12, 09:22 AM

Thank you, Valvaren. I appreciate that.

There are some great rescues in my area and I am proud to be a part of some of them. I highly recommend finding local rescues to volunteer with if you are able to.

jarich · 03-28-12, 10:05 AM

Nice job! Getting it back to health is fantastic enough, but finding a proper new home for him is amazing. Glad that you will be able to see him still too, thatll help.