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Zack the Rottweiler - out of the bush but not out of the woods

  • RIP Zack 💔🌈

      24 May 2020
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    Dear amazing Zack friends, dog community and fur baby lovers ❤

    Its is with a very a heavy heart we tell you we said goodbye to the beloved Zack last week.

    Sadly he was diagnosed with stage 5 arthritis in his spine and went downhill fast, unable to walk or stand at all on his last day. Zack passed away surrounded by love in his family’s arms.

    We honestly cant say thank you enough to you all, as without you, our friends at Rottweiler Rescue, the Waiatarua volunteer fire brigade and the vet team at West Coast Vets the last 6 months would not have been possible.

    From the bottom of our hearts, thank you all for your support and kindness! We were blessed to have Zack happy and healthy in our lives for an extra 6 months after he went missing.

    Zack will forever be in our hearts 🥰”

      4 comments  |  Login to leave a comment

    • 25/05/2020 by Trudy

      Aww RIP Zack 😢

      Big Hugs to your Mum and Dad ❤

    • 25/05/2020 by Margot

      Heart is broken for everyone involved at losing this lovely boy. So glad he was found and had 6 months of loves, cuddles and hugs. RIP beautiful Zack.

    • 25/05/2020 by Heather

      Big Hugs to you all it’s always such a tough decision.

      I was looking at our boy the other day and was thinking of Zack.

      I am so glad he had his family with him at his passing.

      RIP Zack

      ♥️

    • 25/05/2020 by mike

      RIP Zack....you were what Rotties are all about & why you & yours mean so much to us all.

      Sympathies to all of your people.

      Mikr.

  • Happy 2020 - thanks to you

      6 January 2020
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    Hey, just wanted to let you know that Zack had the last of his stitches removed today!!! Woohoo, he has a few meds still to argue with his mum about but no more vet visits planned - ever!!!!

    Now he can concentrate on getting back to his full healthy self, inside and out.

    You’re all great people and if what goes around really does come around you deserve the best for 2020!

    No more updates on here but you can always ask us at Rottweiler Rescue & Rehoming if you have any questions about Zack or of course any other Rottie.

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  • Hopefully the last of it!!

      24 December 2019
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    Through all the dozens of stitches and wounds brave boy Zack had one troublesome wound on his knee that just wouldn’t heal. Other large and even more significant wounds have been doing well but so much dead scar tissue meant this one was not going to happen so today he went in for hopefully the last debriding and stitching so that he can see in the new year and decade in true Zack style!

    Merry Christmas and thank you all for giving Zack such a fighting chance!

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  • Zack shines through!

      17 December 2019
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    Zack his family and us at Rottie Rescue cant say thank you enough to all the kind souls out there who have liked, commented, shared, donated, talked about, loved and cried over Zack and his story over the last month!

    Zack is the true champion of this story - lying in a creek at the bottom of a ravine, his nails and paws raw from trying to climb the steep cliff.

    We have not shared all the details of his horrid injuries but basically his flesh was rotting and his muscles dying while he laid in the same position on top of wounds/pressure sores on his hips and legs. He was almost to the point of starving and was frozen to the core yet still he barked for his family.

    Now safely and happily back with his family Zacks wounds are healing and hopefully with time he will have the strength to walk properly and run but his gorgeous happy nature is shining through - he stumbles yet follows his mum and falls over as he try’s to help his dad in the garden then sleeps without a care in the world with all legs in the air.

    Tomorrow his givealittle page closes and his family would just like to say thank you all so much and Merry Christmas!

      1 comment  |  Login to leave a comment

    • 18/12/2019 by Margot

      Beautiful boy, what a great Christmas present you have given everyone. Keep working hard to make a full recovery, and I can only imagine there will be an extra pressie under the tree for you this year. Bless!!!!!!

  • Zack is such a warrior!

      9 December 2019
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    We visited Zack at home! So after fighting back the tears you can only be astounded at his strength and commitment. His back legs, scarred, stitched and still with large open wounds barely operate as they should but he lifts himself up and wobbles over to greet us!

    Still regularly visiting the vet for flush outs and wound care Zacks love of life and his family are clear.

    Cuddling him and seeing evidence of his injuries every where you look, it doesn’t bear thinking of what happened in the two weeks he was missing. The only thing to focus on is how lucky he was to have such great emergency responders and you, his supporters and donators.

    Thank you all so much, your kindness and generosity is much appreciated and not taken lightly.

      2 comments  |  Login to leave a comment

    • 10/12/2019 by mike

      Zack showing everyone just what Rotties are made of....as if any Rottie owner needs to have that shown to them! Keep it up boy!

    • 10/12/2019 by mike

      Zack showing everyone just what Rotties are made of....as if any Rottie owner needs to have that shown to them! Keep it up boy!

  • I'M GETTING THERE 04th December

      4 December 2019
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    A week later and Zack is able to go out for a pee by himself!! Still working on controlling the ‘number twos’ though 😬

    Recently Zack caught up with his friends the Waiatarua Volunteer Fire Crew who instigated and coordinated his emergency call out rescue. Zacks family say Christmas has come early and Zack coming home is present enough!

    The vets continue to flush and monitor Zacks wounds but are happy with his progress. Not forgetting though he still has a long way to go. Zacks whole back end sustained trauma - a combination of pressure sores and nerve damage from not eating and being stuck in the same position.

    Thanks to every one of you who has so generously donated and sent such kind messages and good wishes.

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  • 30/11/19 - ZACK is home!

      30 November 2019
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    Zack obviously needed his family as after surgery he just wouldn’t settle at the vets. His mum picked him up and now although weak, very wobbly and without control of his bowels he is recovering, catching up on lots of sleep and cuddles at home.

    He requires constant care and will continue to visit the vet as his skin is continually breaking open and his family will work at slowly rebuilding his muscle strength.

    Zacks mum is overwhelmed by the amount of kind messages and donations - thank you.

      1 comment  |  Login to leave a comment

    • 01/12/2019 by Trudy

      Good boy Zack keep staying strong and you will be up running around in no time ❤🐾

  • First Update on Zack 28.11.2019

      28 November 2019
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    UPDATE on ZACK;

    The good news is Zack has no broken bones - an absolute miracle! The bad news is that he has extensive pressure injuries on his left back leg/hip that are very deep, extremely sore and in a difficult place to treat.

    Today he had surgery to stitch some of the skin together however this is tricky as his skin is basically rotting. His bowels have also been struggling after not eating for two weeks, so it will be a long hard road to recovery for Zack and his family but OMG what a happy ending already - he is having so many cuddles!!

    Thank you all for such kind messages and for every single dollar donated this far!

      3 comments  |  Login to leave a comment

    • 29/11/2019 by Sue

      💖

    • 01/12/2019 by mike

      Good Boy Zack....that typical Rottie strength & stoicism will see you through!

      Mike & his 4.

    • 01/12/2019 by mike

      Good Boy Zack....that typical Rottie strength & stoicism will see you through!

      Mike & his 4.