After the passing of Orpheus, staff at 1 Day Ranch were very understandably sad. However, they have never let loss bring them down, and they are not about to let it stop them from helping animals in need either! (You can read more about past cases on 1 Day Ranch's Facebook page.)
Amazingly, their first recipient of The Orpheus Fund appears to have been sent by Orpheus himself! If they hadn't had the funds raised for Orpheus' care, or if there'd been just one small change in the way the day unfolded, this sweet baby would be at the Rainbow Bridge instead.
While the 1 Day Ranch staff were with Orpheus that first night, a little puppy came into the emergency vet clinic as a stray. He was tiny, covered in fleas, and weak. He had been found on the side of the road, in a bucket. He was outside of the shelter's jurisdiction and because the vet couldn't take care of him without an owner, they had decided to humanely euthanize him so he wasn't suffering.
Luckily for him, some of 1 Day Ranch's team was walking by and overheard the plan to euthanize. Their Founder, Maeghan, asked to examine the puppy and discussed with the vet what treatments would be needed, and when told the puppy would likely be okay with food, love, and time, she decided to take him in. Another team member offered to foster, and they immediately began to take care of this baby. At the time, of course, The Orpheus Fund wasn't even a thought, but nonetheless this baby has Orpheus to thank for his life.
They quickly realized that this sweet baby; affectionately dubbed "Bucket"; was not only covered in fleas, but was anemic, had internal parasites, emaciated, cold, and extremely weak. Bucket appears to be approximately 7 weeks old. Between the time of his rescue and his announcement as the first recipient of The Orpheus Fund, Bucket has been declared flea-free, gotten a full exam, been treated for his parasites, given fluids, cleaned and warmed up, and of course been fed WELL. The color in his gums returned quickly, and he's been restored to a happy, playful puppy.
UPDATE 08/05/17: Bucket has been gaining wait steadily, is completely free of internal parasites, fleas and ticks, and is no longer anemic. He's described as sweet and playful, and is enjoying playing with other dogs and even some kittens. He has been completely rehabilitated and will be available for adoption in just about a week, after he's been microchipped, neutered, and been gotten up-to-date on vaccines. If you're interested in adopting sweet Bucket, please send an email to 1DayRanch@gmail.com for an application.
In Orpheus' memory, 1 Day Ranch has created a fund that they are calling "The Orpheus Fund" which will go towards supporting their needs when accepting severe emaciation cases, and will allow them to save more animals like Orpheus - animals that would not have any other chance of survival. Please, won't you consider making a donation today? Click here for more information on ways to donate.