Two Faithful Friends: Call for Help for Michael Reed and Topaz

11:15am |It’s a cliché in itself to rework standing clichés, but—so many pets, so many needs, so little time and money. We feature as many adoptive animals, causes and events that we have time and space for in Virtually Pets and Pet Projects at the end of the body of our column. But every so often, there’s a situation that stands out to us.

Three years ago, Michael Reed was homeless. His truest friend and constant companion was a blond pit bull spayed female named Topaz. On Aug. 13, 2008, Topaz was the victim of a stray bullet during a police shooting.

“Topaz got caught in the crossfire of the police in a shooting involving another homeless man,” said Ingrid Hurel, a dog rescuer who had befriended Topaz and Reed some time before the shooting. “Topaz was shot four times, and as a result of the shooting, lost one of her hind legs.”

With bullets flying, Reed’s only thoughts were of his dog. Topaz had been shot in the neck, the shoulder and the hind leg. Another allegedly armed homeless man was shot and killed; Reed, who was unarmed and cooperative, was hustled into a police car, all the while crying for his dog as she was taken away.

Topaz was later found at the Carson Animal Control center. She was wearing a rescue tag from Streetsmarts Rescue in Hawthorne that Hurel had given Reed for identification purposes. Complications from the shooting had led to an infection, and Topaz’s right leg had to be amputated. Several rescue organizations contributed to the surgery.

Animals and the love and loyalty they tote with them are so often the bridge to self-recovery for humans, and it was Topaz who attracted the help needed to get Reed off the street. Coupled with Reed’s determination not to let his best friend down, it was made possible to move both of them into a trailer park, where they’ve been living ever since.

“People always know about Topaz before they know about me,” Reed was quoted as saying.

Happy ending? Only in paperbacks and Hallmark Channel movies. Eight weeks ago, Reed began vomiting blood, and it developed that he was terminally ill with cirrhosis of the liver and hepatitis C. To heighten the tragedy, a cancerous lump was discovered on Topaz’s neck. The vet visit has been paid for and Topaz, now 6 years old, was made current on her vaccinations, but she’ll still need surgery for a round cell tumor, to the tune of approximately $1,000. And, with Michael’s condition worsening, she’ll also need a new home.

Topaz following a surgery

Reed is going back and forth between his home in Torrence and the VA hospital here in Long Beach, where his nurse, Hurel said, is a great Topaz fan.

Hurel is requesting donations for Reed’s comfort and Topaz’s surgery. Also requested are healthy food items and protein bars for Reed, with less than 190 mg. of sodium and at least 20 mg. of protein. Most of all, she’s hopeful that someone will want to take home and love a special-needs dog when Reed can no longer care for her—a home where there are loving people and children to play with (but no cats!).

“Topaz would like to be the only dog in the home,” Hurel added. “She is house-trained, enjoys car rides and lots of kisses.”

“If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard against danger, to fight against his enemies, and when the last scene of all comes, and death takes the master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even to death.”~George Graham Vest, lawyer, in his closing argument against the shooting by death of a dog (Missouri, 1870)

Topaz and his champion, Ingrid Hurel

If you are interested in adopting Topaz or donating funds and food items, e-mail Ingrid Hurel at [email protected]. Find out more about Topaz on Pacific Coast Rescue’s website. Click here for a touching foster-parent article by Ingrid Hurel.

Virtually Pets

Wolfie

Trixie

Coco

These three little kittens had no mittens or anything else to lose when a kind person found them, along with a sibling and the mother, and became their foster family. One sibling has already found a home; the others have been spayed or neutered and are presently learning good manners in preparation for adoption.

Coco is the longer-haired of the trio and has a very sweet and charming disposition. Trixie is an exotic-looking muted pastel tortie who would love being someone’s companion. And Wolfie, the male of the bunch, is a mellow fellow with a great look and gorgeous eyes. Contact [email protected] if you would like to take one home. References, home check and adoption fee apply.

Pet Projects

Donate to the Cash Cow Fund-raiser for ACS

If the milk of humane kindness courses in gallons through your blood, and if the spirit mooooves you, donate to our fund-raiser for ACS. Donations are tax deductible, and all names we receive will be featured in our column. Check the archives section at the bottom of the page and click on Cash Cow: The Milk of Humane Kindness for details.

Microchip Bill passes State Senate and Assembly

Judie Mancuso of Social Compassion in Legislation just contacted us with the information that SB 702 (Lieu) has just passed the Senate and the Assembly and is on Governor Brown’s desk waiting for his signature. “In a nutshell,” wrote Judie, “SB 702 requires that dogs and cats adopted or reclaimed by their owners from a shelter have a microchip implanted. The bill is a simple but very meaningful way to reduce the amount of pets killed in our shelters and to reduce the associated taxpayer cost.” You can read the entire text of the bill here.

The passage of this bill, according to Mancuso, will increase shelter returns from 11 percent to 72 percent. For those who protest California’s government giving attention to anything but the state budget, this bill will greatly reduce shelter expenditures. For the likes of us animal lovers, humans and their lost buddies will be reunited and fewer lost pets will be euthanized. And that has its own worth.

To encourage the governor to pass SB 702, click here.

Sept. 8, 6 p.m. PST, Saving Lives With Antibody Titer Tests

Antibody what? Titer (homophone with tighter) testing can save the lives of multiple pets living in the same facility, such as a shelter. Leading vaccine researcher Dr. Ronald Schultz, chair of the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, doesn’t want to see any more shelter pets die from exposure to deadly infectious diseases and has made available a free webcast that explains the use of the simple in-house antibody test that reveals which pets have immunity to certain illnesses.

Attendees will learn about:

The session will include an opportunity to ask a limited number of questions. Registration is now open. Visit Maddie’s Fund and Maddie’s Institute for information and registration.

Sept. 14, Friends of Long Beach Animals Meet and Greet

Friends of Long Beach Animals’ next Meet and Greet will be held in Signal Hill at 6 p.m., Sept. 14. Participants will meet at the Unity Monument on Temple just north of Hill Street and walk around the north side of the hill. The half-mile walk course will include the Panorama Promenade, which is closed to traffic and offers a wonderful view in the direction of L.A. The walk will end at Hilltop Park, where refreshments will be shared. Those who prefer a shorter walk of a quarter-mile can meet at the beginning of the Promenade at the north end of Molino Avenue or skip the walk altogether and meet at the park for refreshments and get-acquainted time. There is street parking at all three locations and a small parking lot at Hilltop Park. Of course, your licensed canine friends are welcome to join in the fun!

On Saturday, November 5, FOLBA plans to meet and walk in the Veteran’s Day Parade to honor the War Dogs. This is a special opportunity to honor our veterans as well as the War Dogs. Watch for further information about the parade. Please put this event on your calendar and join us!