Tuesday, July 21, 2009


Jackson is an amazing little guy with a story I wish I knew. I found Jackson on Wednesday at the Berkeley Animal Shelter while I was out temp testing dogs. While there were many available dogs at the shelter, there were none that fit into our program at the moment. And while I did not take Jackson home with me right away, I made a mental note to tell my ED about him. Once she heard about him, I knew that HAR would take him in! Little did I know that she would fall in love herself and foster him in her own home.


Jackson is somewhere between 9 months and 1 1/2 years old. He is probably a pure bred Yorkie, but it is obvious that he was poorly bred. He has a genetic (non-contagious) skin condition called Demodectic Mange. This is what has caused his massive hair loss. And while demodex doesn't itch, it still causes skin irritation which has contributed to his secondary skin infection. This mite/infection has made it's way to his eyes causing some corneal scaring. Jackson also has a malformed jaw which caused him to retain many of his baby teeth and which also causes his tongue to hang out constantly.


Jackson looks like a mess. . . and probably feels like a mess. His medical bills are adding up quickly and he still has a long way to go before he gets better. If you would like to read more about Jackson, or if you would like to donate to his medical fund, please click here.