Minnie and Mickey – black pups in poor condition – were dumped at the end of the road in March 2013. Mickey died soon after. Minnie had a severe skin condition – allergy, infections and mange – which responded slowly to treatment. Shell, an Australian vet nurse, volunteering at the centre a year later, took an interest in Minnie. Shell worked on her diet and skin condition until she was healed and healthy. Minnie, and a contemporary, Usha, were fostered by Shell for several months, with the view to rehoming them in Australia. Unfortunately, newly available tests revealed Minnie had tick-borne Erlichia cannis infection, which accounted for her poor condition. Even after successful treatment, Erlichia antibodies remained in her blood at a level too high for Australian quarantine regulations. So Minnie was accommodated back into the centre. She is a wistful, gentle, affectionate, but reticent dog, who spends a lot of time in her box, just watching the world go by. She seems a little sad, maybe because she has known the love and security of a home.
