Belize Dog Names

This is how some volunteers from the Hopkins Belize Humane Society found her. They were in the middle of a "roundup," which is when they pick up animals who need to be vaccinated or given urgent medical care. And Elise definitely needed it.

She had two bleeding sores on her back legs, and couldn't put one of her legs down. Her toes and feet were swollen with infection. The stress, and dire need to get the infection out, had made her chew out all of her nails, so there was nothing left. To top it off, she was missing entire patches of fur, and weighed a measly 27 pounds.

When speaking to the negligent owner, the volunteers were told that he had saved the dog from someone else, someone who'd been starving her. Whether he had better intentions or not, it's unclear. Obviously they hadn't done enough, such as let her indoors, or tend to her medical conditions.

And so Elise was driven to a clinic where she was showered, and treated. Over the next month, she packed on some weight, got her wounds healed and got rid of her tickborne illness and heartworm disease. Rebecca Coutant, a volunteer for the Hopkins Belize Humane Society, took her home, adopting her on the spot once Elise was declared free to go.

But the happiness was short lived. One of the wounds on her legs wouldn't hear, and so Coutant and her boyfriend made the difficult decision to get the leg amputated. They worried about her mobility, but she perked right up. It was the last hurtle. Once that painful leg was gone, Elise was a whole other dog. 

She now continues to live with Coutant and Jeff. She goes on walks on the beach every day, and helps the couple fish. She sits on the dock and smells the ocean, and even rides around in the boat, and falls asleep. She doesn't even mind the two cats at home either. Together, the three of them take naps and wait for Jeff and Rebecca to play with them.