Sweet Honey-Dog Finds A New Home

     Honey, the little beagle found wandering in Sagamore Beach, weighed down by a huge tumor and with claws so overgrown they were curled under and cutting her paws, is now settling into a new home, said Bourne Department of Natural Resources Officer Sharon Hamilton.
     While Honey is not out of the woods yet—she is due to have x-rays today in preparation for surgery to remove the grapefruit-sized mass in her belly—she is “doing fabulous” now, in comparison to when she was found on the street.
     Ms. Hamilton responded shortly after Honey was picked up by police on June 28, taking the beagle to the Animal Inn in Sandwich, the place where Bourne’s stray animals are taken until their owners come and collect them.
     Since it was clear from her condition that Honey either had no owner or had a very neglectful one, Ms. Hamilton arranged for medical treatment for the sweet-faced pup, one described as having an equally sweet disposition.
     While some of Honey’s medical issues could be tackled immediately, such as a first clipping of her nails, some were more problematic, like the tumor and the fact that she tested positive for heartworm.
     DNR personnel, in conjunction with Honey’s medical caregivers, decided that they needed to find  someone willing to take Honey into his or her home, as well as willing to take over the responsibility for bringing her in for her various treatments.
     There was a mandatory holding period, but no one came forward to claim the older dog.
     Last Friday, she went to “a nice home,” Ms. Hamilton said.
     A lady who lives in the Trowbridge Road vicinity saw Honey’s picture, Ms. Hamilton said, and volunteered to take her in. The Bourne resident had been thinking about a companion for a dog she already owned and thought Honey would fit the bill.
     The first few days were rocky, said Ms. Hamilton, as Honey was either too nervous to remember the rules or had not been housebroken.
     Now, that problem has been overcome. The next hurdle, however, will come with today’s testing and the subsequent surgery.
     Honey’s poor condition made her “an extreme case,” Ms. Hamilton said. Because of the tumor and her other medical problems, Honey’s treatment is expected to cost somewhere between $3,000 and $5,000.
     Dr. Thomas Burns and the Forestdale Veterinary Clinic on Route 130, which sits next to the Animal Inn, have offered to donate Honey’s care, using the emergency fund the establishment’s veterinary staff have set up for their patients.
     The DNR, however, wants to help defray the cost of that treatment, and has set up a fund so that some of Honey’s costs are covered and other “Honeys” who are picked up in the future are not dependent on the good will of area veterinarians.
     So far, Ms. Hamilton said, there is about $500 in the fund, and she hopes to set up a canister for small donations at the DNR window.
     Those wanting to donate to the fund should make out a check to the Bourne Department of Natural Resources, putting “animal rescue fund” in the memo line, and send it to the department at Bourne Town Hall, 24 Perry Avenue, Buzzards Bay 02532.
     Anyone who knows anything about Honey, or has questions about the fund, should also call the natural resources department at 508-759-0621, extension 311.