The force is strong in this dog. Starving Tri-Cities stray earns a name fit for Star Wars

Andrea Moreno and Mary Mattox have been working with dogs for most of their lives, but last week the condition a stray dog was found in was one of the worst either had ever seen.

Animal control officers in Pasco reached out to Moreno, the director of Mikey’s Chance Canine Rescue, after finding an adult Belgian Malinois so severely malnourished she could barely stand.

The full-grown dog weighed less than Moreno’s German Shepherd puppies.

She knew that if the dog was going to recover, she needed to be with a foster family that had experience tending to the medical needs of a dog.

Within hours Mattox had seen the initial Facebook post and reached out. She’s been working with Mikey’s Chance for years, keeping two spots on reserve for them at her dog training business.

Finding a foster

Mattox typically helps out with dogs with medical needs or behavioral issues that need to be addressed before they can be adopted.

She runs Mattox Dog Training Academy in Eltopia with her son, Chance. They also are the founders of the nonprofit Service Peace Warriors which trains service dogs for veterans.

She saw how bad the dog was doing and knew the pup was going to need a lot of time and care. She also knew they had everything they might need on hand, from incubators to food and the staff and volunteers to help.

So at 1:30 a.m. Mattox decided to help. She reached out to Moreno and later morning they were at the shelter to get her.

“I have anything and everything she can possibly need,” Mattox told the Herald. “I just wanted to make sure that she got full-on care.”

At first the pup was being called Sweet Little Lamb, until a suitable name was found, because she was so gentle and friendly. It was her bright eyes that told Mattox she was strong enough to recover.

Mattox said it can be hard seeing the things people do to animals, but it’s her love of dogs that keeps her moving forward.

“I just wish we could change things, but I know how the world works,” she told the Herald. “It’s not going to change, so we’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing and save what we can, and hope we find them good homes.”

Then Mary said Chance found the perfect name for her, Ahsoka.

Named for the Jedi Ahsoka Tano, who was trained by Anakin Skywalker to be resilient and strong enough to survive anything, little Ahsoka is already showing just how strong she is.

The Star Wars hero has become a fan favorite since being introduced in the Clone Wars cartoon 15 years ago, and the character has managed to persist through nearly every era of Star Wars, with her own live action series set to debut on Disney+ this August.

“We needed a good strong name because this dog has some willpower,” she said. “I wanted a strong name for her, because if you look at her eyes she’s so strong and intelligent.”

Putting on weight

In just a week Ahsoka has managed to put on five pounds, and she’s even spending time outside with some of the puppies at the dog training academy.

Even at 26 pounds, she’s barely half the weight a dog of her age and breed should be. Because she was so malnourished, the dog is wearing a vest to keep warm.

She’s almost gained enough weight to start spending some time with it off.

“She was so skinny you could see her heartbeat right through her ribs,” Mattox said. “If you saw the (initial) photos ... I don’t know how anyone can do that to an animal.”

Due to her temperament, and how social she is, Mattox doesn’t think she was abused. She believes the pup likely just got big and then was put out in a backyard and ignored. Mattox thinks she’s 2 to 3 years old given the size of her teeth.

To help gain some weight, Mattox has her on a diet of raw meat, Natural Balance and tripe. The raw meat is especially helpful for keeping the teeth clean and allowing Mattox to get a good look at the condition of her teeth.

“She gets anything and everything she wants,” Mattox said. “She’s actually kind of spoiled.”

But her energy is improving and she’s happy to socialize. She still needs help with things like getting up on the couch though.

When visitors come, Ahsoka is happy to make new friends, and even opened up enough to give Mattox some love.

Mattox said that the breed has seen a jump in popularity since the movie Dog came out last year, leading to problems because the owners didn’t do the research to learn about the needs of the high energy, high drive breed.

The Belgian Malinois is considered a working dog, traditionally for herding and has been used by police and militaries since at least the first World War.

Road to recovery

Now Ahsoka is on the mend. She’s getting healthier every day, but has a long road ahead.

“It’s amazing. It’s so rewarding to watch her, just the joy that comes from her knowing she’s safe and getting consistent food,” Moreno said. “Obviously shes feeling better because she’s able to move better. I can’t imagine what shes going to be like three weeks from now.”

She will eventually get a full check up from a veterinarian, but it could be months before she’s healthy enough to diagnose whether the starvation is going to have a long-term impact on her health.

Ahsoka was in such bad shape that they can’t even tell if she’s been spayed. Mattox said she’ll likely need need X-rays and a dental check up as well.

Once she’s healthy and any medical needs are met, Ahsoka will be up for adoption.

“It’s going to take months, I don’t know how many ... We make sure the dog gets what it needs before it goes to a home, that’s why I love Mikey’s Chance,” Mattox said.

“She needs a good home when she’s healthy, where she can just go somewhere and be fat and happy. And have a family, she’s had enough happen in her life.”

How to get involved

Moreno said they try to make it as easy as possible to foster. Mikey’s Chance will provide everything the dog might need, and all the foster family needs to add is time and attention.

“It’s about opening your heart and home to a dog in need, you’re not out any money, it’s just your time and your home,” Moreno said. “We cover all medical expenses, food, collar, crates, everything you need. And our fosters generally get first pick at adoption if the dog they’re fostering seems like a perfect.”

Older dogs and those with medical needs need foster owners to really excel and ready them for adoption. The high stress, noisy environment of a shelter can cause some dogs to regress, lowering their chances of finding a home.

Staff also can’t provide the same attention and care that a medical foster is able to. It’s especially difficult when the shelter is at capacity, especially for large dogs, as the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter has been for the last couple months.

“Those medical dogs often get overlooked or sadly euthanized because people don’t think they can find a home,” Moreno said. “They’re really no different than regular dogs. They might need medications or a routine, but aside from that, they need the same love, they need the same food, they need the same attention.”

Being able to relax and feel safe can make a huge difference for a dog recovering from at traumatic event, injury or abuse. Moreno likened it to trying to recover from a medical procedure and being thrown into a chaotic, noisy area.

“You can’t rest, you can’t relax, so your body can’t heal properly,” she said.

‘It takes people’

She said they often hear from people who are hesitant to foster that they’re afraid they might fall in love with the dog or be sad to see them leave, but she thinks being sad to see a foster find a forever home isn’t nearly as sad as them remaining on the street.

“I love fostering dogs,” she said. “When you bring a skittish, shy, previously starved or abused dog into your home and watch them blossom into a confident, loving dog and move into their forever home, it’s the saddest and most satisfying feeling at the same time.”

Mattox isn’t taking monetary donations for Ahsoka, but those interested in helping can donate money for future vet bills to Mikey’s Chance or drop off food. If the food doesn’t fit in Ahsoka’s recovery diet, it will be used for their other rescued animals.

She said EFC Equipment Feed and Pet in Richland also has been helping with donations, even offering some discounts on items for donations. They’re also a big support of Service Peace Warriors.

The most important thing though is just finding people who are willing to help, so that Mikey’s Chance can keep helping dogs with more needs. That’s why Mattox keeps space on reserve for Mikey’s, but she can’t take in every dog they rescue.

“I step up when I can, but it takes people,” Mattox said. “It takes a community to make this work.”

For more information about Mikey’s Chance Canine Rescue, you can visit their page on Facebook or find their adoptable dogs on Petfinder.