After being rescued from cheese puff jar, 'Cheeto' the dog needs a home
CARLETON — With caution, Tom and Sue Walsh used large garden pruners to carefully cut the container off a stray dog's head. The German shepherd mix had been running the streets for days with his head caught in a large, plastic cheese puff jar. He was unable to eat or drink. Breathing was a challenge.
For three days, Kim Canales had been tracking the stray. The local animal advocate called the Walshes, owners of Last Stop Animal Rescue and Sanctuary in Carleton, stating she had recovered the dog. He had been running near a subdivision off Oakville Waltz Road.
The couple rescue all types of animals on their 12-acre farm – cows, pigs, mini horses, mini donkeys, dogs, cats and ducks. The nonprofit organization started in 2018.
Canales has worked with rescues and is known for her expertise in capturing "difficult dogs."
"Live trapping them in big cages or snaring them, capturing the ones that are difficult for our local animal control to catch," Kim Canales said. "In this case, the dog had been running around for a couple of weeks and it hit Facebook. When he got this caught on his head, it made it more urgent. I get tagged in posts and I go out to the area with my husband, Rick."
Sue said there was video of the stray from a ring doorbell camera in the neighborhood showing him before his head got caught in the plastic container. Based on the footage, they estimate he carried the bucket around for three days.
"Kim had been out there until 2:30 a.m. They had a trap set and had a camera. She got back up Sunday morning and went back out because she was concerned the dog had this on for three days and she was worried about it being dehydrated," Sue said. "She had to go to work Monday and she felt she had to find the dog."
At 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, the dog was rescued. Canales hid behind a shed and used a Snappy snare to secure the animal.
"Once the jar was removed, he was very alert," Sue said. "The first thing we did was feed him because he hadn't eaten. We could only give him small amounts because we didn’t want him to bloat or have other issues."
Appropriately named "Cheeto" after the ordeal, Tom said he is possibly 2 years old. Canales thinks he may have been on his own for a while and has a skin condition and fleas.
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The Walshes took the dog to their veterinarian, Dr. Lucretia Greear at the Woodhaven Animal Hospital, and set up a fundraiser to help pay for neutering, vaccines, flea and tick medication, microchipping, and any additional medical needs. Tom uses Facebook to give updates.
Tom said if pet owners would take the time to microchip their animals so many animals could be saved and situations like this could possibly be avoided.
Once rescued, Cheeto has made the headlines. The Detroit Free Press was the first to report the story before local news stations broadcasted the news. Even talk show host Stephen Colbert mentioned him on his show, "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."
They are hoping to find Cheeto's owners or adopt him out to a loving family.
“We have a long list of people wanting to adopt him,” Sue said. “We’ve heard from people in Maine, Oregon and Florida, but we want to keep him in Michigan so, if we want, we’d be able to go check on him.”
The interest in Cheeto has been overwhelming but there are many other animals the couple care for and could use some assistance in securing supplies and food.
“Hay is the biggest need. We’re set for this year but next year we’ll need more and the grain for the cows is a big expense along with food for the pigs,” Sue said.
The couple would like to try to stock the same type of food for the animals so it would be easier to keep them on the same diet for their digestive systems. They have a wish list on Amazon: tinyurl.com/LastStopWishlist.
As Sue and Tom walk their property, they stop to check on the animals. Sue feeds carrots to the pigs. Tom checks on the mini horses after spotting Vinnie, a feral cat, perched on a bale of hay.
Tom explained the farm’s name, “Last Stop.”
“People were kidding that the animals get here and they never leave,” Tom said. “It’s partly because when you get so close to them that it’s hard to say, ‘OK, you fit the criteria to place them.’ We don’t want to send them just anywhere.”
Each animal has a story. Pigs Thelma and Louise were on the run in Monroe before sharing a pen on the farm. A dog named Bailey, a Bernese mountain dog, was running for six weeks with a broken leg.
“Kim trapped him by the campground in Monroe,” Sue said. “He had to have his leg amputated. We brought him here to recuperate and he never left.”
He’s lived with Walsh family for five years.
To pay for Cheeto's veterinary care along with the other animals they care for, they're planning a fundraiser.
Held at Sneaky's Bar, 22301 Allen Road in Woodhaven, the event will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 24. Raffles, a 50/50 drawing and basket are planned along with mystery bags and a bake sale.
"We had this planned before we got this dog because of our other animals at the rescue," Sue added. "We have 70-plus animals that we take care of."
As for homing Cheeto, that’s going to take a bit more time. He needs to gain more weight and get fully vaccinated.
Until then, he’ll get all the attention he needs and Tom will keep the world updated on Facebook.
More information about Last Stop Animal Rescue and Sanctuary in Carleton is available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LastStopAnimalRescue
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: 'Cheeto' the dog was rescued from cheese puff jar, now needs a home
