Many people wonder where we came up with the name for our rescue. Peanut's Place is named after my very first true "rescue" dog. I had adopted several dogs for myself from a shelter and was a volunteer for many years before Peanut came into my life.
One day I recieved a tearful call from a lady who had discovered a horribly burned puppy at a home she was delivering meals to. She didn't know what to do and when she questioned the people as to how this happened, they said that their grandchild had thrown the 6 week old chihuahua puppy into an oven while no one was watching her. Peanut lay slowly dying for a week and was eating his own flesh from the pain. They had not sought any medical attention for this poor baby and picked him up and put him in a bedroom out of sight after the lady questioned them.
By the end of that night, I had Peanut in my arms and on his way to the vet's for immediate, urgent care. Peanut was in shock and weighed just 2lbs. His nose was gone, the side of his face was slashed open into his lips, his neck and back had grill marks where he rolled in the oven, all four paws and pads were melted and depressed, his genitals were melted to his belly and it was excrutiating for him to eliminate. He could no longer stand on his paws and just lay crying in pain.
Somehow, by God's grace, he survived his ordeal. Peanut came home from the hospital with all his paws in casts, bandages around his neck and face and lots of morphine. Since they were all burns, every bandage had to be changed daily and each wound had to be carefully cleaned and medicated.
I carried Peanut around my neck in a sling for 6 weeks, only putting him down to relieve himself. He is truly a miracle dog, and although he carries the physical scars of his ordeal, his spirit and spunk were not shattered. Peanut is loud, boisterous, funny, and the mascot of Peanut's Place and still resides here six years later. Peanut grew into a 10lb. chiweenie dog, and will be glad to meet you if you come for a visit.