The woman found him on an out-of-county road at the beginning of November, a filthy, tawny skeleton of a dog, limping badly on his right front leg and desperately in need of a friend. She called out to him, and he went with her willingly. She phoned her city’s shelter, where the workers told her that in his condition they would pronounce a death sentence upon him if she brought him in.

The woman resisted. She had seen the love and the hope in his gentle but frightened brown eyes. Instead of going to her local shelter, she brought him to the Lawrence Humane Society.

Your name will be Max, the Lawrence shelter staff declared, and they took turns petting and talking to this once-proud purebred German shepherd who could now barely support his own 28 pounds. Infection inside his ears caused him to hold his head at an angle, and the outsides of those ears had been chewed up by flies, but he perked them up and wagged his tail a little.

The staff took Max to a veterinarian, who X-rayed the leg thanks to funding by a kind shelter benefactor. Max was so patient that they didn’t even have to sedate him for the procedure. The vet found both bones broken, and he set them and returned Max to the shelter to begin his recovery.

Time and love heal most wounds, as they did for Max. During the next month – following a badly needed flea bath – he responded to gentle words, good food and a variety of antibiotics and deworming medications. The weight returned to his sparse frame as his leg healed, and his beautiful fur came back thick and shiny. He learned to crawl up into laps for hugs and as much attention as it’s possible for one dog to handle.

The heartbreaker, unfortunately, turned out to be his huge loving heart.

When the staff ran the tests, close to Christmas, they discovered the heartworm microfilaria swimming in his blood sample. And that would normally be the final word at our shelter. With treatments running $250$500 per animal, we cannot possibly treat all the HW-positive animals who come to us.

Word of Max’s condition raced through the shelter, and tear-stained faces made that workday an unusually long one. After all that rehabilitation, how could they be forced to end his life?

Well, it turns out they simply couldn’t. This one dog – this Max – had just been through too much already, and he had too much to offer some lucky person someday in his near future. His friends just wouldn’t give that all up.

A collection jar was selected, and someone taped Max’s picture to it, and it began its journey around to each member of the shelter staff. The workers emptied their pockets, and Midge took Max’s plight to the airwaves during her regular Saturday morning radio spot on KLWN’s “Lawrence Pet Friends.”

And in no time at all, the shelter had raised enough money to give Max the holiday gift he needed most.

He went through his treatment with all his new friends at his side, and he came out the other end a healthy boy, finally looking like the 3- or 4-year-old he really was, ready to find his own forever home. German Shepherd Rescue has agreed to foster him until that perfect new owner comes looking for him.

And so can end a happy success story, except that the story of Max goes on just a little further.

Beginning this month, the Lawrence Humane Society is launching a new program called “Max’s Club.”

Through this club, you can have the opportunity to be a hero to other dogs and cats who come to us just as Max did: in need of treatments that we would not otherwise be able to provide financially.

For just $10 a month, or more if you can, you can join this special group of shelter supporters who want to help companion animals who need more medical help to get them back on their feet.

We’ll send you regular updates on the beneficiaries of these treatments – “before” and “after” shots, so you can see how your donations are being used and how you’re bringing life back to very special little souls who still have so much to give.

We are able to set up your tax-deductible monthly donations through Visa or MasterCard, if you like. We have forms available at the shelter, and we’ll remind you about this club in our regular newsletter.

And with your help, we won’t any longer have to read about unfortunate animals who couldn’t make it. We can credit it all to those who cared about Max, who now also has his own poem, written by shelter worker Kali Vukas:

Max and shelter worker Kali Vukas

Max

Abused, neglected.

Ears infected.

Parasites, heartworms, fleas.

A life of discomfort and unease.

Night after night of unrest.

Never-ending loneliness.

Leg is broken.

Pain unspoken.

Hungry, losing weight.

Still alive, it’s not too late.

Then, rescued at last.

Dark days in the past.

A bad dog, never.

A best friend forever.

Sweet, affectionate, a gentle soul.

Max will make your life whole.

Things are looking up indeed.

A home for Max soon, hopefully.

Please come out to the shelter, visit us online at www.lawrencehumane.org or phone us at 843-6835. We’re ready to enter your membership in Max’s Club.