ONEIDA — The Order of Owl’s Nest 1606 in Oneida donated $2,000 to Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association, which will go toward emergency surgery for one of their dogs.

“The Owl’s Nest had some extra money and decided to help out some of the needy animals in the area,” President John Smoyer said on Monday night at the check presentation. “There’s definitely a need — like that dog was beaten by that truck driver [last year].”

The Order of Owl’s Nest is a fraternal organization with posts across the country. Members in Oneida have raised money for organizations and scholarships in the past, with a goal to help those in need.

Smoyer only learned about the dog requiring surgery at the check presentation.

“We have a dog at the shelter right now named Pooh Bear that has a large tumor on its right hind leg that requires surgery,” Wanderers’ Rest Board President Lewis Carinci said. Pooh Bear is an eight-year-old terrier mixed breed. “[The tumor] is constantly bleeding, and Pooh Bear needs a special surgery because of the location of the vein. But it needs the surgery because it can barely walk.”

“I think it’s wonderful this money will go on to help this dog in need,” Smoyer said.

“Believe it or not John, this $2,000 will go a long way,” Carinci said to the Owl president. Besides paying for the surgery, Carinci said the money would help cover the cost of medicine and for animals that need to be spayed or neutered.

The need for animal care in Madison County has only grown. Carinci said that there’s been a lot of animals coming in that require special care.

“In the Brookfield area, we’ve been getting ‘bait dogs’ — dogs that have had their teeth ground down and are used to train other dogs for dog fighting,” Carinci said.

On top of this, dogs with illnesses from Lyme disease to heartworms have been coming in at an increased rate.

“Seven out of 10 dogs are coming in Lyme positive. It’s so prevalent right now,” Shelter Office Manager Danielle Schermerhorn said. “And it can be active, or inactive without symptoms. But Lyme can go into the kidneys.”

Doxycycline is used to treat dogs with Lyme disease and Wanderers’ Rest is going to need it to treat every dog that comes in with Lyme. 

“And we can only do that because of [Owl’s Nest],” Carinci said. “We can get that medicine and be proactive.”

Dogs with illnesses or with tumors like Pooh Bear are finding themselves on the streets through no fault of their own.

“If people can’t afford them, they’re dumping them,” Schermerhorn said. “We’ve got a lot of medical needs right now.”

And while work is being done to make ends meet medically, the hardest part is finding homes for these dogs — even if temporary.

Schermerhorn said there’s a significant need for foster families to take care of dogs while they recover and ensure they’re ready for a forever home.

“If we can get fosters, we can get these dogs in a home environment where they can get better before being adopted,” she said.