We have been wanting to do a blog about the famous and sweet Strawberry. As even we were ever unaware of her full past and true ability to live in a home until it was brought to our attention. Strawberry arrived at The Devoted Barn from what we were told was an abuse case that had gone to court.
Supposedly the male owner had inflicted permanent brain damage on her. She wasn’t allowed to be seen on camera or have her name released per Melissa. Strawberry was put in a horse stall with Cooper to become what so many of the donors would be lead to believe was “Cooper’s girlfriend”. And this is what would begin Strawberry’s years and years of life at TDB. She was basically an afterthought, especially to Melissa Borden.
Cooper was really the Live feed star of the couple. He was played as the cute lil beagle with the bend in his back. Go back if you can and try to find much out about the now famous Strawberry. You won’t because she didn’t matter. Followers were lead to believe that Cooper was soooo protective of Strawberry that he would bite people to keep them away from her. But for those who spent any REAL time with Cooper and Strawberry, Cooper was extremely jealous of ANY attention that wasn’t given to HIM and would bite even Berry if you tried to pet her. So this was Strawberry’s life for a good 2-3 years at least. She was Cooper’s stall and kennel mate, in a dusty, dirty barn with no temperature control and a dirt floor. In Newport there was a horrible rat infestation! Can you imagine these poor medical needs dogs with limited mobility living with rats running all over?
In Holly, it was observed by one of the amazing volunteers that Strawberry was having a significant issue with her back left paw. Strawberry was taken to a volunteer’s home, so she could get the upcoming medical care for her foot. But Strawberry was found to need immediate ER care as she was so ill with pneumonia that she was hypoxic and having trouble breathing! She suffered permanent lung scarring and it was during this hospital stay that her dysphagia, laryngeal paralysis and MegaE was found. Leading one to ask was the pneumonia caused by aspiration due to her just having a paper bag of dog food tossed to her, access to water or all the dust and dirt she was living in? Maybe all? And how were all of these issues missed by Melissa, if she is as present with those barn dogs as you are lead to believe? Shouldn’t she have known Strawberry’s deficits and medical needs from the very beginning? It is not uncommon for Melissa to take in animals without ever fully checking into their long term medical needs. Though she hasn’t made her land contract payments for months on end at her Holly location. This would become a long and expensive vet stay we hear and due to many outstanding bills with other ER vet clinics in the area, word had gotten out and a lot of money was needed up front for the vet to even start Strawberry’s ER care. Of course a plea was sent out to donors by Melissa, but over the course of Strawberry’s hospital stay more money was needed. So like what was often done because the volunteers had no idea where the money was going a certain person would have barn family members personally PayPal her to pay for Strawberry’s medical bill/needs. This has been a common practice at The Devoted Barn of its volunteers. The volunteers often ask themselves, where’s the money?
We have been told that the couple that had already saved Strawberry’s life once by getting her to the ER vet, they saved her again by opening their house to Strawberry. They drove her to her P.T. appts and doctor follow up visits, paid for way more than any volunteer should have or be expected to.
It was also during this time the fact that Strawberry was completely housebroken was realized AND she loved being in a home!!! Seeing her paperwork from her barn room/apartment, her care was like a full time job due to her illness. She had to be fed 4 times a day, needed at least 2 dressing changes for her foot injury, Strawberry also has a regurge issue that isn’t ever really discussed on Live feeds. You can usually tell who fed Strawberry on her night feeding by how much puke you find in the morning. Considering Strawberry has laryngeal paralysis, it was a real fear that she could aspirate or choke to death during one of her many vomiting episodes. On top of this whether it was Strawberry’s allergies or a mental release she had picked up from her life she would literally attack her own foot.
We now understand after learning all this why the vet and others who cared for Strawberry felt it was in her best interest to NOT be returned to the barn in Holly. Strawberry’s care and costs were excessive and those doing the caregiving believed that Strawberry really needed a medical foster to meet all of her care and P.T. needs. However, this was found to be impossible due to Melissa. We have been made aware that Melissa was constantly changing her reasons as to why this couldn’t happen for Strawberry.
Interestingly enough those trying to help Strawberry were informed that they couldn’t use her name or allow any pictures of Strawberry because she was a court case (though the case would have closed years ago). Then, the reason was her whereabouts could never be made known as the abuser allegedly had threatened to come after her. Of course, Melissa’s other reason we often hear her say on video’s was people just don’t want to adopt a dog with special needs. Yet numerous followers have inquired on Strawberry’s adoptability! Sometime during all of this Strawberry was moved to another house and as luck would have it, we were recently sent pictures of this time. Please note the Strawberry in the pictures has white feet, white by her mouth, she’s a black and white dog. This Strawberry isn’t covered in reddish-brown from allergies and chewing like the Strawberry in the videos. Notice all the piles of blankets in the videos of Strawberry’s room? How do you expect a brain injury dog who can’t walk well to maintain any type of balance trying to get through all those blankets? Why are there so many blankets? There is logically no reason for them and if you are going to put yourself in charge of a medical needs animal, then you should understand their needs and meet them on EVERY level!
That dog in the pictures didn't have to be hidden. That dog in the pictures had people fighting for her life trying to convince Melissa that Strawberry should be given the chance to be adopted. To be allowed to be given the life she deserved. It has been shown that every effort that a small group of volunteers were putting into Strawberry getting her “true rescue” and placed in a home, Melissa would openly refuse to work with them. In fact, we hear volunteers were so discouraged at the lack of care and compassion Melissa had shown to Strawberry’s needs, some would end up leaving The Devoted Barn.
It appears though that once Strawberry was returned and barn family members were getting to really know her personality and talk about how cute she was, she really got Melissa’s attention. Then suddenly everything that Melissa said couldn’t be done, was done by her and Strawberry would become the moneymaker Melissa needed. Strawberry was an instant hit and bringing in large donation amounts after each Live feed that was done.
The public is lead to believe that the cute lil spaniel with the adorable head tilt, flea infestations so bad you watch them jumping all over, this Puff eating dog that Melissa forgets to feed on a regular basis (and yes there’s documentation), is not given P.T. ( because Melissa wouldn’t let the fosters teach the other’s about Strawberry’s P.T. needs), but you are to believe Strawberry is really living her best life in that “apartment”(room in a barn).
Melissa loves to put a camera on her, as she tells you how her haters are against her and she’s going to need more money or she’ll lose the place and doesn’t know what will happen to these poor animals…then you all open your purses, pensions, gas and grocery money. All to keep that beautiful deserving dog trapped in a room in a barn for your false video entertainment. Tell us again who is a hater? If you found Strawberry’s truth as unnerving as we did when we saw these pictures, please check back for future blogs. Melissa recently said in a Live that there were probably only 2 dogs at the dog house that could live in a home. We have proof of other “feral” (notice how she calls them “feral” dogs now vs barn dogs)who go out on Day and Weekend passes to live like “real” dogs. Another great Blog could be how Melissa keeps asking for $10K every month as she has to pay $8K to “house” these poor neglected “feral” dogs. (Remember she lost that Appeals Case because she didn’t do her due diligence.) But, has anyone been paying attention to the amount of medical needs animals she’s bringing in? Why are these dogs going into foster homes, while these poor “feral” dogs rot in an old dog boarding building? In cages that aren’t even used anymore for long term dog “storage”. Why do these poor dogs not deserve to be in a foster/permanent home? Is it responsible for a “rescue” who hasn’t paid their land contract payments in months because they don’t have the money? They are now involved in 2 more new court cases and are always asking donors to go above and beyond every month. These are big asks while we go into a recession from a pandemic. Yet, they have done nothing to reassess how they might be able to improve how they run their rescue. They keep repeating they have a great business plan in place, but haven’t shared a single detail. I think as fiscal donors of a 501C3, this would be a very important and informative blog. And lastly, not a single word of this is to harm any animal as you might be lead to believe. It is simply to inform you of what really goes on away from the camera where you are only shown and given the narrative that Melissa wants you to believe. We want to give you the true facts of so many of these animals reality. To encourage you to ask the hard questions and not believe the first thing you are told.
Hold back on that dollar until you get the answer of why can’t Strawberry ever be adopted. And then do your due diligence to follow up on what you are told. Special needs puppies are brought into The Devoted Barn like the flavor of the week. But Strawberry doesn’t deserve better? Can you look at her in those pictures surrounded by loving people and canine friends and still think she’s living her “best” life waiting for someone to remember to feed her or take her out to go potty? The Devoted Barn volunteers who care for Strawberry even wish she was living her best life in a home with her own people.
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