From: Judy
Date: Mon, Mar 2, 2009 at 7:47 PM
Subject: I wrote this for your website Donna and for our Journal
To: Donna Sullivan
Here is my Rat-Terrier „Peaches” story that inspired me to hold the Rabies Challenge Fund Benefit on
March 14, 2009 to educate people on the lack of science behind the Rabies Vaccination laws. This is a
chance to see and hear both Dr.‟s Jean Dodds DVM, and Dr. Ronald Schultz Ph.D. speak on the
groundbreaking studies being done at the Univ. Of Wisconsin to prove the duration of the Rabies
Vaccine.
The Rabies Challenge Fund and Studies are about a science based change since there is zero science
behind the current Rabies vaccination duration.
This is documented in the Journal of Veterinary Medicine, Vol. 232, No.10. May 15, 2008.
(See page 1479, second to last paragraph of the document “Public Veterinary Medicine Public Health;
Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2008 , found in that Journal.)
There are many dogs being misdiagnosed or not diagnosed for various reasons. And these dogs are
getting very ill and dying, seemingly without any consciousness from the vaccine companies.
Here is Peaches Story, and we hope it will help others:
My beloved Rat-Terrier Peaches received her 7 year Rabies booster in April of 2007. No Immediate
changes, but in early June 2007, I took Peaches back to the DVM where she had received the rabies vax
because she had suddenly developed bi-lateral (one on both ears) wedge shaped ear sores. The doctor
dismissed me with an antifungal, antibacterial, antibiotic cream.
Peaches competed successfully in Agility through the summer of 2007. She appeared to feel well but the
ear lesions remained and she developed a strange round yellowish skin/fur color change on her right rear
haunch. Even the texture of the fur over that area became changed….silkier feeling, but with a yellowish
cast in her otherwise white fur.
I had her back again to her regular vet during the summer, but they still could not explain the sores,
neither could they now explain the hair color change…and so we continued competing thru the summer,
and I used the cream which seemed to help a little. I attributed the color change to all of her swimming
in the pool, much like blondes whose hair used to change color due to the chemicals in swimming pools.
Little did I know what journey we were in for.
In October of 2007, Peaches entire right rear leg and (gradually her belly) became very edematous
(swollen). She was taken to many specialists. Peaches had ultrasounds, x-rays, MRI‟s, lymph node
aspirates, lymph node biopsies, skin biopsies, etc. Then after all this, the DVM‟s stated they could find
nothing wrong with her, they decided to manage her symptoms with high doses of steroids. I spent many
winter nights crying filled with the sadness that I was going to lose my Peach, and the frustration of
KNOWING there was something wrong and I had to get to the bottom of it..
Sometime in early February, I put the symptoms together when one specialty vet said to me; “When was
Peaches last vaccination?”.
As I got back into the car with Peaches I called the local vet and asked that question. I received the name
of the vaccine manufacturer, lot number of the vaccine, date it was given, and where it was given..it was
given in the right rear haunch where the color change had occurred!
That night I went home and began my research on “Google U”, putting in all the symptoms along with
the term “vaccination”. My husband, an M.D. Was shocked and amazed at the Clinical Studies I pulled
up on the net that pointed to exactly the symptoms and disease process that Peaches was experiencing.
What I found was a disease written about by well known academic Veterinary DVM‟s and labeled
“Rabies Vaccine associated Ischemic Dermatopathy”.
(I called the vaccine manufacturer and gave them all the details and they asked me to send them all
reports which I dutifully did for months until the diagnosis was finally made).
My husband and I brought in all the documents from Dr‟s across the country on this AI disease caused
by the Rabies Vaccine, but our Specialty DVM‟s would not label her with this diagnosis. Why? Why?
Why wouldn‟t they help us? We just wanted to get it diagnosed and treated properly. We had no plans to
sue.
Finally we asked the Board Certified Internist and the Board Certified Dermatologist to please make an
appointment with Dr. Daniel Morris DVM ACVD at the University of Pennsylvania as he was one of the
authors of one of the many case studies on this AI disease I had pulled up on Google. We waited 2
weeks without our Specialty DVM calling Dr. Morris, (and I kept calling and asking, and reminding).
Again, Why? Why was this so hard when we had the hard proof?
(Here, only my opinions; fiscal reasons…possibly the “Old boy” network. (IMO, my humble opinion,
Specialty Referral practices do not want to cause any trouble for their referring Doctors….this would get
in the DVM “pipeline” and ultimately mean a great loss of patients being referred to them, thus loss of
revenue for them).
My husband and hero got on the phone and one week later we were in Dr. Morris‟s office at the Mathew
J. Ryan Small Animal Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania.
We met with Dr. Dan Morris and within minutes, he told us; “If it walks like a duck, quacks, like a
duck, it‟s a duck”. Oh my, how simple! This diagnosis finally occurred in early March of 2008 and cost
us $12, 000.00 to obtain when we added it all up. (the entire journey) ~See the attached diagnosis and
waiver.
Finally Peaches was put on the proper meds. She went into remission and was able to compete for a 2
trials in October, one year after she became critically ill. She was off all her meds for 3 weeks when
symptoms reappeared. And now she is on meds again and we are trying to keep this awful disease at bay.
I am hopeful she will stabilize once again and remain healthy.
Please support the Rabies Challenge Funds Study which will ultimately prove duration
of the rabies vaccine.
http://www.rabieschallengefund.org/ and
http://www.freewebs.com/rcfbenefit2009/index.htm
Very warmly, and in hopes this will help someone else with their Fur-kid
Judy Schor and Rat Terriers~
ADCh Southern Sands Peaches TM-B, JCH-B, *2007 USDAA Regional GP Finalist, AX, AXJ, Clean
Run's Ultimate 60 Weave Pole Breed Champion, CGC (8 Yr's old) *sadly retired at 7 yr's due to Rabies
Vaccine induced Ischemic Vasculitis as per Univ. of Penn.*
Burways Moxie MAD, TM-B, SACH, R-CH, JCH-B *2008 USDAA Regional GP Finalist, AX, OAJ,
CGC (4 Yrs old)
Piney Creeks Valentina AAD, CGC (9 Yrs old and Daddy's girl, the RT that started it all;)
Toms River NJ
The Challenge fund is a federally registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization
[Fed. EIN # 84-6390682].