BY HEIDI ULRICHSEN
Spirit is a dog who has the will to live.
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Animal clinic receptionist Sue Kari says staff are amazed at the recovery made by Spirit, a gorgeous Black Labrador retriever mix believed to have been abandoned by its owners and then hit by another vehicle. Kari is adopting Spirit. |
Early in the morning on Dec. 15, the small 10-month-old Black Labrador mix lay shivering on the side of Southview Drive. He had two open compound fractures on his left front leg, and one on his left hind leg. His rescuers believe he was dumped by his owners at the side of the busy road, and then
hit by a passing car.
A few concerned animal lovers stopped when they saw the dog in their headlights, and eventually decided to bring him to Lockerby Animal Hospital,
where Dr. James Hysen was on call that morning.
?He was surprisingly good. He wasn?t in shock, but was unable to rise...he was in good spirits despite his pain,? says Hysen.
The veterinarian gave the dog medications to ease his pain while his staff tried to figure out what to do.
Long-time receptionist Sue Kari immediately took to the phones trying to find the dog?s owners.
?We worked all day and called every client we have in the Southview Drive area,? says Kari.
But no one seemed to know where the dog had come from.
?My gut instinct told me he?d been dumped. Some people still unfortunately believe animals are disposible.?
Even though the dog was severely injured, he immediately captured the hearts of the veterinary office staff with his sweet nature. Lying almost immobile on a double padded blanket, the dog began tossing toys in the air and catching them with his mouth.
They named him Spirit because he seemed to want to live.
?The name says it all,? says Kari. ?It encompasses the spirit he has within him. He always has a smile on his face and a wag in his tail. He?s never shown any sign of pain. Dogs normally show aggression when they are in pain, but we?ve been able to move him around like nothing.?
The veterinarians at Lockerby Animal Hospital are not orthopedic specialists, but they knew something had to be done for Spirit soon so that his open wounds wouldn?t become infected.
Facing the prospect of putting him down, they called Dr. Larry Hosheit in Val Caron, who immediately agreed to do the surgery. Meanwhile, Kari and the rest of the staff began fundraising to offset the costs of Spirit?s surgery and follow-up care, which they knew would be enormous.
They called in Pet Save, an organization that rescues abandoned, abused and neglected dogs and cats throughout Northern Ontario. Pet Save took temporary ownership of Spirit, and donated $500 towards his care.
Meanwhile, the money began pouring in as generous clients heard about Spirit?s story. As of last Tuesday, over $4,000 had been collected to offset the estimated $6,500 it will take for the dog to fully recover.
?I think they did a great job in taking care of the dog,? says Hosheit, who repaired Spirit?s legs with three metal plates. ?It?s very kind and ?Christmassy? of them to take care of a dog with no owner.?
Hosheit expects Spirit to be walking well within two weeks , and his front leg to heal within four to six weeks. His hind leg, which suffered a more complicated fracture, will take six to eight weeks to heal.
?His prognosis is very good,? says the vet. ?We have had really good stabilization especially considering that these were both open fractures with the bone poking through the skin.?
Meanwhile, Kari has decided Spirit is never going to be left alone on the side of a road again. She?s adopting the dog from Pet Save as soon as he recovers, and he?ll join her family at home.
?He?s going to come and spend Christmas with me,? says Kari. ?He has grabbed my heart.?
To make a donation towards Spirit?s veterinary bills, phone 522-4555. To contact Pet Save, phone 688-1094.
