Susan, not her real name, was on a job assignment in this country, from a Middle Eastern country. She is originally from England where she grew up. She was on a jogging trail when in the distance she saw a yellow dog limping. The dog was trotting on the path following runners, looking lost, confused, holding up her broken leg. Susan decided to investigate the situation. As she slowly approached the dog, the animal stopped. She was able to barely touch her head, but extremely nervous, the dog ran on three legs into the lake.
Susan asked for help, but no one stopped. She was rather stunned, how could obvious animal lovers, there were joggers with their dogs, turn a blind eye to this dog in pain. Susan got into her vehicle, drove to the nearest store and purchased sausages. She happened to have a thin rope in her car. She went back to the lake where the dog was still standing in water. She gradually enticed Georgia with the smell of food to approach her and placed the lead around her neck. Georgia followed her out of the lake, uncertain about what to expect from this stranger. Still, no one stopped to ask Susan if she needed any help. Everyone kept running or walking past her and Georgia as though they did not exist.
Susan went back to the hotel to search for the yellow pages. She called the SPCA who told her she had to make an appointment. She obviously did not have the time it would take to setup an appointment, since she was a visitor of short duration in our city staying in a hotel. She began calling animal shelters. The same answer everywhere, “we are full and are not taking any more dogs”. She was told the pound would euthanize Georgia if brought to their location with her broken leg. She asked the hotel staff if they knew of a no-kill shelter in this town. One employee said there was one three blocks from the hotel. She rang the shelter doorbell and was told to take the dog to their vet who happens to practice in the neighborhood.
Georgia was diagnosed with a broken tibia, and now has a temporary splint on her left hind leg. She resides at the no-kill shelter that referred Susan to the veterinary clinic. She also has been given a set of vaccinations and tested negative for heartworms.
Since Georgia is a dog under 12 months of age, the veterinarian hopes she will heal without surgery, but when taken for a follow-up appointment, it was discovered she had a bacterial infection to that leg. Her future is a bit more precarious right now. She is being treated with antibiotics, but could lose her leg if the infection spreads.
Susan understood that what she saw as callousness or indifference in people passing by this injured dog, was a fear of becoming involved in a situation with a sad outcome or being “stuck” with a dog nobody wants. She saw firsthand, how difficult it is to place a stray animal, and an injured one, with little chance for a good future. Either no-kill rescue groups are brimming over with unwanted, discarded pets and cannot accept any more, or local pounds euthanize within 72 hours or sooner for lack of space. But Susan also saw a lack of compassion from our fellow humans. In England, she would have called the RSPCA. They would have taken her report, picked up the dog, given it medical care, registered it and when healed, placed it for adoption.
Let’s all rally around this dog. Let’s show Susan, who will return to this city for business in the next couple of weeks and will visit Georgia, that we do have a heart and only want the best outcome for this sweet animal. Please help us provide this dog with the surgical care she may require in a very short time. Her surgery will not be cheap, around $2000 if her leg is pinned, less if amputated.
GEORGIA September
The news on Georgia is good! She will not require surgery. Because of your wonderful donations, she received prompt and skilled medical care. See her heartwarming video here.
There was a period where it could have been touch and go. Her cast had gotten wet and had started to chip. Georgia developed a bacterial infection to her wound. The fear was that it might spread to the fractured bone which could have meant that her leg would have been amputated. She was given antibiotics. She returned to the veterinary clinic several times to have her wound cleaned and given a new cast at each visit. You can see from the photos, she is wearing a less cumbersome cast and is more comfortable sitting down. The e-collar has since been removed.
She will be spayed soon, as she has been in heat the past two weeks. She will very soon be ready for adoption. I am told she is a very gentle dog and very friendly. If anyone is looking for a new family member, Georgia is waiting for you. Please click on Animals Abused & Abandoned here to donate to her continuing care.