By Edith von Stuemer

It was 8:00 o’clock on a cold January evening, when Mike happened to look out the front door of his house and saw a small Husky puppy dragging himself across the lawn by the front legs. He ran outside, scooped the puppy into his arms, jumped in his car and headed for the veterinary emergency clinic.

X-rays Showed Broken Legs from Abuse

X-rays were taken which determined that both hind legs had been broken, probably intentionally. Splints were put on, but Mike was informed that the pup, who was approximately ten weeks old, needed orthopedic surgery, Estimate: $3,000!! That was a bit much for any rescuer to deal with, especially since he had just paid $1,000 for the emergency care. So Mike went home and started calling rescue groups. We were the only group to respond. Since this was an emergency we did not think about where the money was to come from. We would worry about that later.

The very next day “Dexter,” as the little one had been named, was admitted into the Regional Veterinary Referral Center in Springfield and placed in the care of a Board Certified orthopedic surgeon, who operated immediately. One leg was pinned, the other received a new shorter splint since it was not as badly broken. Mike and his family offered to be the foster parents for Dexter during his recovery period until a permanent home could be found. They also had a spayed female 1½ year old Husky mix who began mothering him.

Healing and Recovery

The healing process began, and Dexter felt better quickly. New casts had to be put on every week to allow the legs to grow. Being a typical active puppy, Dexter did get into trouble occasionally. He shredded four pairs of high heeled shoes and got into a can of paint, causing
him to look like a lovely lavender dog statue. (Fortunately it was latex.) Now that the casts are off, Dexter is able to walk and run normally. He romps with his “mom” and goes fishing and swimming with her in the river.

What does not come as a surprise to us is that Mike and his family have fallen in love with the spunky little guy and want to make him a permanent member of their household.

Upon questioning Dexter, we found that this offer meets with his approval.