Rescued Dog with Two Broken Legs

There is a fenced area behind the ball field in Lakeside Park, Duncanville, Texas. A female white pitbull-type dog was seen sleeping in the bushes in this fenced area for one to two weeks by a kind neighbor, who brought the dog food and water every few days. She couldn't get close to the dog however. One day she noticed the dog was no longer drinking water. That is when she called me. I have a petfinder website under "Best Friends Animal Rescue Club." She told me where to look and I drove right out to Lakeside, bringing water; the neighbor was waiting for me.

We found the dog laying motionless in the bushes. We opened a food can and the dog started to rouse. She was very slow, but came for the food. She was hungry and thirsty. She was very afraid and reluctant to let me pet her, so I didn't push it. She drank lots of water and then laid back down. I could see that her front legs weren't right; they were swollen and I knew they could be broken. I told the neighbor that I would call a fellow rescuer and we would try to coax the dog into the car using food, which we did the very next day. We named her "Peary," because her light green-yellow eyes are the color of pears.

We brought Peary immediately to a vet clinic. She received all of her shots and was tested for heartworms. Thank goodness she was negative. However, her x-rays revealed what we had suspected. Both front legs were fractured and even worse, one was not lined up and had become infected. The vet suspected that she had jumped or had been thrown from a moving vehicle. Peary was immediately put on antibiotics and pain meds, and a veterinary surgeon examined her. Since her injuries had occurred probably at least two weeks earlier and the fractures were already calcifying, the surgeon concluded that she should continue to heal on her own. Antibiotics cleared up the infection. Although she will likely become arthritic in those bones later in life, she should enjoy good quality of life overall.

Peary (now renamed Gracie) has been adopted into a loving family, where she continues to recuperate. Best Friends Animal Rescue Club writes: "Thank you for the wonderful response that Gracie received. It is touching to know that so many people care about God's creatures. Gracie is in a foster home and her foster mom has fallen in love with her. She says that Gracie is home."

—Best Friends Animal Rescue Club, Texas