“You can’t change a dog’s past, but you can rewrite the future.”
– Agnes Carass
That is exactly what New England Border Collie Rescue is trying to do for Roy. Roy has been in rescue two weeks now and already on his long road to recovery. Roy was taken into rescue as an urgent case after being kicked by a horse. This left him with a gaping oozing wound on his rear leg and he was unable to put any weight on that leg. His family didn’t have the funds to treat him and made arrangements to relinquish him to NEBCR so he could get the care he so desperately needed.
Roy is only two years old and has a lot of life ahead of him. His foster home describes him as the sweetest boy with a forever wagging tail. He even tolerates exams and wound cleaning seemingly knowing it is being done to help him. Roy was taken immediately to the ER upon entering rescue to address the wound, antibiotics and a proper bandage. It was thought he had a ruptured tendon and NEBCR made another appointment with a specialist to see what our next step would be.
The Orthopedic surgeon that examined Roy found that the muscle had damage behind the tendon but the tendon was intact. Good news right but also bad news. The surgeon also determined Roy had so much skin missing in the area of the leg that has no extra to spare that he would need a skin graft for the wound to heal properly.
NEBCR will not turn a dog away due to medical issues and this one will come with a hefty price tag. His two first vet visits total $800+ alone.
NEBCR was given an estimate of $4,302 to $5,377 for the skin graft and address the muscle that was stretched out and now needs to be stitched back in place. We are hopeful this will get Roy back to being a playful pup that much sooner. Originally we hoped to do the neuter at the same time but the surgeon felt that it would be keeping him under anesthesia too long. Once he is healed from the leg surgery he will need a return trip for a neuter. This will add another $500 to his total.
We could use help getting Roy back on all four feet and ready for a loving family of his own. This will take a few weeks, maybe months in foster care for rehab and we are up to the challenge. We have a very generous supporter willing to match the first $2000 donated for Roys medical expenses. That will get us off to a great start in covering his expenses. If you would like to make a donation to help with Roys recovery please click on the link provided.
NEBCR as always thanks you for your support and please keep Roy in your thoughts and prayers as he undergoes his surgery and recovery.