As you go through Life, it’s not
uncommon to hear about amazing stories where an animal seems
to have performed an absolute act of heroism, bravery, or
just plain amazing intelligence. It’s as if in some
situation they forget they are an animal and take on this
incredible “human-like” presence that allows them to save
the day.
I came across this story a few weeks
back on my travels online looking for interesting stories to
report on for The Scoop this month that warmed my heart and
made me take a step back.
It’s the story of Sally, a Saluki breed
dog found in the desert of Kuwait by a volunteer for an
animal welfare group, PAWS. When she was found, she had
severe damage done to her hind leg and the veterinarian
doctor on site had no choice but to amputate what remained
to ensure she had no further deterioration or infection.
One of the volunteers on site was an American who had
studied veterinary medicine at CSU, and wrote for a second
opinion on their course of action from the veterinary
hospital on campus.
The animal surgeon at CSU, Erick Egger,
wrote back affirming their decision but what he also
suggested was that because Sally was only estimated to be a
year old, she would be a perfect candidate for an
experimental surgery of grafting prosthetics directly to the
bone, rather than the traditional strapping on of prosthetic
limbs.
Typically, amputee pets do not respond
well to those types of prosthetic limbs, but this surgery
involves inserting a metallic implant directly into the bone
of her leg that the prosthetic can attach to. The unknown
factor is whether or not the soft tissue like muscle and
skin will grow into the metal implant, a factor that is
critical to the long term success of the surgery.
Currently, Sally is in Ft. Collins at
CSU waiting for the surgery to be performed after the
necessary funds are raised to pay for the surgery and
materials.
Wouldn’t it just be amazing if this
brave puppy, found close to death out in the Kuwaiti desert,
became the first being to have this new type of prosthetic
limb? It just warmed my heart to think that not only can we
as humans give her another chance at living a wonderful,
fulfilled life, but what we are giving her, she’ll naturally
give back 100 fold! It just amazes me.
You can really say that Sally is OUR
best friend.
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