Sophie - Gunshot Victim!
My name is Sophie and, on Sunday afternoon, May 15, 2016, at approximately 3:00 p.m., my sister Sadie and I were playing with a child a few doors down from our house.
Suddenly, a shot from a .22 caliber rifle came directly into the yard where we were with the child. Thank God it missed the child, but it did hit me. The police were called but they only took a perfunctory report and no follow up is expected.
My "mom" rushed me to the weekend Emergency Veterinarian Hospital, the closest one being fifty (50) miles away from our house. The vet techs came out with a gurney and rushed me into the hospital.
After some pain medications, antibiotics and x-rays, my "mom" was told that the bullet went straight through my left leg, damaging flesh and muscle and traveled on into my right leg, fracturing my femur in two places and lodging the bullet up against/into the bone. She was given two options: (1) amputate my right leg at the hip or (2) do an open-reduction surgery to insert plates and screws to repair the two severe fractures and remove the bullet.
My "mom" refused the first option and asked that surgery be done to save my leg. She was told that I would have to be transported to their other location (another 15 miles away) for the surgery to be scheduled for Monday because their facility did not have any surgeons on site on Mondays. They cleaned, shaved, irrigated the wounds, and sedated me for the ride. My "mom" had to pay $1,027.35 at the first clinic prior to being released to go to the second location. They brought me back out on a gurney and loaded me into my "mom's" car. We then drove the fifteen (15) additional miles to the other Emergency Veterinarian Clinic where I was admitted.
I was sedated again for the pain and had to spend the night at this clinic. My "mom" had to pay another $1025.00 to cover my overnight stay, with pain medications and antibiotics.
During the night, I experienced complications with excessive bleeding from the wound. I was given more medications and a compression band to hopefully help with clotting.
On Monday, I am supposed to be transferred to an Operating Facility, where my leg fractures will be repaired, with plates and screws and, at that time, the bullet will also be removed. Now, the scheduling of the surgery will depend on how I'm evaluated after the complications Sunday night. We do not have the actual total for the operation and additional services, but the estimates were between $5,000.00 to $7,000.00., which will not cover my after-care once I return home.
We are not a wealthy family. My "mom" rescued me four and a half years ago from euthanasia after I had been abused and starved nearly to death. I was a happy, healthy dog who loved everyone until some senseless act by a cowardly idiot has changed my life completely. These medical expenses will be a severe hardship on our family and we would all be so grateful, so thankful, so appreciative for any assistance you can give us to assist during this horrible, and senseless, situation.
There is also an offering of a reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who fired into a residential yard where a child and two dogs were playing.
Thank you for your time in reading my story and thank you for any assistance you can provide.
puppy-hugs-&-puppy-kisses,
-- Sophie
P.S.
Several people have been asking if they can donate via PayPal instead of GoFundMe. Yes, you can.
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I have been receiving some horrid and cruel comments regarding not only my dog's breed, but also my owner responsibilities. DON'T EVEN ATTEMPT TO JUDGE WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE DETAILS. If you don't want to help, then don't. But don't criticize our situation when you don't know us, or what we are going through.
