Sam I Am's medical expenses
Donation protected
I am a solo veterinarian who lives on the border of the Wind River Indian reservation. I have always wanted to do more to help the homeless dogs who live there. Over the years I have done what I can.......I have worked at free spay and neuter clinics, taken in countless dogs and rehomed them without remuneration. Sam was a little different.
A tribal liason called me to put him down. He was hit by a car and had been lying on the side of the road for 5 days. The kids in the area begged him not to shoot him which is why he called me. The kids also MUST have been bringing him water because I don't know how else he survived. It was obvious he was severely wounded. He couldn't walk, and his entire left side was three times the size it should be. I was pretty sure he had broken his back......but I had had one of those days as a vet where you lose too many wonderful animals. So I got a bunch of yummy food and and reached down to put it in his box....and he wagged his tail, and licked me instead of diving for the food! Well his back was NOT broken (he could wag his tail) and he was the SWEETEST puppy I have ever met.
I could NOT put him down unless I found a non-liveable injury. X-rays revealed a broken rear leg (which would be easy to fix) His spine was OK and so was his pelvis. More perplexing was this giant swelling..........He made it through the night and was dragging himself around the next morning and walking on three legs the next day.
Turns out the swelling was the biggest bruise/seroma I have ever seen......in addition to some muscles that were torn off his leg. What a tough puppy....with in a few days he was zooming around!!!! (well in a manner of speaking) It has taken 4 operations so far to remove most of the fluid and blood from his side. The soft tissue damage was so great he eventually lost his rear leg in the 4th operation, and he may need one more operation to remove some excess scar tissue. Throughout it all Sam I Am has been a trooper, never indicated he was even painful, just licked and my hand gratefully, and was ready to motor around the next day.
If I can raise some money to cover Sam's expenses, it won't be such a burden on me, but most importantly I can help other dogs.....There are hundreds of them.... Sort of a homeless dog fund. It is really hard to have to turn away homeless dogs when they are hurt....but by the same token I can't take in every homeless dog without breaking myself. The shelter in town is often overwhelmed, and doesn't have the funds to treat every injured dog. So this is my attempt to bridge the gap.
And I can tell you that these reservation dogs are the most grateful animals you can imagine......they know. So from Sam and I, thank you for any money you can spare. Please do not feel pressure to donate (friends or anyone for that matter). What I did for Sam I Am was because he deserved it. But I would also love to cover my costs so I can turn around and do it again for some other dog.
Thanks, Lannie
A tribal liason called me to put him down. He was hit by a car and had been lying on the side of the road for 5 days. The kids in the area begged him not to shoot him which is why he called me. The kids also MUST have been bringing him water because I don't know how else he survived. It was obvious he was severely wounded. He couldn't walk, and his entire left side was three times the size it should be. I was pretty sure he had broken his back......but I had had one of those days as a vet where you lose too many wonderful animals. So I got a bunch of yummy food and and reached down to put it in his box....and he wagged his tail, and licked me instead of diving for the food! Well his back was NOT broken (he could wag his tail) and he was the SWEETEST puppy I have ever met.
I could NOT put him down unless I found a non-liveable injury. X-rays revealed a broken rear leg (which would be easy to fix) His spine was OK and so was his pelvis. More perplexing was this giant swelling..........He made it through the night and was dragging himself around the next morning and walking on three legs the next day.
Turns out the swelling was the biggest bruise/seroma I have ever seen......in addition to some muscles that were torn off his leg. What a tough puppy....with in a few days he was zooming around!!!! (well in a manner of speaking) It has taken 4 operations so far to remove most of the fluid and blood from his side. The soft tissue damage was so great he eventually lost his rear leg in the 4th operation, and he may need one more operation to remove some excess scar tissue. Throughout it all Sam I Am has been a trooper, never indicated he was even painful, just licked and my hand gratefully, and was ready to motor around the next day.
If I can raise some money to cover Sam's expenses, it won't be such a burden on me, but most importantly I can help other dogs.....There are hundreds of them.... Sort of a homeless dog fund. It is really hard to have to turn away homeless dogs when they are hurt....but by the same token I can't take in every homeless dog without breaking myself. The shelter in town is often overwhelmed, and doesn't have the funds to treat every injured dog. So this is my attempt to bridge the gap.
And I can tell you that these reservation dogs are the most grateful animals you can imagine......they know. So from Sam and I, thank you for any money you can spare. Please do not feel pressure to donate (friends or anyone for that matter). What I did for Sam I Am was because he deserved it. But I would also love to cover my costs so I can turn around and do it again for some other dog.
Thanks, Lannie
Organizer
Lannie Hamilton
Organizer
Lander, WY
