Atticus the Awesome Rescue Puppy
Donation protected
Atticus is an beautiful 11 month old mix breed puppy who we adopted from SAFE in Karratha earlier this year after being rescued from a house where he was found with no access to water, severely dehydrated and covered in ticks.
We recently took Atticus to our wonderful vet for what we thought was soft tissue injury requiring anti inflammatories but the vet took one look at him and her heart sank as she told us that she suspected the shoulder injury was related to a deformity in his front limb which has only become apparent as he has grown. Until this point we (and 4 other vets he has been to in his short lifetime) had thought that his turned out feet were a result of whatever mix he is (possibly bassett hound x sheepdog) and were just a quirk.
In a nut shell the bones in his front limb have grown at diffrerent rates causing his leg to rotate around as he grows. After consulting with an orthopedic surgeon our vet advised that Atticus will need to have the bones in his leg cut and plated back together with possible surgery also needed on his should to stabilise it. It will cost $6000 and be 3 - 4 months of recovery with a frame, weekly checks, medication and rehabilitation. Until he has the surgery his shoulder injury (a secondary symptom of the deformity) will not heal and he is on anti inflammatories and pain medication to keep him comfortable. We are hoping to have the surgery in early 2018.
Why would we do this for a little dog who has been with us for less than a year? Let me tell you.
This little guy bonded with us straight away. He climbed out of his travel crate at the airport onto my lap and has not left my side since. He sleeps on my feet while I cook and just adores everyone in the family. At 8 months old he chased off an intruder from inside the house (when I was home alone with my children and the intruder waited until my husband had left the house before entering). At the time Atticus was tethered to a 12kg weight which he dragged 5 meters.
We owe this little dog so much and it is heartbreaking to see him in his current condition. People have suggested putting him down but we cannot consider that an option as he has given us so much. The least we can do is exhaust every avenue to have him back on his feet and running again and pain free.
We are a single income family who wanted to give a happy home to a rescue animal who has turned out to be the most loyal and sweet animal family member. We do not have the ability to pay the surgical fees but we are committed to this little dog for life and will do everything in our power to see him well and happy again.
We are responsible pet owners and while we do have pet insurance for Atticus but it does not cover this surgery.
In collaboration with SAFE Karratha we have exhausted all avenues of having this surgery undertaken at a lower cost or as training for vet students. This is our last resort. Like so many people out there, we are animal lovers who consider our pets to be family members. All of our animals have been rescue animals.
We know there are so many people and animals in desperate need in this world. But if this story has touched your heart at all please consider donating even $1, it would the mean the world to us and this little dog.
Any funds that are unused will be donated to SAFE Karratha to enable them to continue the wonderful work they do in saving animals from suffering.
Thank you for reading this story and your consideration.
We recently took Atticus to our wonderful vet for what we thought was soft tissue injury requiring anti inflammatories but the vet took one look at him and her heart sank as she told us that she suspected the shoulder injury was related to a deformity in his front limb which has only become apparent as he has grown. Until this point we (and 4 other vets he has been to in his short lifetime) had thought that his turned out feet were a result of whatever mix he is (possibly bassett hound x sheepdog) and were just a quirk.
In a nut shell the bones in his front limb have grown at diffrerent rates causing his leg to rotate around as he grows. After consulting with an orthopedic surgeon our vet advised that Atticus will need to have the bones in his leg cut and plated back together with possible surgery also needed on his should to stabilise it. It will cost $6000 and be 3 - 4 months of recovery with a frame, weekly checks, medication and rehabilitation. Until he has the surgery his shoulder injury (a secondary symptom of the deformity) will not heal and he is on anti inflammatories and pain medication to keep him comfortable. We are hoping to have the surgery in early 2018.
Why would we do this for a little dog who has been with us for less than a year? Let me tell you.
This little guy bonded with us straight away. He climbed out of his travel crate at the airport onto my lap and has not left my side since. He sleeps on my feet while I cook and just adores everyone in the family. At 8 months old he chased off an intruder from inside the house (when I was home alone with my children and the intruder waited until my husband had left the house before entering). At the time Atticus was tethered to a 12kg weight which he dragged 5 meters.
We owe this little dog so much and it is heartbreaking to see him in his current condition. People have suggested putting him down but we cannot consider that an option as he has given us so much. The least we can do is exhaust every avenue to have him back on his feet and running again and pain free.
We are a single income family who wanted to give a happy home to a rescue animal who has turned out to be the most loyal and sweet animal family member. We do not have the ability to pay the surgical fees but we are committed to this little dog for life and will do everything in our power to see him well and happy again.
We are responsible pet owners and while we do have pet insurance for Atticus but it does not cover this surgery.
In collaboration with SAFE Karratha we have exhausted all avenues of having this surgery undertaken at a lower cost or as training for vet students. This is our last resort. Like so many people out there, we are animal lovers who consider our pets to be family members. All of our animals have been rescue animals.
We know there are so many people and animals in desperate need in this world. But if this story has touched your heart at all please consider donating even $1, it would the mean the world to us and this little dog.
Any funds that are unused will be donated to SAFE Karratha to enable them to continue the wonderful work they do in saving animals from suffering.
Thank you for reading this story and your consideration.
Organizer
Zoe Lee
Organizer
Bayswater WA
