Help Roy get leg surgery
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I grew up with dogs, mostly medium to big dogs. It's an accepted principle that goofy mutts make life better. I've been longing to get a dog for a while, but have lived as a nomadic field biologist, studying birds in remote places, and couldn't responsibly commit to one. I'm in a relatively more stable living situation now, and have been considering actually getting one more and more. What I did not think is that one would appear in my life today!
I live in Ithaca New York, but this spring, I've been living in Texas with some work friends so we could work remotely together. For the last few days, after a fun weekend in Big Bend NP, I've been in Austin with my friends Cullen and Ash. This morning, May 19, the three of us went looking for birds at a local park that Cullen used to visit a lot, Roy G. Guerrero Park. As we were wrapping up for the morning (we all had meetings to get to by 8am), Cullen said "I think found your dog, John" and started chuckling, obviously making a joke (well, maybe a half-joke). We were standing on a bridge. I looked down, and there was this small and frail black and tan thing shivering at the side of the creek. I said, "dammit Cullen, don't do this to me". It was one of those surreal moments where I just couldn't help myself. As Calvin once said to Hobbes, I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul. I put down my birding equipment and scrambled down a hill to the river and waded across to the dog.
It turned out he had a badly fractured femur in his rear right leg. I had to abstain from my 8am meeting and we took him to THRIVE Affordable Vet Care, where he got cleaned up and de-flea-ed. Apart from his broken leg, he seems to be doing remarkably well and is happily eating. He acts lethargic and is certainly in shock from whatever happened to him. There's a report of a similar looking dog from the same area in January, so it's possible he's been out for a while, maybe even during the deep freeze in February.
I live in Ithaca New York, but this spring, I've been living in Texas with some work friends so we could work remotely together. For the last few days, after a fun weekend in Big Bend NP, I've been in Austin with my friends Cullen and Ash. This morning, May 19, the three of us went looking for birds at a local park that Cullen used to visit a lot, Roy G. Guerrero Park. As we were wrapping up for the morning (we all had meetings to get to by 8am), Cullen said "I think found your dog, John" and started chuckling, obviously making a joke (well, maybe a half-joke). We were standing on a bridge. I looked down, and there was this small and frail black and tan thing shivering at the side of the creek. I said, "dammit Cullen, don't do this to me". It was one of those surreal moments where I just couldn't help myself. As Calvin once said to Hobbes, I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul. I put down my birding equipment and scrambled down a hill to the river and waded across to the dog.
It turned out he had a badly fractured femur in his rear right leg. I had to abstain from my 8am meeting and we took him to THRIVE Affordable Vet Care, where he got cleaned up and de-flea-ed. Apart from his broken leg, he seems to be doing remarkably well and is happily eating. He acts lethargic and is certainly in shock from whatever happened to him. There's a report of a similar looking dog from the same area in January, so it's possible he's been out for a while, maybe even during the deep freeze in February.
He's getting leg surgery on Tuesday, May 25. He'll need another 4 weeks to recover from it before I can take him anywhere. I had been planning on leaving today to drive back to Ithaca--I had not been planning on Roy (as we're calling him, after Roy G. Guerrero Park). Cullen's sister, Kendyl (you can see more photos of Roy on her Twitter @HanksKendyl) is being absurdly generous in giving me a free guest house for four weeks, on basically no notice (we literally met yesterday), so I can stay with Roy as he recovers.
Unfortunately, this surgery is expensive, and while I'm in a relatively more stable position than I was in a year ago, it's an amount I can't just do at the drop of a hat. I am deeply grateful to Kendyl for her generosity in giving me a place to live, Ash for helping me navigate veterinary clinics, and Cullen for giving me a nudge. I would be extremely grateful to you for helping me afford Roy's surgery. He's sort of a little dog with a big dog shape, and would be perfect for traveling around with me in my truck once he recovers. Anything over the needed amount for the surgery will be donated to Austin Pets Alive animal shelter.
Please help us help this little guy!
Unfortunately, this surgery is expensive, and while I'm in a relatively more stable position than I was in a year ago, it's an amount I can't just do at the drop of a hat. I am deeply grateful to Kendyl for her generosity in giving me a place to live, Ash for helping me navigate veterinary clinics, and Cullen for giving me a nudge. I would be extremely grateful to you for helping me afford Roy's surgery. He's sort of a little dog with a big dog shape, and would be perfect for traveling around with me in my truck once he recovers. Anything over the needed amount for the surgery will be donated to Austin Pets Alive animal shelter.
Please help us help this little guy!
Organiser
John Garrett
Organiser
Ithaca, NY