Eddie's Second Chance
Donation protected
INJURED AND DESERVING OF A SECOND CHANCE
Earlier in September I met Eddie, when I saw him try to cross the street and get hit by 2 cars in a row. I've never seen anything so horrifying and the visions and sounds of his agony remain with me. Eddie survived and we took him to our own vet's clinic where they tried to find his owners. Eventually they were contacted.
They no longer wanted him.
His owners made it clear that they were not interested in agreeing to any veterinary care and refused to be involved, instead surrendering him which allowed us to become his new parents.
Initial investigations in Owen Sound showed significant injury to his back with a break and dislocation of his spine. My husband, Sunil, and I refused to give up on him and the vets at the Ontario Veterinary College agreed to see Eddie. We were fairly certain that he would never walk again but as we were told, dogs can continue to live happy lives even with limited mobility! We wanted to give him that chance.
The neurologist confirmed that Eddie's spine was broken and dislocated, essentially cutting his spinal cord in two. Our focus became trying to provide Eddie the chance of a life free of pain, the chance at continued happiness, and the chance of being part of a family that wouldn't give up on him.
Eddie's surgery went well. The team was able to straighten his spine and remove most of the bone fragments in the spinal cord. Unfortunately, they confirmed that his spinal cord had been cut by the injury and that he would never walk again but felt that, with the right support, Eddie would be able to move around using his front legs and would be a great candidate for wheels or a cart.
Back at home Eddie needs to be kept in a pen to minimize his movements for 8 weeks to prevent breaking his implants - if they break there will not be another surgery available to fix the problem. Since he is paralyzed that also means regular turning to prevent bedsores. He is incontinent of stool, which we knew, but is also incontinent of urine, which was unexpected. The veterinarians actually expected him to be holding his urine and thought we would need to manually express (basically push it out) his urine. This has complicated things since we now have to change his bedding and wash him every few hours to prevent skin issues from developing.
Let's be clear. There is no miracle waiting for Eddie - he will never walk again. What is possible for him is the ability to live like a dog. To sniff, explore, and play like any other canine and, as a result, to be happy. He deserves that chance to run around in his cart after what he's been through.
We hope that you'll be willing to help us give him that chance.
Despite having had his surgery, Eddie's journey isn't over yet. Eddie is going to require specialized physiotherapy to maximize his potential. He'll need to be transported to rehabilitation facilities two hours away that can provide specific care options on a regular basis. We're determined to put the time and energy into making Eddie's happiness a reality, we hope that you'll be willing to help us succeed with a small donation.
So far the cost of Eddie's care has totalled just over $9000, and the rehab, physio and device fitting hasn't even started.
We didn't ask for Eddie to get hurt so terribly, but after being abandoned we couldn't help but ask 'what can we do'? If after reading Eddie's story you're asking yourself the same question, please donate towards his care and recovery.
Follow his journey on Instagram: #eddiessecondchance
or now on Facebook! @eddiessecondchance (https://www.facebook.com/eddiessecondchance/)
Please share this GoFundMe link on social media!
All funds raised will be used to support Eddie's care, equipment, and therapy. Should the worst happen, all remaining funds will be donated to a charity involved with animal rescue or returned if possible.
Earlier in September I met Eddie, when I saw him try to cross the street and get hit by 2 cars in a row. I've never seen anything so horrifying and the visions and sounds of his agony remain with me. Eddie survived and we took him to our own vet's clinic where they tried to find his owners. Eventually they were contacted.
They no longer wanted him.
His owners made it clear that they were not interested in agreeing to any veterinary care and refused to be involved, instead surrendering him which allowed us to become his new parents.
Initial investigations in Owen Sound showed significant injury to his back with a break and dislocation of his spine. My husband, Sunil, and I refused to give up on him and the vets at the Ontario Veterinary College agreed to see Eddie. We were fairly certain that he would never walk again but as we were told, dogs can continue to live happy lives even with limited mobility! We wanted to give him that chance.
The neurologist confirmed that Eddie's spine was broken and dislocated, essentially cutting his spinal cord in two. Our focus became trying to provide Eddie the chance of a life free of pain, the chance at continued happiness, and the chance of being part of a family that wouldn't give up on him.
Eddie's surgery went well. The team was able to straighten his spine and remove most of the bone fragments in the spinal cord. Unfortunately, they confirmed that his spinal cord had been cut by the injury and that he would never walk again but felt that, with the right support, Eddie would be able to move around using his front legs and would be a great candidate for wheels or a cart.
Back at home Eddie needs to be kept in a pen to minimize his movements for 8 weeks to prevent breaking his implants - if they break there will not be another surgery available to fix the problem. Since he is paralyzed that also means regular turning to prevent bedsores. He is incontinent of stool, which we knew, but is also incontinent of urine, which was unexpected. The veterinarians actually expected him to be holding his urine and thought we would need to manually express (basically push it out) his urine. This has complicated things since we now have to change his bedding and wash him every few hours to prevent skin issues from developing.
Let's be clear. There is no miracle waiting for Eddie - he will never walk again. What is possible for him is the ability to live like a dog. To sniff, explore, and play like any other canine and, as a result, to be happy. He deserves that chance to run around in his cart after what he's been through.
We hope that you'll be willing to help us give him that chance.
Despite having had his surgery, Eddie's journey isn't over yet. Eddie is going to require specialized physiotherapy to maximize his potential. He'll need to be transported to rehabilitation facilities two hours away that can provide specific care options on a regular basis. We're determined to put the time and energy into making Eddie's happiness a reality, we hope that you'll be willing to help us succeed with a small donation.
So far the cost of Eddie's care has totalled just over $9000, and the rehab, physio and device fitting hasn't even started.
We didn't ask for Eddie to get hurt so terribly, but after being abandoned we couldn't help but ask 'what can we do'? If after reading Eddie's story you're asking yourself the same question, please donate towards his care and recovery.
Follow his journey on Instagram: #eddiessecondchance
or now on Facebook! @eddiessecondchance (https://www.facebook.com/eddiessecondchance/)
Please share this GoFundMe link on social media!
All funds raised will be used to support Eddie's care, equipment, and therapy. Should the worst happen, all remaining funds will be donated to a charity involved with animal rescue or returned if possible.
Organizer and beneficiary
Angela Parker
Organizer
Owen Sound, ON
Angela Parker
Beneficiary
