My heart is broken. We had to say goodbye to a cherished member of our family-Trinity, our 12 year old, 3 legged clown of a dog. For those who don’t remember her story, she came into the Aiken County Animal Shelter 11 years ago when I was the shelter veterinarian. Her right leg was missing from the knee down with the bone protruding. I could tell the injury was several weeks old so I bandaged it and planned to hold her a few days to see if anyone claimed her. If not I would euthanize her.
She was terrified and would not make eye contact. She was totally shut down. I spent time sitting with her in her cage and after 2 days the tip of her tail started to wag when I talked to her. It was then that I noticed an old scar around her neck from a collar that had gotten too tight and had cut into her skin. I thought “This poor dog has never known love.” I decided if no one claimed her I would amputate her leg properly and try to find her a home. Well, that home turned out to be mine.
She didn’t like other dogs and within 5 minutes of being in my house she bit one of my other dogs on the nose and drew blood! It took time and patience but once she realized they weren’t going to hurt her she settled in and her personality blossomed. She made me laugh as she spun on her rear and whined with excitement just from us talking to her.
But her legacy is more than being a great pet. When I first started at the shelter we would euthanize animals that came in with broken legs unless it was a simple fracture that could heal with just a splint. After Trinity I decided that though I couldn’t repair these legs I could amputate them rather than having to euthanize the dog or cat. Three legged animals adjust really and all it required was my time. So for several years Aiken County Animal Shelter adopted out many three legged family members.
After a few years we were blessed to receive a donation of a digital X-ray machine. This changed everything. I could now see that some of these fractures could be surgically repaired if only we had the equipment. Now I hate orthopedic surgery but my husband, Dr. Michael Wells enjoys it so he readily agreed to help out. At first we borrowed equipment from my old boss, Dr. John Hurd. He was very gracious but I didn’t want to wear out my welcome if we were going to continue to do theses surgeries. We approached FOTAS asking for their help. They immediately said yes and purchased the equipment needed for us to be able to continue helping these dogs and cats [and even a goat!]. Actually in the last few years Mike and I have adopted two of these dogs that he put back together after they had both been hit by cars.
There are still legs that have to be amputated because the injuries are just too severe. But these animals are alive due in no small part to Trinity. So while we grieve Trinity’s loss, her legacy continues.
Their lives are in our hands.
By Dr. Lisa Levy