Aussie pup Mattie drags leg for weeks: Rescued in nick of time

Meet Mattie – a beautiful Aussie in rural North Carolina, who was abandoned by all those who cared about her as a tiny puppy and countless others, who just passed her by for the past month despite the egregious injury she suffered to her leg.

One-year-old Mattie was not a victim of Hurricane Matthew;  Mattie was a near fatality of neglect and abuse. Found on the side of the road, unable to move and seemingly just having had given up the will to live, a Good Samaritan spotted her and called Animal Control.  Mattie’s front leg was black, decayed and rotting away. Who could even imagine the pain she must have endured? And when the rural shelter realized the scope of the veterinary expenses to help Mattie would be overwhelming for their sparse budget, Rescue Dogs Rock NYC  was called as a last resort; otherwise Mattie would have to be humanely euthanized to end the dog’s suffering.

 “Just when you think ‘rescue’ could not get any worse, once again we are brought to our knees in total and utter shock and disgust.” stated Stacey Silverstein, co-founder of Rescue Dogs Rock NYC. “Poor Mattie has been in this condition with a degloved front leg for weeks. How she is not dead right now is a miracle. How do we know this? Because the skin and bone of the leg is rotted and decayed and black.”

“Her only choice if we did not step up to save her was to put her out of her misery and pain and euthanize her. NO NO NO !”

And Mattie was rushed to the emergency veterinarian where she was administered pain medication. The dog also suffered from Lyme disease and intestinal parasites; wherever her past may have been – no one cared. On Saturday, Mattie’s front leg was amputated; she is slowly recovering at the North Carolina State Emergency Hospital.

“We are extremely lucky that the infection did not spread throughout Mattie‘s entire body. Additionally , Mattie now suffers from a condition called ‘winding syndrome’ whereby she anticipates that she will continue to be in pain even though the root of her pain has been resolved … We are confident that once Mattie realizes she is not in pain anymore, this condition will resolve. We are saddened that Mattie had lived in such a state of severe pain for so long..,” explained Stacey as she updated Facebook followers.

Mattie is safe now, and it is hoped she will forget her terrifying and painful past. To help with her medical expenses and to help others just like Mattie in immediate need, donations can be made by clicking here.

Follow the National Pet Rescue on Facebook. Photos via Rescue Dogs Rock NYC