In St. Louis City, one petite little pup had wandered into a Good Samaritan’s backyard late last week. It was an emergency, and action had to be taken immediately.
The call came into Stray Rescue of St. Louis about a dog that had wandered into a family’s yard. They hurried and closed their gate so the dog was secure, But there was more; the people were shocked when they got an up-close look.
When rescuers arrived, they saw a petite dog, and it looked like her foot had been completely destroyed. The severe injury had to have been so painful for this little dog, but even scared and in pain, as rescuer Cassady approached her, the dog just stood there. A leash was gently placed around her neck, but the dog was too scared to walk with her rescuers.
Another important volunteer, Julia, took her own shirt off in order to wrap it around the frightened pup to keep her from flailing or even injuring herself more while being carried to the Jeep to make the return trip to the rescue’s emergency veterinarian.
This is what is believed to have happened to the dog now named Zila:
Zila got her foot caught in something, possibly a trap. She has some scrapes and cuts on her head, along with a Lateral strabismus (eye injury) so she probably thrashed while trying to free herself, hitting her head.
Unfortunately, her leg will not be able to be saved and will have to be amputated:
Her entire leg was moving with maggots, it took all afternoon to get it all cleaned up. It’s a delicate and tedious job… and don’t worry, she’s on plenty of pain meds now, she can’t feel it.
Check out the video:
Probably, not for a very long time had Zila enjoyed a restful sleep, but as her wounds were carefully cleaned and the pain medications made her feel so much better, she enjoyed a gentle night’s sleep.
On Thursday, April 23, Zila had a successful leg amputation surgery. She was confused when she woke up, so she rested. At night, her nurse Sarah took her home to help her heal.
She changed the second we entered my home!!
She’ll be staying in my cozy bathroom tonight because she shouldn’t play with other dogs yet until she’s healed. But she’s been so shut down and now she’s acting like a completely different dog. She jumped in my lap and is all excited playing with stuffies, and it’s only been a couple of hours!”
According to the staff, this was the first time Zila smiled. She’s been really shut down and fearful since being rescued, but everyone thinks she’s feeling so much better already. She is now ready for a foster home.
We are all thankful to the caller and to Stray Rescue of St. Louis knowing that Zila will never have to suffer on the streets again.
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