ANNA BELLE (Boxer Mix)

ST. HELENA, SC.....I am always amazed at how a beautiful injured dog is left on the side of the road with no one willing to help. Even more disturbing is the fact no one is looking for this sweet dog.    

Beaufort County Animal Services contacted us about a two-year-old Boxer Mix they had picked up on St. Helena Island.   She could not walk and was severely swollen in her rear section.   Anna Belle was taken to several Vets, and it was decided she needed Specialists or they would have to put him down because she was in so much pain.   We agreed to help even though we are still beyond full and broke.    

Anna Belle is a beautiful brindle Boxer Mix that has the silkiest fur.  She looks like someone's Family Pet that was loved and adored.   Her broken body is the only thing wrong with her.  She has a right femoral fracture, left hip luxation, and possible right sacroiliac luxation.    The swelling she has is massive, which tells us she had been this way for several days before she was picked up.  We are assuming she was hit by a car and left to die on the side of the road.

We had dear Anna Belle taken to CVRC in Charleston, where she was immediately evaluated and admitted through the ER.   Sweet Anna Belle was a mess in so many ways, but the swelling she had was out fo control.  No matter what meds were given, the swelling had to go down, or the pain would continue.  Lots of warm compresses were applied to relieve some of the discomforts she had. 

It was determined Anna Belle had formed massive hematomas from his injuries which had caused swelling from laying on the ground for so long.  Add blood loss on top of that, and we had a swollen, anemic pup that was in horrible pain.   It took several days to get Anna Belle comfortable and stable before surgery could be done to repair her broken body.

Our hope was her luxated hip could be put back in place, and her femoral fracture could be plated.   Once her Surgeon got her into surgery, he soon realized the hip had been luxated for too long, and scar tissue had formed.  Anna Belle would need an FHO (Femoral Head Ostectomy) in addition to plating her fractured leg.  Anna Belle was going to be in surgery for a very long time while both of these procedures performed.

When I say that Anna Belle is a beautiful sweet pup, that is not an exaggeration.   She is that and so much more, which is why I felt sure someone would come forward and claim her.  Days went by, and still, no one was looking for this sweet pup.  Our beauty made it through surgery but was still very swollen.  

It has been four days since her procedure, and I am happy to say, the swelling has begun to come down.  She is not comfortable using either of her rear legs, but she is showing progress.  She was cupping her left back leg in the beginning but is slowly beginning to place it properly.   She is going to need a lot of Rehab to get her walking.

It seems like every dog we take in lately, does not need one surgery.  They have each needed several costly procedures to get them on the mend, and then they need lots of Rehab.  Anna Belle is no different, and now we have to pay her bills so we can continue with her Care.  Please, Donate whatever you can so we can keep going forward with Anna Belle and all the other pups we have in our Care.

Surgery is just the beginning of their long Journey to Heal and learn to Love again.   Please, Help Us, Help them, by DONATING.