As you might be able to tell, this is a picture of Apollo taken in one of Good Shepherd's outdoor kennels. His right front leg is broken, and he looks kind of a mess. If you've read the newspaper stories, you might know his background already. About three weeks ago, I got a call from an elderly man who lives out in the country. Someone had dumped or abandoned a bunch of dogs near him, and one of these dogs had been hit by a car. The elderly gentlemen needed help because he was physically unable to pick up the dog or transport him. Unfortunately, we don't have staff for that purpose either. So, I called the local animal cruelty investigator, who is sometimes able to pick up dogs for us, but she was unavailable. I then called another local rescue that we often work with, Unconditional Love. Diane (Ferguson) was unable to go either, but she called the staff at Go East Young Dog in Berryville. Karen and two volunteers were able to go and find the dog we named Apollo.
They brought Apollo in to the shelter using a plastic folding table as a stretcher. Apollo had been down for a couple of days, and was quite dehydrated at that time. Once we got him in a kennel and got some food and water in him, he responded to all of us. While cleaning Apollo's matted hair and checking him for injuries, we discovered a bullet hole in his chest.
Even though we knew his leg had to hurt, and it was clearly broken, never once did he growl at any of the staff or whimper or complain. What a trooper!
Ordinarily, the "routine" treatment in a case like Apollo's would be amputation of his leg. However, after much discussion back and forth, and, frankly, hesitation on my part to proceed with that surgery, Dr. Muller, our vet, contacted Azzore Veterinary Specialists in Russellville. Once we had a rough idea of the cost, one of our great shelter volunteers, Debbie C., suggested that we do a public appeal. So with the help of my assistant manager, Amanda Van Sickle, and Debbie, we drafted the Facebook post and contacted the newspapers. Debbie took some photos for us, and then, we waited.
It didn't take long. Within twelve hours we had half the money we needed donated!!! We were pleased, amazed and stunned!!! At that point, I called and scheduled his surgery.
Again, our volunteer Debbie rode to the rescue for Apollo! She agreed to pick up Apollo at the shelter on Monday, June 23, and then get up early Tuesday morning to transport him to Russellville for his appointment at 8:15 am. Here's a picture of Apollo at her place the night before surgery.
Debbie picked Apollo up to bring him "home" on Wednesday, the 24th. The staff at Dr. Dew's laughed when Debbie arrived. Apparently, Apollo had been making the staff pick him up and carry him outside, but when Debbie arrived, Apollo got up and followed her out the door!! I guess he was ready to head back to us!!
So far, Apollo's recovery is proceeding smoothly. He has some bruising and swelling in that right leg, which is normal and to be expected. He is walking and doing what he needs to do, and the staff are doing a great job working with his special needs at the moment.
I know I speak not only for myself, but for all of the staff at the shelter, the board, and our members when I say thank you to all the incredibly kind and generous people who have donated to help Apollo. Every donation, no matter how large or small, is being put to good use to care for Apollo. Those of us who work animal rescue are so often overwhelmed by the suffering, neglect and abuse that we start to think no one cares. However, I can say without exaggeration that the outpouring of kindness and compassion for Apollo has reminded me--and all of us--how truly generous people are. Taking care of Apollo's needs is not a one-person task--he truly has a "village" of angels watching out for him. My personal thanks to all those who made this miracle happen! Stay tuned for more updates, and check out our Facebook site. You can also read more about Azzore Veterinary Specialists on Facebook, youtube or on twitter.
