Yet another emergency. We got a call from Bradford County about a dog who was hit by a car. As it turns out, we think it's even worse.
Byrdie is a Chiweenie, probably 4-5 years old, and weighs only 14 pounds. We called Palm Valley Veterinary Center, and even though it was late in the day, their answer was "bring her in." Thank you Christy for driving her halfway, to meet us. Dr. Mack, Alyssa and Caity stayed late once again, and got her right in for xrays and bloodwork.
Based on her injuries, we don't think she was hit by a car after all. She has a couple small scabs that Dr. Mack thinks are 7-10 days old. She doesn't have road rash, or any external injuries consistent with a car strike. She does have a spine injury caused by blunt force trauma, and as of now, she has no control of her back legs. We don't know yet if she's permanently paralyzed. Our best guess is that this sweet little girl was thrown from a vehicle. We think someone did this to her on purpose.
Her nails are shockingly long, so she's been neglected for a while. She's been bred before, at least one litter, maybe more. We'll probably never know for sure what her story is, but we suspect she was discarded by a breeder when they were done with her. Her injuries and condition are very similar to Spartacus, our little dachshund that was shot in almost the same exact spot Byrdie was injured. Two badly injured dogs from the same County in two weeks. Three if you count Scarlett, our parvo puppy who was thrown in a ditch, also in Bradford County.
Thank you Dr. Mack and the staff at Palm Valley Veterinary Center for going above and beyond, yet again. We'll be looking for a foster, and we'll work on a plan for physical therapy for her when she's ready.
Last year, FUR took in 34 major medical, special needs and cruelty cases. We've had 11 already this year, and it's still January. If you'd like to help us save more dogs like Byrdie... or Spartacus... or Scarlett... or Leonidas, please consider a tax deductible donation. Florida Urgent Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and a GuideStar Platinum participant. To Foster: www.floridaurgentrescue.org/foster To Adopt: www.floridaurgentrescue.org/adopt To Donate: — Credit Card: www.floridaurgentrescue.org/donate — Venmo: @FloridaUrgentRescue — PayPal: floridaurgentrescue@gmail.com — CashApp: $FloridaUrgentRescue — Mail: Florida Urgent Rescue 7643 Gate Parkway #104-27 Jacksonville, FL 32256