An Abandoned Injured Pup Gets A Second Chance To Live
When Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association took steps in early 2008 to create Massachusetts Medical Association Charities, Inc., it forged into new territory in conjunction with Massachusetts veterinarians and animal control departments throughout the state. The new 501 (c)3 organization serves as an extension of the MVMA’s commitment to volunteerism and working towards a common good in our communities. Wignall Animal Hospital (Dracut, MA) recently had just that kind of opportunity when its staff collaborated with Lowell Animal Control Officer, Bill Potter, to provide extensive surgical and medical services to a severely injured stray dog. The strong relationship between Lowell Animal Control and Wignall is evidenced on a daily basis: the hospital houses over 400 stray, lost and abandoned dogs and cats each year as part of its dedication to animal control programs in Lowell, Dracut and Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Although it is not unusual for hospital staff and animal control officers to handle injured or sick stray pets and wildlife, the case of “Scooter” tugged at the heartstrings of Officer Potter and he wanted to help.
For this special patient, this was truly a second chance to live. Officer Potter had registered the Lowell Animal Control Department with MVMA Charities earlier in 2011 and knew Lowell Animal Control could tap into the MVMA organization’s generous allocation to the city’s animal control department. Although the MVMA Charities program only reimburses veterinarians for 80% of their fees, Wignall Animal Hospital eagerly accepted the opportunity to treat its new patient with the understanding that the remaining 20% of its fees would be considered the hospital’s donation to the patient’s care.
“Scooter”, a 4 year old, apricot colored, intact male Cockapoo was found and transported by a Good Samaritan mid-July 2011 to Wignall Animal Hospital. He was diagnosed during an emergency after hours examination by Wignall DVM, Alison Detelich, and found to have a comminuted fracture of the left femur. The hope was that it could be repaired to save the leg and avoid an amputation. Radiography to solidify the diagnosis and pre-surgical blood work to confirm the patient was a good surgical candidate were administered. Orthopedic surgeon, David Abdinoor, DVM and Dr. Detelich performed the surgical repair including stabilizing with cerclage wires, retrograded pins and a Kirschner-Ehmer apparatus to complete the procedure. At the same time, they also completed a canine castration. Post-surgical radiography 2 weeks later confirmed all internal devices were stable and “Scooter” was recovering well, therefore he was transported to the MSPCA for adoption to a new family. A great outcome for all concerned.
