Apparently, using Red Red for target practice was someone’s sick idea of fun. Unfortunately, they didn’t miss, and being a dog shot in the leg was anything but. Red Red is a very good boy who has been confined to the Rescue Ranch medical crate since a good Samaritan called us for help six months ago. Somehow our poor guy had made his way to her property on a broken leg. A visit to the vet revealed that he’d been shot.
Dog shot, not hit by a car
Last November, Adoption Center Manager Rick Formanek took a call from a Scott Valley resident who helps strays in her area. She needed assistance with two dogs, one with a badly injured right front leg that sounded like another Kitu’s Fund case.
Rick rushed Red Red to Ashland Animal Medical Hospital where they soon discovered he hadn’t been hit by a car as initially thought–he’d been shot. Although fractured, the right ulna and radius bones between the paw and elbow were aligned, so we hoped a splint and cast would suffice. Staff placed him in the stainless steel medical crate at the Adoption Center to keep him contained. He could stand and turn around, but that’s about it.
But the broken bones shifted. After three weeks, it became clear that saving the leg would require surgery to install stabilizing pins and external fixators.
Red Red on the mend
One might expect that a dog shot and left to die would harbor resentment or fear, but not Red Red. Even injured and in terrible pain, he didn’t flinch or bite when Rick lifted him in his arms and placed him in the transport vehicle. And, after six grueling months in the medical crate, Red Red is still as amiable as ever. The good news is that his hardware should finally come out in a week or so.
Yes, he’s sedated so he doesn’t go stir crazy, but he remains unwaveringly friendly, affectionate, and outgoing. He nosed my hand and phone, looking for chin scritches.
Still healing, Red Red seems to be feeling pretty good overall. I watched him walk on leash, stretch out in downward dog pose, and roll on his back for a belly rub. He’s a happy pup.
I noticed that his cone was all chewed up. Rick chuckled and said that Red Red has gone through around $300 worth of cones so far. I’m sure he won’t be sorry to see the last of those.
A bright future for Red Red
Red Red has even found his person: Katie. As one of the his primary caregivers, kennel tech simply fell in love with him. When we spoke, Katie explained that she was onsite when Red Red first arrived. It had brought her to tears. Taking potshots at a dog, who would do that? Being new to the area, Katie currently lives with family, but she’s saving up to give Red Red the home he deserves.
