Juno Has Had A Rough Life

[rpcrowe]

Juno is a 3-year-old Shih Tsu mix rescue dog who was hit by a car and placed in a Los Angeles County shelter. The shelter gave her no vet care and her front left leg developed gangrene and needed to be amputated. The shelter personnel either didn't notice or didn't care that her right rear leg was also fractured, she got no care for that either and it began healing incorrectly.





They were going to put this young girl down but, we rescued her from the shelter and took her to our orthopedic vet.. The vet cut Juno's leg bone over and under the spot where the incorrect healing had begun and he inserted a long plate to stabilize the leg. The bone portions are being pressed together by the plate and we expect her to regain use of her right rear leg. The plate will remain in the leg to support it so Juno doesn't have another extensive surgery to look forward to...

It is surprising and gratifying how well this brave girl gets along on two good legs plus the leg that is in the cast. She has a wonderful outgoing personality despite her traumatic injury. Our vet recommends that we walk Juno several times a day because the pressure of walking will encourage the bone to heal.

We are fostering Juno because we tend to get all of our Maltese Rescue California dogs who need post operative care. My wife is a retired registered nurse and a retired college nursing professor.

We in San Diego County are exceptionally lucky that our shelters really care about the dogs. It is a shame that all shelters are not as caring...

[Shadowman]

Very rough indeed. Hopefully your portraits will get her a home.

[IzzieK]

I too wished the same as John...

[rpcrowe]

It will be a long time before Juno is healed well enough to be ready for adoption. I will then shoot additional portraits of her. These were just documenting her progress...

[Rita]

What a sad story!

[gregj1763]

Tough start to life, glad she made her way to you Richard. I have a feeling things will start to look up for her now.
Admire your work

[bnnrcn]

Very sad story, I'm glad that she is safe in your hands now

[Cantab]

Richard, when you want to rescue a dog like Juno, do you have to go through a formal adoption process or, because of your role, do the shelters simply give you the dog?

[rpcrowe]

We have a wonderful rapport with the San Diego County Shelters. If they get a dog like Juno, they will immediately call us and we will pick up the dog and have the vet care done immediately. That way, the dog will not languish without the needed care. The San Diego Shelters will also provide a lot of vet care for their animals.

The Los Angeles area shelters are bound by bureaucratic red tape. They will put a dog up for adoption by the general public and only if it is not adopted will they offer it to rescue groups.

Juno was caught in that bureaucratic foul-up and was waiting for adoption (which would never happen because of her injuries) while her broken leg became gangrenous. By the time that the shelter decided in their perverted wisdom that she could go to a rescue group, she had already lost one leg and the other had begun to head incorrectly.

Sad but true story. However I don't want to point my finger at any one shelter. We need to keep relationships cordial.

Speaking about our great San Diego County Shelters (there are three of them) we are often called when they receive a litter of puppies (with or without the mom) or when they receive a pregnant mother to be. They don't even place these animals in with the normal population but, call us to come and get the dogs. That way, the mom or puppies are not exposed to the germs and bacteria of the shelter

[KimC]

This is so sad Richard. You and your wife are angels... lots of time, money and love there!

[rpcrowe]

Kim, I am not so sure about being angels but there is certainly a lot of time, money and love given to our rescue dogs. However, one kiss by a battered dog who has become healthy and trusting makes it all worthwhile.