Trust | Boulder’s new veterinary hospital |
I had a dog named Lucy come in the other day for a new adoption exam. The only thing her new owner knew was that she’d come from out of state and had some blunt trauma to her left hip and right front paw. Aside from that, nothing else was known about her history. Her mammary papillae (aka nipples) were extremely elongated, meaning she’d more than had several litters of pups. There was no question Lucy’s life thus far hadn’t been easy.
Lucy was mildly lame on both her front and hind ends. I didn’t think her issues would be too significant and overall she seemed healthy and happy. Other than a stiff left hip, she got around very well. In addition, she was super sweet. She came over and put her head in my lap. She wasn’t pushy or hyper at all – she was just as pleasant as could be.
Her owner and I discussed Lucy’s orthopedic issues and decided to take survey x-rays of her hips and right front paw. I was pretty shocked by what we found…
The head of her left femur was completely fractured. Every digit on her right front paw was fractured. She had four pellets (from either a BB gun or a shotgun) lodged superficially in her abdominal region. It was amazing she could even walk, let alone be so eager to wag her tail and greet us with happiness.
It’s always hard to see cases like this. Lord knows what had previously happened to this dog. At a minimum someone shot her, perhaps multiple times with a pellet gun as they only fire one shot at a time. The fractures could have been a car or else something extremely cruel. What I do know it that this dog has every reason to be fearful and/or aggressive towards people.
But she’s not. She is an extremely loving creature and an absolute joy to meet.
Lots of dogs who come from abuse end up fearful and aggressive, and you can’t blame them. When a cycle of hurt keeps coming your way, it starts to change your opinion of the world. But, as with Lucy, lots of dogs do the opposite. They just trust and forgive. A lot of times these are the absolute sweetest dogs you’ll ever meet, and it’s incredibly endearing and inspiring to witness.
Dogs teach us lessons all the time: the love, the companionship, the joy, and the ability to live in the moment provide a model of how to live
In Lucy’s case, she’s teaching a master class in trust and forgiveness. She brings joy to everyone she meets. She is resilient and kind after experiencing real cruelty. If everyone could do this…wow, what a world it would be.
One quick note on Lucy’s case – her new owner is all in on getting her a total hip replacement and any other orthopedic necessities for her front right paw (shout out to Colorado Canine Orthopedics). It’s a happy ending for sure.
trust boulder’s new veterinary hospital | Rise Vet is Boulder’s new breed of veterinary care located in downtown Boulder. Call us today to make an appointment for your pet. We are located in the Ideal Market Plaza, right next to Sweet Cow Ice cream and are excited to open our doors to you and your pets. We serve pet lovers in Boulder, Longmont, Louisville, Superior and surrounding Boulder County.