Three Legs, No Problem

by Carolyn Cothran

Rescue and shelter life requires a large amount of committed and determined people. Our community here is strong and continues to get stronger. This is very well evidenced by the story of Lucy, the sweetest, friendliest most adorable dog ever!

I saw a post on Facebook one day asking for help. A dog had been laying in the road in Chapala for two days. Obviously there was something terribly wrong. A Mexican rescuer asked for our help as she knew that there was no way she could afford to give the dog the medical care it needed.

I asked her to take the dog to Dr. Luis and The Ranch would take if from there. The rescuer did so and Dr. Luis diagnosed Lucy with a very broken back leg. After some discussion about her options, we decided that the best thing we could do for Lucy is amputate. This is never an easy or fast decision, however dogs do very well as tripods.

Lucy had the surgery and thanks to our fabulous and skilled Pam, Lucy went to her home for the after care and recovery she needed. Pam needed to leave town, so Cheryl stepped in as she always does and took over the foster care.

Lucy emerged as this happy, wiggly, sweet dog who wanted nothing more than a belly rub and a hug. She adapted to her new normal in an amazingly short amount of time. Soon she was running an jumping like any other happy dog.

After recovery, she came to The Ranch where the volunteers adored her and lavished her with the love only Ranch volunteers can do.

Within weeks, one of our rescuers said they would love to have her. The best part of this story is that the adopter up north was Cheryl’s daughter!!

Lucy is in a very loving and happy home where she will get all of the love, treats and hugs this beautiful dog deserves.