Underdog Animal Rescue and Rehab: Emergency Medical Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
The $1,000 grant was used to help pay for medical bills at Mill Creek Animal Hospital in Moab, Utah, for our rescue dog Risotto, who had to undergo two surgeries to repair his broken hip, broken tibial plateau, and shattered ankle.
Risotto was found on the side of the highway with two broken back legs, unable to walk. Our rescue took him straight to the vet, where we racked up some pretty big bills repairing his extensive injuries. This grant helped us to cover some of the costs of Risotto's medical bills in a timely manner. We are always in need of emergency medical funding, and the Petfinder Foundation came through to help us save the life of this sweet dog, who is now happy and healed with his forever family.
How many pets did this grant help?
One
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Kathy, a steadfast Underdog volunteer and longtime supporter of reservation animals, was on her way to pick up an abandoned litter of nine puppies at a water well when she found Risotto sitting on the side of the road. Kathy pulled over and approached him, knowing something was wrong. She tried to get him into her car, but he couldn’t walk. That’s when she realized he couldn’t use his back legs at all. Through sheer strength of will, Kathy picked him up and loaded him into her car, then picked up the other 14 abandoned dogs that were her goal and drove them several hours to Underdog Rescue and Rehab in Moab, UT.
Risotto was taken immediately to the emergency vet. He spent the following six nights in the hospital, first being stabilized and watched for internal injuries since he had large amounts of blood in his urine. When he was stable, he underwent two surgeries for a broken hip, a broken tibial plateau, and a shattered ankle (he was neutered at the same time). He was in intensive care for three nights.
Through all of this, Risotto never showed one bit of aggression or unhappiness. He is a sweet, affectionate boy whom we feel fortunate to have been able to help.
Risotto spent about a month recovering in foster care before finding his forever home. He is now living his best life with his family here in Moab, Utah, and while he is still building up strength in his back end, his vet expects him to make a full recovery.
