San Antonio R.O.C.K.S.: Emergency Medical Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
The Emergency Medical Grant was used for medical expenses related to an injured dog we pulled from the local shelter.
See story below ...
How many pets did this grant help?
One: Toby
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Toby was picked up as a stray by San Antonio’s Animal Care Services; it is believed he was suffering from injuries sustained from being hit by a car. Oftentimes, many of the dogs at our local shelter who require immediate medical care are overlooked by adopters and other rescues because of medical needs.
“We receive so many requests to save dogs with medical issues, but after being made aware of Toby’s extensive injuries, we realized that if we didn’t save him from the shelter, it was likely no one else would and he would be euthanized, and we couldn’t let that happen,” says Telma Garcia, San Antonio R.O.C.K.S. director and Toby’s foster.
The shelter’s clinic noted that Toby was presenting swelling in the left and right legs, with weight-bearing lameness in both hind legs. X-rays indicated his injuries to be quite extensive – he had bilateral fractured femurs to both hind legs (five total breaks) and a broken pelvis. San Antonio R.O.C.K.S. stepped in to help save him from the shelter and to treat his injuries.
After picking him up from the shelter, it was apparent he was in severe pain and he was immediately driven to our veterinarian for a full exam and treatment. His surgery was scheduled for the following day. Our veterinarians performed an extensive surgery to repair the five fractures with pins and wires, including two femoral head osteotomy (FHO) procedures. He spent a few extra nights at the vet clinic for observation and to receive therapy; then he was released into a medical foster home where he received the rest and care needed to complete his recovery process. He has since been adopted!
“At any given time, we have three to four medical cases, of which at least one is major,” says Elissa Heatherly, a San Antonio R.O.C.K.S. director. “We are beyond grateful for grants from organizations like the Petfinder Foundation — which allow us to care for these animals who would have likely been overlooked in the shelter — rehabilitate them, and place them in forever homes.”
