Once Kelly and Paul filled out an application to foster her, since she was still recuperating from surgery on her left rear leg, they came to our campus in Port Washington, N.Y. to meet Emmy. Due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, they met her outside and were surprised by her petite size. They both knelt down and Emmy ran right over to meet them. “We were immediately greeted with an overload of puppy excitement and kisses,” laughed Kelly. “For us, it felt like instant love and an immediate bond was formed. I couldn’t believe this precious little puppy was actually coming home with us!”
Emmy has been thriving at home and acting like any puppy despite the trauma she suffered previously. She has gained weight and is steadily getting stronger, faster, and more agile since her surgery. At first, she was a bit apprehensive, but Kelly has seen “breakthrough moments like using the stairs and taking off full speed and dashing across the yard.”
Kelly and Paul are very happy that Emmy’s been recuperating so well in their home. “Nothing is holding her back or limiting what she can do,” stated Kelly. “As her scar healed over from the surgery, it felt like she was getting a fresh start to a happy and secure life.” While Emmy enjoys being outside, sunbathing, and chasing birds in the backyard, she is very people focused. She’ll even drop her favorite toy if there’s a chance she can get a belly rub or sit in a lap and take a nap. She also loves going for walks and car rides.
The couple recently completed Emmy’s adoption. They are grateful that she was rescued from a municipal shelter and was able to receive the surgery and care she needed through North Shore Animal League America’s Help Me Heal program. “We love everything about Emmy, especially how sweet and smart she is. The love and affection she shows us everyday melts our hearts,” declared Kelly. “We are so lucky and blessed to have her in our life. We can’t remember what life was like before her. She makes our life complete!”
Happy Pup Just Wants to Run and Play Again
Emmy, still acting like a typical puppy at six months old, wiggles, thumps her tail, and tries to lick the face of the veterinarian who’s examining her at North Shore Animal League America. Unlike other puppies, however, Emma suffered a major trauma to the left side of her body and received no medical treatment at all.
Emmy doesn’t move normally at all right now, but she pushes through any pain she may have because she wants to be a happy pup. It’s uncertain if the veterinarians can fix her orthopedic problems for her — only time will tell.
Emmy recently arrived from the Animal Care Centers in Brooklyn after they reached out for help with this sweet pup who came in as a stray. She was transported to our Pet Health Centers with an injury to her left elbow. Veterinary staff ordered X-rays to be taken immediately so they could determine how to proceed. After examining the x-rays, they saw that the fracture to her left elbow was from an old injury.
“We could see that when she used her left front leg it was very stiff and held out from her body,” said Dr. Gerard Laheney, Senior Staff Veterinarian at Animal League America. “Emmy is also lame on her left rear leg. We found that there’s a small fracture to the top portion of her femur that inserts into her hip. First, we will perform surgery on her left rear leg to alleviate her pain.”
The veterinarians can only speculate about what happened to poor Emmy. “Since we have two injuries on the same side of the animal, I am suspicious that she could have been hit by a car, but I can’t say for sure,” concluded Dr. Laheney. “There was definitely trauma involved and it was weeks ago. When time has passed, it gets in the way of repairing these types of fractures because her body has done it to some extent.”
The veterinary team won’t be able to address her left forearm until after the surgery on her rear leg. The elbow fracture is old so there may not be much the surgeon can do to fix it. “The worst case scenario would be that we may have to amputate her left front leg. But since there is a lot of functional use, and I don’t expect her to grow all that much, she might be able to keep the leg,” said Dr. Laheney. “She’ll just have a gait abnormality. We need to wait and see.”
Emmy has also shown significant abnormalities on her right side, due to overcompensation for the injuries on her left. In addition to surgery, Emmy may require rehabilitation to learn to walk again, perhaps even on three legs.
Only time will tell if Emmy will ever fully recover. But this brave girl is ready to give it all she’s got, and we’ll be there for every step of the way. Will you?