Submitted by Amy Burns

The Trauma

Silas came to us from Arkansas.  He had been dragging himself around a very small, rural town, scavenging for food.  An older lady had been feeding him and was finally able to bring him to the local shelter—a few kennels that a local woman with a big heart built on her own, as there was no shelter in the area.

Silas was in terrible shape.  His back legs were completely paralyzed, and since he had been dragging himself around outside for over a month, his knees and feet were completely covered with deep, open sores that exposed some of his tendons, and they were extremely infected.  He was absolutely loaded with parasites, fleas, and tics and was severely anemic and quite thin.

He arrived on a Saturday, and we went to see Dr. Mike the following Monday.  We thought he had been hit by a car but were shocked when Dr. Mike showed us x-rays that showed he had two bullets—one in his spine, one in his thigh, and lots of birdshot scattered throughout his body.  CLICK HERE to see Silas’ x-rays.

The Treatment

Dr. Mike developed a treatment plan, and Silas loved his frequent vet visits.  He was happy to see his friends at the clinic and loved being babied and adored by them.  After all of the trauma he had experienced, he was never nervous or fearful of his vet visits.

Dr. Mike and the staff worked with us through the difficult first few weeks of extensive wound care and wrapping.  Silas started improving and getting increasingly healthy–eventually becoming the happy, healthy, energetic dog he was meant to be.

The Triumph

Silas is a happy energetic boy, who would be very surprised to discover that he’s “disabled”.  To check out Silas in action at a recent vet visit, CLICK HERE.  He is still paralyzed, but his wounds have healed, he’s parasite free, and he’s a completely healthy, healed little guy.  He spends much of his time in his drag bag, which allows him to run and play without hurting his legs.  He’s the best ball catcher and returner in the house!

Silas loves his daily runs outside in his custom-made wheelchair, though he insists on a warm coat, as he hasn’t yet adjusted to the much colder Wisconsin winters.  He has become an expert cuddler—excelling at being both the “big spoon” and the “little spoon”.  He loves his dog siblings, and when he’s ready for a nap, he always seeks out another dog to snuggle up with.  His favorite thing in the world is…FOOD, of course!  He runs around the house in ridiculously fast circles, while simultaneously leaping into the air and spinning around in joyous anticipation every meal and treat.

An intelligent and beautiful soul, Silas has brought so much joy into our lives.  We’re forever grateful to our extended family at JVC for turning this broken, traumatized dog into a strong, healthy, happy young dog, and we look forward to many more years with him.