Success Stories

Bagels, September, 2000

One year-old Bagels, a small black Lab mix from Texas, was brought to Animal Rescue League after a person found him and a 14-year-old Cocker Spaniel in the front yard of their home. The person asked door-to-door, but no one claimed to have ever seen the dogs before. All attempts to find the owner turned up nothing.

Employees at the shelter at first thought Bagels had been hit by a car and fractured a hip and leg, but x-rays showed a different story: Bagels had no hip sockets. Despite this problem, Bagels had learned to walk and could even climb stairs, but surgery to improve his mobility, quality of life, and adoptability was definitely in order.

The veterinarian who was to perform surgery on Bagels, and who offered a wonderful rescue discount, decided a bilateral FHO was the best procedure and thought he could use a strong suture material to form artificial joints. The shelter contacted LABMED to find out if we could provide funding for Bagels's surgery and, after determining that Bagels was indeed part Lab, we voted to help this friendly, affectionate boy.

After having just one hip done, Bagels was walking much better. Now that he has had both done, he is expected to improve even more.

When Bagels has healed and is ready for a "forever" home, he will appear on the morning show of an El Paso television station during a segment where shelter animals are introduced to viewers. A representative of the Animal Rescue League will be there with him and she plans to tell how he was made adoptable through LABMED's help.

Update, December, 2000

Bagels went to his new home yesterday! A wonderful, older couple who loves labs, but could no longer handle the "big" ones. She is 57 and has had double knee replacements and wanted a companion animal to walk slowly with! He's 62 and still teaching school in the Lower Valley. They drove all the way from Clint to see him!

Bagels was last seen driving off in their van, sitting on her lap because the back was full of toys, food and a new bed for him!