Success Stories

Candy2, March, 2001

Candy's rescuer, a member of KARE Team Sanctuary in SC, noticed the young black Lab on one of her routine walks through the local shelter. Candy was obviously injured; the shelter staff told the rescuer that the dog had dragged herself into a resident's yard after being hit by a car. The property owner called animal control and since nobody in the neighborhood recognized the dog, they took her to the shelter. The rescuer asked the shelter staff to contact her when the legal holding period was over so she could have Candy examined by a vet to determine the extend of her injuries. Candy was turned over to KARE Team on the day she was due to be euthanized.

The vet found complex fractures to Candy's left hip and pelvis. Candy was unable to walk and would not be able to regain the use of her rear legs without surgery. The rescuer asked the vet to go ahead, since several days had already passed since the injury and while pain medication helped a little, Candy was still hurting. She was very concerned how her little rescue group would be able to cover the cost and when a fellow rescuer told her about LABMED, she applied for funding. The rescue had already managed to raise some funds locally and she had applied to LLL as well. LABMED decided to fund part of Candy's surgery.

Candy is staying at the vet clinic during her recovery - free of charge. She is very mild mannered, very quiet, and very affectionate to anyone who takes the time to offer her some attention. KARE Team Sanctuary already has several foster homes to chose from for Candy; she will be well taken care of until she finds her forever home.

Her rescuer wrote: "Candy is doing wonderfully, I've attached a picture which shows her first tentative steps. She has become very, very attached to the girls at the vet clinic, and they are being wonderful about trying to help find prospective homes. She's so happy and full of life ... it's amazing to realize this was the same dog we found lying in a pool of her own urine at the shelter because she couldn't move. "

Update, November 2001

We got this note from Candy's rescuer, telling us that she has found her forever home:

Just wanted to update you on a sweet little girl you all knew as Candy2. Candy came to us with a complex fracture of her left hip and leg. At that point, she couldn't even stand up to relieve herself. As a relatively new rescue group, we couldn't afford her surgery without going under ourselves! Thanks to the wonderful people at LABMED, Candy got her surgery, and now, seven months later, she is walking, running, and cavorting at her new home all the way in Indiana!! Not only did LABMED help us pay for the surgery, Candy's forever parents found us by way of LABMED's dogs for adoption pages!! Candy now lives in a big house by a lake, with a mom and dad who absolutely adore her. Another of our rescues was also adopted with her, so she has a familiar playmate that's now her new canine brother! So in actuality, LABMED helped save three lives, ours, Candy's, and her new brother Boca's!! A thousand thank yous to everyone who donates their time and money to such a wonderful cause!!