Success Stories

Charlie3, November, 2000

This unfortunate little chocolate Lab from Georgia had a very poor start in life. When Charlie was only three months old, he was hit by a car. Although his owners did take him to a vet, they declined to pay for any treatment for Charlie's injuries. So Charlie hobbled around for weeks on a broken leg. When Charlie was finally rescued from this uncaring home, he was very malnourished and barely able to stand.

However, Charlie blossomed in his foster home! With good food and lots of love and attention, Charlie began to romp and play again. When he was taken to a vet to have his leg evaluated, it became apparent that Charlie had suffered other injuries also. But several pelvic fractures were healing well on their own; the fractured femur was the main source of concern. Because Charlie was so young, it was decided to wait and see if the fracture would heal without surgery.

At first Charlie seemed to be making good progress. Gradually, though, Charlie seemed to be using his leg less and less and he appeared to be in pain. So an FHO procedure became necessary for Charlie's comfort and well-being. LABMED and Labrador Life Line were both contacted, and agreed to share the costs of Charlie's surgery. On December 18,2000 Charlie underwent a successful surgical procedure, and he was able to spend Christmas at home with the family of his rescuer.

Charlie's right rear leg will always be slightly shorter than the left one because the growth plate was damaged. But Charlie compensates by holding his right leg a bit straighter than the left, and he is able to get around just fine. Charlie has amazed everyone with the speed of his recovery! Now he is waiting for just the right adoptive family to turn up to give him the loving and secure home that he surely deserves.

Update: January, 2001

We received this update from Charlie's rescuer:

Charlie is doing great, we are now walking about 1 1/2 miles, twice a day in our neighborhood. We have become very fond of him and have decided to make him an official member of our family. This became apparent when we started finding faults with every person that wanted to adopt him, they are all wonderful people but we could not bear to part with our boy. Our house is very busy sometimes, lots of four leggers (2 labs, 1 golden retriever and 4 cats) but everyone gets along and there is lots of love for all. I can not imagine our home without Charlie, he is a special boy and has enriched all our lives. We tell everyone that he is our miracle boy. His vet calls to check on him frequently and is always pleased to hear what he has accomplished. Thank you for your help, our family will forever be grateful.