Valor Update

Our boy is doing GREAT! His foster mom is doing physical therapy mostly with his right leg as the left one is still pretty sore and needs to heal a little more before she starts working with it. He still doesn't use the left leg much, but is using the right one. His foster mom is working on toe touching exercises with him for the left one and will continue to increase the therapy as he is ready.

Today they went to Petsmart to do some shopping for Valor. She brought a blanket for him and put it in the baby seat and Valor sat right there enjoying his shopping excursion and meeting a lot of new people. He's really starting to express himself more and barked for the first time today. Valor's also regained his appetite.

So, all very positive!

Valor's Going Home!

The surgeon is in awe at how well Valor is doing! He has been standing, looking for attention and just wants to be held. They have removed the morphine IV as they believe that was making him ill and causing the vomiting. He still has a catheter, but that is to help keep him clean and dry while crated. Valor's incisions all look good, they are all clean, with no sign of any infection and he is leaving them alone. Valor will be ready to leave the clinic on Saturday and start his new life!

Now for the really neat part, a vet tech at the emergency clinic he was at initially, fell in love with Valor and has applied to foster him. This is a wonderful opportunity for professional care and help with his physical therapy during his recuperation.

Would you like to help make a difference in the life of a Cairn?
Apply to be a foster home!

Valor is OUT of Surgery!

Valor's surgery took much longer than anticipated as the damage was greater than what could be seen on the X-Rays. The surgeon feels that everything went back together very well and even though there was more damage which required more work and additional plating, she was very confident Valor would make a full recovery.

Valor will be kept mildly sedated tonight with a morphine drip for the pain and will probably spend an additional night at the clinic to help alleviate his pain and monitor him before being released to go to his foster home, hopefully sometime on Saturday. The worst is now over, the surgery is completed, it was successful and now we just have to continue praying and sending positive thoughts and energy that there are no complications for Valor. Each day he will get stronger and be able to start using his legs and rebuilding muscle and stamina. Each day will get him closer to the day he can finally run and play again.

With Valor comes Victory!

A car's tires screech in the dark Texas night as it backs up and drives away. All that can be heard now are the dog's constant pain-filled whimpers.

Just a week ago the Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network's Intakes Team answered a phone call that made us all take notice, a call from an emergency vet clinic in the Dallas, TX area. They had an approximately one-year-old Cairn that had been hit by a car brought in to the local animal shelter and then transferred to the emergency clinic for treatment. The local laws called for them to hold a stray for five days to see if an owner would come forward to claim him. During this hold time, all they could do was administer pain medication and try to keep the dog alive. If he wasn't reclaimed by his owner, they said he would be put to sleep due to the severity of his injuries. Broken were both rear legs and his hip, which needed a pin to be inserted if he were to have the hope of ever walking again. All this damage and five days to wait without being able to receive treatment!

The poor little guy could barely even stand up. He was in excruciating pain and discomfort for six days, confined to a crate. Because of that, the vet staff couldn't even take him outside for potty breaks. Even with the terrible pain, stress, and confusion he had been experiencing, his loving nature stayed true. He was so very sweet, giving kisses, and trying to raise himself on his front legs when someone passed his crate in an effort get some extra attention.

Finally his stray hold expired and no owner had come forward, so happily he became a Col. Potter Kid! And when it came to finding names, this one was not that hard to do! We decided, based on his situation thus far, that Valor would be perfect! Valor means brave and courageous in Spanish, and that's certainly what this little boy is!

We have made arrangements for Valor to have the orthopedic surgery he needs to try and repair the damage done to his little body. From the X-rays, the orthopedic surgeon believes he has an 80 percent chance of being able to keep his left leg and regain use of it. Hopefully the surgery will provide the start of a new beginning for him. He will have a long and expensive road to recovery, but he has youth, overall good health, and an amazing spirit on his side. With Valor comes victory!

If this story touched any part of your heart, please visit our website and become one of Valor's Guardian Angels so that you may help us care for this brave and loving boy. He thanks you, and we thank you!