Shamrock

Foster or forever home wanted, meet Shamrock. This sweet little man has endured far more than any dog should endure in a lifetime and he's only 5-6 months old. Shamrock was picked up by animal control on March 5th and immediately transported to Long beach Animal Emergency Hospital after being hit by a car. Based on his body composition score of 4/9, he was either on the streets for a while or not provided adequate nutrition.

Shamrock was not weight bearing on his right front leg which prompted the x-rays that revealed a fracture of the distal humerus. He had some abrasions but otherwise, no other concerns. Despite the pain Shamrock was in, he was a happy, wiggly puppy seeking lots of pats and love.

He remained in the hospital overnight for observation then transferred back to the shelter where they hoped a rescue would step up to help Shamrock with the surgery needed to repair the broken leg. Shamrock sat in the shelter in a splint for two weeks with the shelter sending out pleas to their rescue partners. One of our volunteers was keeping an eye on him to make sure he would get the help he needed. He had a deadline of March 17th. We called on that morning to make sure there was a rescue plan for him and there was not. The shelter had already scheduled his amputation surgery for the next morning. We weren't going to let that happen to a puppy with a leg that was repairable with surgery. So off we went to fetch him and drop him off for surgery. Fortunately, his medical was sponsored by Friends of Long Beach Animals, which made helping him a no brainer!

The surgery did not do as planned. The surgeon could see there was calcifications around the bone meaning it was most likely an old injury. Additionally, he noted radial nerve damage. We discussed options and the surgeon felt while odds were not in Shamrock's favor, if there was a remote chance to save his leg it was worth a try.


The second surgery was unsuccessful. Shamrock also developed a terrible infection and was in tremendous pain. The only option left was to amputate the leg, the thing we had hoped to prevent. Again, through all of this, Shamrock remains happy and loving. He's been in the hospital for the last two weeks so the veterinary staff can monitor his recovery.


We cannot wait for the day for this little man will finally get to be the puppy he was meant to be and start running around chasing balls, enjoying life with a loving family. a volunteer visited him the other day and he is getting around great as a tripod!

As Shamrock heals, we'll get to learn more about him and update this bio. If Shamrock is a pup you'd be interested in meeting, please fill out an application at labradorsandfriends.org. Shamrock is located in Southern California.