There’s no denying Lucy is a cute pup. At 31-pounds, she stands just a few feet off the ground. Her big brown eyes take in the whole world around her. She’s a little shy at first, but it takes little time before she's wagging her tail and sniffing with curiosity.
She’s a typical dog — chews sticks, rolls in the grass, begs for belly rubs. Despite it's appearance, the special splint that's helping her wrist heal isn't slowing Lucy down at all.
When Lucy got off the transport truck at Animal Humane Society in early April 2018, animal care staff noticed she was limping. The black lab mix wasn’t placing much weight on her front left paw. Her wrist was swollen and it was clear she was uncomfortable.
A quick X-ray showed that Lucy had been shot with a gun before she ended up in an Alabama rescue shelter. AHS removed the bullet during spay surgery. And so began Lucy's road to recovery — including her ability to trust again.
After her surgery, Lucy wore a generic splint to help her heal. But as the weeks went by and the wound healed, she still wasn’t fully using her leg. Given the nature of the injury, AHS veterinary staff knew a surgical fix wouldn't solve the issue. If she was going to truly heal, a little extra attention was needed. That's when Dr. Lara Rasmussen, an orthopedic specialist, suggested a custom splint.
Beth Ashley, a certified prosthetist orthoptist from Whole Pet Orthotics and Prosthetics, helped create a custom splint that is specifically built for Lucy. “We have to customize it so it fits the anatomy just right,” says Beth. “If you don’t, it rubs and causes sores. Plus, every dog’s injury is a little bit different so we need to figure out which joints we want to immobilize.”
With her special splint, Lucy is now in foster care.
“She wears the splint as much as possible. It doesn’t really slow her down,” says Nicole Rickard, Lucy’s foster. “I put it on her first thing in the morning. It’s easier as a two-person job because she’s so excited to move!”
Lucy loves to spend her day looking out the window, watching the wildlife. There’s even a doe she seems to have befriended.
“She has a great personality,” Nicole says. “She’s very friendly. Overall, it’s been fun.”
Update: Aug. 7, 2018
Lucy finished her rehab in foster on August 1. After a quick medical check-up, she was cleared for adoption at our Woodbury adoption center. She waited all of one day before meeting her new family.
Interested in becoming a foster?
If you're interested in helping animals who need a little extra time before they're ready to find their new home, read more about our Foster Volunteer Program.