AIREDALE QUILTING BEE©

ADRIAN….ADRIAN.  I bet most of us remember that famous line from the Movie Rocky.  What a great story of beating the odds and survival of the fittest.  I have a tale very similar about a boy that I know you will find remarkable.

Rocky.  That’s the name he’s been given because his odds were slim.  He ended up in a small shelter in rural Tennessee.  Our National President Elizabeth Berry received a call about him from a concerned volunteer there.  She knew that this boy would be sent to a larger shelter with a very high kill rate.  Elizabeth did what she does best which was to put her in touch with the closest volunteer which happened to be NCAR in North Carolina. 

Little is known about Rocky before about 5 months ago but his appearance and medical conditions are dictating this tale.  With the help of volunteers Rocky made the 9 hour trip from Middle Tennessee to middle North Carolina.  When I first saw him, it took my breath away.  He was both beautiful and pitiful at the same time.  He coat was long and matted.  I measured dreadlocks that were 8 inches long.  His eyes were weepy and I hoped he was just crying tears of joy and didn’t have some eye infection.  He was limping badly on one leg and he smelled worse than anything.  

During Rockys examination of the bad leg, the vet indicated that he had bad matting between his paws and that that could be the cause of his discomfort.  She began shaving them away when suddenly she stopped and asked the vet tech to be very still and hold him tightly.  I heard the vet tech say, “Is that a nail”?  The vet was carefully removing a small nail from Rockys foot.  Well that would do it.  A nail in my foot would certainly cause me to limp. 
As she continued her exam she again started looking concerned and she called another vet to assist her in trying to manipulate Rockys leg.  This was obviously causing him severe discomfort.  After discussions it was decided that a radiograph was needed.  The news got worse.  My hopes of it just being the nail were immediately dashed when they called me in to see the pictures.  I’ve seen X-Rays of dogs with broken legs and none of them are pretty.  This was especially bad as Rockys front leg was broken at his elbow.  The vet explained that is was a chronic break meaning it was old.  Probably a couple of months old but she couldn’t be sure.  I heard several words during that initial consult but I started getting woozy when I heard them say surgery.  The next day after they consulted with an Orthopedic Surgeon at Carolina Veterinary Specialist Hospital in Greensboro we were presented with 2 viable options.  One was a surgery called Arthrodesis where the bones will be fused together and then an external fixator will be placed on the outside.  After 6-8 weeks Rocky would have a second surgery to remove the fixators.  Our other option was amputation.  Rocky is a 2-3 year old happy happy boy.  The decision was made that Rocky would have the Arthrodesis. 

We are nearly 5 months post op and Rocky’s external fixators have finally been removed.  The healing of the bones is complete and now we begin the long process of rehabilitation. 
Without the help of National Airedale Rescue, Rocky would not have been able to have this leg saving surgery.  Rocky thanks you from the bottom of his feet to the center of his cavernous heart for all that was done for him.

Rocky continues to mend and will be available for adoption.