This story is about a dog from our shelter friend, Speranza Animal Rescue. Speranza, based in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, saves the lives of a variety of animals in need. The Animal Rescue Site is proud to share their stories. You can learn more about their work here!

Guest post by Speranza Animal Rescue.

In September 2020, we received a plea for help from one of our shelter partners in Georgia. A stray was brought in after being found lying in a wagon on the side of the road. They weren’t sure how or why he was there, but it was evident he needed help.

At the ER vet, they stabilized him, managed his pain, and made plans for treatment. It appeared he may have been dragged by a car. He was going to have a long road of recovery ahead, but he deserved a chance. So we gave him just that.

PHOTO: SPERANZA ANIMAL RESCUE

Clifford, as we called him, was given a heavy dose of antibiotics and heavy pain meds. Despite his condition, he was still wagging his tail. They planned to do a bandage change the next day and to try to close his wounds later on. They also ran a culture to see what kind of bacteria was growing, so they knew the best choice of antibiotics. We could not thank everyone enough for the support in helping this sweet boy. He had a long road ahead, but we were hopeful he’d have his fairytale ending one day.

Over the following days, the surgeons were able to close his smaller back wound and his very large shoulder wound. He also had his incision closed, but there was still some concerning discharge that required cultures. He remained in a splint for some time, as well, to keep him from bending and causing the sutures to come out. Throughout all this, he kept his appetite and they kept him as comfortable as possible.

PHOTO: SPERANZA ANIMAL RESCUE

Despite undergoing yet another surgery a few weeks later due to issues with his incision, the doctor said he was doing "too well" and wanted to be active, even with sedation. When he finally left the specialist, this boy, happily wagging his tail, had proven he wasn't a victim but a survivor.

After more than six weeks of care by the Georgia team of doctors, Clifford was finally able to be safely transported to us at Speranza Animal Rescue in Pennsylvania.

Within a week, he was settling in nicely at his foster home. However, he was not a fan of the cat, so we were looking for a permanent foster for him, one without any kitties or young children. He was great in his crate, walked fairly well on the leash, and was shy at first, but warmed up pretty quickly. We also needed someone who could help him stay calm during his treatment for heartworm, which he was found to have.

By the end of the month, he went to a new foster home, one with no other pets, so he could properly heal during his treatments. He was a very good boy and a total love bug. He did have some behavioral issues that we were concerned about, so he came back to the rescue to evaluate him and get him more socialized.

PHOTO: SPERANZA ANIMAL RESCUE

He did well with the people that walk him, but he was still uneasy when seeing new people. While we did think we could get him past some of this, we believed he may not be able to be a super social dog, so he would need a home with someone understanding of his needs and who would continue training with him.

Clifford is absolutely adorable, and once he loves you, he really loves you and trusts you. It may just take some time to get to that point. This is understandable considering all he’s been through and the injuries he had. I’m sure it’s hard for him to trust. So we gave him plenty of love until the right home came along.

It took a few months, but then Clifford was officially adopted! It had been a long year with his foster mom, Kelly. Clifford went through the slow-kill heartworm treatments, became officially heartworm free, and he was adopted by his foster mom!

PHOTO: SPERANZA ANIMAL RESCUE

This story is about a dog from our shelter friend, Speranza Animal Rescue in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Learn more about them, and how you can help their mission, here!