A Home for Elsie

It was a chilly day in December of last year when Doll received a phone call from someone who had just come across a dog in Elliott, MS who appeared to have been hit by a car. Doll instructed the good Samaritan to take the dog immediately to Veterinary Associates in Grenada. Doll called Dr. Abernathy to let him know what to expect, but when the dog (Elsie) arrived at the vet, her injuries were more complicated and subsequently worse than expected. It did appear poor Elsie had been run over by a car, but an examination turned up no broken bones. Only her front legs had been injured, but she had been nearly degloved in the accident - including having the tendons in both legs severed. It would make for a difficult surgery and a long recovery.

Elsie, with front legs bandaged, on the slow
road to recovery at Veterinary Associates.

Elsie is the sweetest dog. When I was at Project Hope in December, we stopped by to visit her at the vet's on several occasions. Because of the severity of her injuries, she had to be kept very still while she healed. Unfortunately, this required her to be kept in very small quarters and wearing an Elizabethan collar for nearly two months. She didn't seem to mind. Always cheerful and happy to see people, she must have known these people were trying to make her better.

Elsie was finally released from the vet about a week before Doll and Chele were to do a transport to Every Creature Counts in Denver. Now fully healed, she would be one of the lucky animals on this trip.

A goodbye pet from Dr. Abernathy as
Elsie prepares to leave the vet.

She wasn't at Every Creature Counts for long before she got adopted and we received a note from her new guardian, Susan, which we've included below. Thank you to Dr. Abernathy and Veterinary Associates for their work on Elsie (and for greatly reducing what could have been a recording breaking vet bill!), thanks to Lisa and the gang at Every Creature Counts for their continued support and thanks to Susan and family for adopting Elsie (now named Ellie.)

From Susan on March 24, 2009:

Good morning, I adopted Elsie, yellow lab mix, from you at PetSmart on Kipling on Saturday afternoon. She is starting to relax and learn our routine and other lab really likes her. We have a cat and they do not seem to really notice each other. Elsie is a sweetheart and we love her. We realized that she had never seen stairs so that took a little training. She goes up and down the deck stairs outside but I am carrying her up and down the stairs when we all go to bed at night. She will get used to it! I would really like to learn as much as I can about her Mississippi life so would it be possible for me to talk or email the lady who brought her to you? I just feel like the more I know about her even if it might be bits and pieces, the better. By the way, we changed her name to Ellie because we thought it fit her better. Thanks again for rescuing her and giving us the opportunity to adopt her. She will have a wonderful forever home!

From Susan in response to Doll on March 25, 2009:

Thank you so much for the information even though it is limited. It just helps us to know as much as possible. Ellie actually went up and down the stairs last night to our bedroom. My back is really happy about that as she is a bit heavy to carry up and down. I finally found a mixture of food and she has started eating. She was turning her nose up at everything I tried those first few days. She spends the day outside in our yard with a huge deck that overlooks our neighborhood. The dogs have a doggie door into the garage and eventually they will be permitted through the doggie door into the laundry room if the weather is cold. I have to make sure she is trustworthy to leave in the house alone, but that will come. Our 12 year old chocolate lab died last July and we have been thinking and looking for the right companion for our other lab who seemed lonely. When I saw Ellie on Saturday, I just knew she was the one. I so appreciate people like you and the others at the rescue who care so much. Now that I have your email, I will include you in the updates I send. I really appreciate the pictures you sent. The puzzle is filling in! Take care and I will keep in touch.