A puppy hit by a car this week and rescued by a Chicago animal shelter will need surgery and a supportive foster home as he recovers from severe injuries, including numerous broken bones, according to the shelter.
Danny, a 7-month-old Basenji mix, was brought to Chicago Animal Care and Control on Tuesday by a good Samaritan who said they found the puppy in the Bronzeville neighborhood at 47th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue, PAWS Chicago spokeswoman Julia Poukatch said.
On Wednesday, PAWS Chicago took in Danny as “an urgent intake” from the CACC, and after learning of the puppy’s condition, “the shelter medicine team immediately rushed to bring him to the medical center for treatment,” Poukatch said.
PAWS Chicago Chief Medical Officer Dr. Emily Swiniarski said Thursday that based on Danny’s injuries, “we know he was hit by a car. … He’s very, very lucky he survived.”
“Danny lost a lot of blood, broke his thigh bone, has several fractures and breaks in his hips, and has patches of skin missing from being dragged on the pavement,” Swiniarski said, adding that after the initial examination, the veterinary medical team at PAWS gave the injured puppy badly need fluids with an IV, as well as pain medication.
Digital X-rays revealed Danny had suffered several broken bones, but doctors were relieved to see the puppy did not show any internal bleeding, nor spinal trauma, Swiniarski said.
Still, the injuries to the puppy’s hips will mean Danny — who was found without a collar or microchip — faces months of recovery and therapy, and the PAWS team will also need to find a proper placement in a foster home, Swiniarski said.
“He’s in so much pain, but he has been very calm and coping well with all the stress,” Swiniarski said.
“He tried to stand once, and he’s getting a little more interactive,” she said.
Swiniarski urges pet owners to keep their dogs in a secure, fenced-in area or on a leash when outdoors, and to make sure their animals are spayed or neutered.
“Spring and summer are breeding season, and dogs who like to roam and look for ‘friends’ could end up getting hit by a car,” Swiniarski said.
As a refuge for injured, sick and unwanted pets, PAWS Chicago is now asking the community to donate to support emergency care cases like Danny’s https://www.pawschicago.org/bedannyshero
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or to foster animals at their homes https://www.pawschicago.org/how-to-help/foster“In the next couple of weeks, we’ll be looking for a foster home, because that will be the best place for Danny to heal,” Swiniarski said.
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