Buster was hit by a car and badly injured. Unable to walk and in excruciating pain, he dragged himself through the streets for weeks looking for food and for help. Nobody helped him.
This poor, badly injured dog suffered in silence, his kneecaps raw and bloody down to the bone from dragging on the pavement. His underside is infected and raw. He was in unimaginable pain, his wounds getting worse and worse as his body wasted away.
In rescue, we see the worst in people, and the best. Despite all the people who passed him and ignored him every day, some amazing people jumped into action to save him.
Thank you to the person who found him and brought him to Bahamas Humane Society. Thank you to Lissa McComb, Steph Hickman and the BAARK! team, who once again jumped into action to save an animal in distress. They reached out to FUR and we knew we had to help. We all agreed to do whatever we could to help him.
Dr. Valentino Grant and his vet tech Sam came into the vet clinic on a Sunday to help him. In addition to his damaged legs, and swollen bloody knees, Xrays show a spinal injury. On top of everything else, he tested positive for both heartworms and Ehrliccia.
With no orthopedic specialists in the Bahamas, our only good option was to bring him to Jacksonville and take him into FUR. We’ve worked with BAARK! and Bahamas Humane Society since Hurricane Dorian, and we’ve taken in a number of badly injured dogs who needed specialty treatment that wasn’t available there. Tommy Bahama came here with 2 broken legs and a dislocated hip. Maverick came here with 3 broken legs. Both are fully recovered from major surgeries, and both are happily adopted and living great lives.
We never know exactly what we're signing up for when we take on a major medical case. Even taking Buster to an orthopedic surgeon and doing everything we can to restore his mobility, we realize he may never walk again. We understand that.
But we want to give him a chance, and even if he can't use his back legs doesn't mean he can't have a wonderful life. Byrdie and Spartacus showed us that. They race around in their wheelchairs, they're happy, they're spoiled, and they're loved. There's no reason Buster shouldn't have that chance.
A group of people came together quickly to help him. Buster's Dream Team started with Kelly MacDade, our most experienced medical foster, who offered to foster him initially while her foster suite is vacant. We'll need a longer term plan soon, but that gives him a place to land for now.
Robert Miller from DD's Senior Sanctuary once again stepped up to help, meeting the flight and getting the transport on the road. Leslie Ventresca and Lindsay Brown tagged teamed the transport from South Florida to Jacksonville. Traveling with Buster are Kaia and Koa, two puppies along for the ride. Deb Lee, her son Tyler, and Lindsay transported them to their foster homes. More on them later.
Buster is now settling in with Kelly and Ameen, getting comfortable, and recovering from his long trip. He's in bad shape, but he's a fighter. Despite everything he's been through, he couldn’t be sweeter. Kelly will take him to the Ponte Vedra Animal Hospital tomorrow morning, and we have an orthopedic consult at Capital Vet scheduled next week. His Help Em Up Harness and Walking Wheels wheelchair are on the way.
We'll do everything we can to give this sweet boy his best chance. Thank you to everyone who helped get him here safely. Please say a prayer for this sweet boy.
If you'd like to help Buster and other urgent dogs, please consider a tax deductible donation to Florida Urgent Rescue:
𝗙𝗨𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗟𝗬 𝗚𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠 Sick and injured animals like Buster need help fast. Every donation helps, but Monthly donors give us flexibility to respond immediately when there is an emergency. When there is a hoarding case or a hurricane, a dog with a gunshot wound or a cruelty case, we have to act quickly. We don't have time to do a fundraiser, and wait for those funds to get to us. Your monthly donation can help us save lives again and again. To learn more, please visit: https://www.floridaurgentrescue.org/donatemonthly To Foster: www.floridaurgentrescue.org/foster To Adopt: www.floridaurgentrescue.org/adopt To Donate: — Credit Card: www.floridaurgentrescue.org/donate — Venmo: @FloridaUrgentRescue — PayPal: floridaurgentrescue@gmail.com — CashApp: $FloridaUrgentRescue — Mail: Florida Urgent Rescue 7643 Gate Parkway #104-27 Jacksonville, FL 32256 Florida Urgent Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and FUR earned a Four-Star Rating on Charity Navigator, the highest possible rating. FUR also received a 2023 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency by Guidestar, and is a 2023 Top Rated Nonprofit on Great Nonprofits. Learn more about FUR at: www.floridaurgentrescue.org