As Long as It Takes, We’re Here for Hunt
When an animal needs help, sometimes rescue can’t happen overnight. But with your support of our Help Me Heal® Program, we can stay committed for as long as it takes. That’s exactly what we’re doing for Hunt.
This sweet black-and-white Pittie mix was found as a stray in Texas with an injured leg and brought to our rescue partner, Friends of Marshall Animals. His affectionate nature quickly made him a staff favorite. Sadly however, they soon learned that the surgery he needed would cost thousands of dollars. Hunt was in danger of being euthanized. That’s when Friends of Marshall reached out to our Rescue Team for help.
We said yes. And once we did, we were determined to get Hunt here, no matter how many hurdles were in the way. First, transport restrictions related to an outbreak of New World screwworm temporarily prevented animals from traveling from Texas. Next, Hunt tested positive for heartworm disease and needed treatment before he was allowed to make the trip.
Through each delay, our commitment to Hunt never wavered. He remained safely in a loving foster home in Texas, and we stayed ready for the day he could finally come to us. Months later, that day arrived. Once Hunt reached Animal League America, our veterinary team discovered that his problem was not simply the suspected cruciate tear. Instead, he had bilateral medial patellar luxation, a condition affecting both knees.
“Every time you flex the knee joint, the patella should ride up and down in a groove,” explained Senior Veterinarian Dr. Gerard Laheney. “His was slipping out of place, and that’s what was causing his lameness.” It also turned out that the leg that seemed to trouble Hunt most in Texas was not the most severely injured. “When we did the X-rays, we discovered that his right leg was actually the worse leg,” noted Dr. Laheney. Hunt has now undergone surgery on that knee and is recovering well. He will continue his healing in a foster home while preparing for surgery on his other leg.
Through the heartworm treatment, months of delays, transport and his first surgery, Hunt remains the affectionate dog everyone fell for from the beginning. He still has another surgery ahead, and we’re staying beside him for as long as it takes. Your gift can help provide Hunt’s next surgery, follow-up care and everything he needs to recover. Please donate today and help give this sweet boy the healthy future — and loving home — he has waited so long for.