EDITOR'S NOTE: Reporter Erin Hanlon recently came across a story we couldn't resist. She says a mid-state vet has gone the extra mile - several extra miles, in fact - to help an injured puppy.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (HANLON) -- A good Samaritan found a puppy, since named Wyatt, on the side of the road in Hermitage. He was likely hit by a car and was in bad shape, suffering bruised lungs, a broken tibia, and likely head trauma.
Dr. Scott Gables at VetMed in Mount Juliet agreed to take Wyatt in and help him recover. He immediately performed surgery to fix the puppy’s broken leg.
“He’s been recovering sine then," Dr. Wyatt explained. "He’s done well, he’s moving around. He’s responsive, alert, and now he’s starting to get a bit spoiled.”
Wyatt still has a long 6-weeks ahead of him for his leg to fully heal, but he is expected to live an over-all normal life. One concern for Dr. Gables is the possible head trauma Wyatt experienced.
“The only thing that’s really up in the air is not knowing how well he can see and what roles that’s gonna play in his future. But right now he seems to be a pretty normal puppy,” Wyatt said.
As you can imagine, all that care comes at a steep price, but the community is pitching in to cover those costs. So far, roughly $700 has been raised, but Dr. Gables estimates treatment will cost anywhere from 1,500 to 1,800 dollars.
As far as finding a home for Wyatt, Dr. Gables says he wants to get Wyatt fully recovered before he even thinks about adoption.
If you’d like to help with Wyatt’s recovery, you can do so by calling VetMed Animal Health at (615) 553-4156.