How Does ABR Care for Injured Dogs?
When you adopt a dog, it’s important to understand how they were cared for before coming into your life. This is especially true if the dog has suffered any type of injury in the past. At Austin Boxer Rescue (ABR), we strive to provide the best care possible to all of our dogs – including those who come to us injured in some way. Let’s take a look at how ABR cares for injured dogs who come through our doors.
Types of Injuries
Sadly, we have seen all kinds of injuries in dogs coming into rescue over the years. In the last few months, fosters have been busy caring for several of our four-legged friends in the Austin area. Puppy Celestia came to us with a swollen leg. There’s also Aly, who luckily survived a .22 bullet to the chest, Oralie, whose single surgery may not be enough to get her back on all her feet and Freya, who had successful leg surgery.
We’ve also seen some pretty amazing recoveries – Braxton’s broken femur was saved with a plate and 11 screws, and Bailey recovered from an awful 9 cm deep side wound potentially caused by dogfighting. Then there’s Titan, who survived wounds from what we suspect was a coyote attack. All three of these heroes found their forever homes after successfully healing. It’s inspiring how much their resilience has pulled them through.
Medical Care
The most important part of caring for an injured dog is making sure that their medical needs are taken care of promptly and correctly. At ABR, all of our dogs are taken to one of our trusted veterinarians as soon as possible after being pulled into rescue. Depending on the severity of their injury, the vet will determine the best course of action – whether that be physical therapy, surgery, medication or something else. Our team always makes sure that any medical needs are addressed quickly and thoroughly so that our pups can get back on their paws as soon as possible.
Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation
After receiving medical attention from a veterinarian, some dogs may need physical therapy or rehabilitation to heal and regain strength faster. These therapies can be beneficial in helping them build muscle, strengthen joints and become more agile overall. If a pup’s injury requires more intensive care than just daily exercise and walks around the neighborhood, vets may suggest additional therapies such as water therapy to help accelerate healing time and promote healthy movement habits. Our foster families do a fantastic job of making sure that these pups get the care, attention and love they need during this time.
Cost of Care
As a rescue organization, caring for injured dogs is no small task, and it can be very costly. Much of the money donated to ABR goes to initial veterinary care, as so many of the dogs we rescue come to us in bad shape as a result of abuse, neglect, living on the streets or being attacked by other animals.
In addition to the cost of medications and surgery, there are often more hidden costs, such as special supplements or harnesses, and physical therapy to help them recover fully. Depending on the type of injuries, it can easily end up costing hundreds to many thousands of dollars, not including unexpected setbacks that may arise along the way. While this expense might seem overwhelming at first, it’s always worth it to get these brave pups back on their feet and into loving homes where they can live out the rest of their days in safety and comfort.
How You Can Help
At ABR, we are dedicated to ensuring that every pup receives the best possible care during their time with us – regardless if they came through our doors with an injury or condition in need of treatment. We strive to provide prompt, expert medical attention when necessary and loving foster homes to give them the best chance at a full recovery before finding their forever home.
If you’d like to help us care for these injured Boxers, there are many things you can do. First and foremost is fostering an injured pup to nurse them back to health. While we are always looking for foster homes, there’s an urgent need for families who understand how and are able to take care of an injured Boxer. Donations are another crucial way you can help. No matter how big or small your contribution, or whether it’s a one-time donation or monthly, every bit of money contributed to ABR goes into getting our Boxers into good health before they go to their forever homes.
If you’d prefer, we also welcome donations of new and gently used items such as beds and collars, as well as food and other items that can help these dogs. Volunteering is another great way to support our efforts. We have opportunities available to suit just about anyone’s abilities, interests and time. If you’re not able to foster, donate or volunteer at the moment, you can still help us by sharing posts from our social media account and stories from our website about all of the dogs who need help and a forever home.