Help Cooper

Cooper’s previous owner brought him into Broadway Veterinary Clinic to have him euthanized about a month ago. The old guy said Cooper was still messing in the house and was attacking his older dog and he wanted him put down. They talked him into letting them find him a new home instead. They called me for help and I, of course, said yes. Cooper is only about a year old, very timid, and would not hurt a fly. He only weighs about 10 lbs. He was obviously tormented by the old man. He would hide in the back of the cage at the vet clinic and they would have to crawl in to get him out. He was neutered and vetted at Broadway, and received a lot of TLC while he was there. After vetting, our foster mom, Angela Plese, took him to her home and started working with him. It was obvious it was going to be a long process to just get him to the point of being adoptable. But, he was making progress. She left his crate door open and he was venturing out, usually at night when the house was quiet. He sometimes would lay next one of her dogs for a nap. He slept on her bed a few nights when she closed him in her room.

Sunday, May 10, Angela took him outside on a leash and harness. It was quiet in her subdivision so it seemed a good time for an outing. Cooper panicked, got out of his harness, and ran. Angela and her son pursued but he ran in the worst direction possible – out the entrance of the subdivision and onto a well-traveled road. He was hit by a car and thrown airborne into a deep ravine. Angela and her son climbed down to get him, thinking he could not have survived. He had. They got him out of the ravine, but, Angela was bitten and injured in the process. They took him immediately to the Kingston Pike Emergency Clinic. He had a broken leg, three fractures to his pelvis, and air in his chest cavity from the impact. The scrapes and bruising were minor in comparison. Monday morning we moved him to Broadway Veterinary Clinic. They hospitalized him and took care of him until the air was out of his chest and he was stable enough for surgery. We moved him to the Pellissippi Veterinary Hospital yesterday for surgery, which they are doing today. They are putting two plates in his pelvis and one in his leg. His prognosis is good.

A case like Cooper’s is what rescue is all about. We are determined to get him through this and into a forever, loving, home. He is so sweet you just want to pick him up and make it all better. Everyone who has met him feels this way, especially the vets and staff at Broadway Vet. Clinic. We have covered the cost of the ER and the week at Broadway.

We need help with the $1,200 for his surgery today. If you can help, please contact Stacy or Valerie at the Pellissippi Veterinary Hospital – (865) 691-8387. Or, go to our website www.almosthometn.org and make a donation via Paypal. Please share this plea.