Iron County shelter seeks donations for dog leg surgery

The cost of the surgery will be about $4,500 dollars. The animal shelter is still fundraising to cover that cost.
Published: May. 16, 2022 at 5:18 PM EDT

IRON RIVER, Mich. (WLUC) - A seven-month-old dog in the southern U.P. is getting an expensive surgery on Wednesday.

Sandy is a seven-month-old retriever mix. She has a broken leg in two places and surgery is needed.

“She came from the tribal police in Watersmeet. We think it might have been an abuse case,” said Patty Cain, Northwoods Animal Shelter Board Member & Volunteer.

The Northwoods Animal Shelter in Iron River has taken care of sandy for over a week.

On Monday, Sandy traveled to Iron Mountain to a foster home. She will have surgery Wednesday.

“It is going to take about 12 weeks to get her up and running and get her to heal. After that, she will be ready for adoption,” Cain said.

Sandy’s foster mom is a Veterinarian at the Iron Mountain Animal Hospital. She has plans to adopt her after the surgery. Sandy takes anti-inflammatory pain medication, but you can’t tell she is in discomfort.

“She is resilient, there is no doubt. She is a sweet little girl,” Cain said.

The cost of the surgery will be about $4,500 dollars. The animal shelter is still fundraising to cover that cost. So far, the shelter is about halfway there. Sandy wears a cone for protection.

“It’s to prevent her from chewing her bandages and gnawing at her paw,” Cain explained. “When dogs are uncomfortable and in pain, they have a tendency to chew.”

Sandy is still a puppy with lots of energy, and Cain said the staff needed to keep her away from other animals.

“We just want to keep her comfortable until she can have her surgery,” Cain said

If you are interested in donating to help Sandy get surgery, you can visit the Northwoods Animal Shelter’s Facebook page. Additionally, you can call the shelter at 906-265-7387 to inquire.

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