– Dead Dogs Don't Cry – 

January 16, 2005 – Some of you may recall a story I ran last year about a Great Dane named Sheva. Her owners, Linda and Jerry Dunham, live in Austin, Texas. I try to stay in touch with the Dunhams because I really like them. My mother would have characterized Jerry, had she ever met him, as a "Good Egg." That was what she called certain people who she felt were especially nice – nice from the tip of their nose to the tip of their toes. (As you'll soon see, Austin, Texas, is home to a lot of Good Eggs.)

Anyway, Jerry is VERY active in Great Dane rescue and he sometimes emails me about certain cases. Jerry recently forwarded information about a young brindle Great Dane (mix) from the Austin area who, exactly one month ago, was found lying in a shallow ditch next to a busy road. Nobody knows how long he had been there. Those who had spotted him as their cars whizzed by assumed he was dead, but nobody actually bothered to check. Nobody, except one person – one exceptionally "Good Egg." She happened to notice a glimmer of light reflected back from the dog's face when her headlights caught him that fateful evening. Dead dogs don't cry. She pulled over. And that's when she met Duke.

Determined to Live
Duke was very weak and horribly injured. She tried to lift him into her car. A passerby saw her struggling and stopped to help, telling her he'd seen the dog lying there for days as he – and others – drove on by. Like everyone else, he had assumed the dog was dead.

Duke was rushed to a nearby clinic. Monika Hill, an independent animal rescuer who works in the Austin area, was present when he arrived:

"Duke was transported to the Lone Star Animal Clinic in nearby Cedar Park. I happened to be there, and I will never forget the moment I saw him in the back of that Good Samaritan's vehicle.

His left front leg was broken and bent at a grotesque angle. Swollen and openly fractured, the bone was visibly protruding. His body was nothing more than a skeleton, his huge head swaying above bony shoulders. Still, he tried to get up and greet us, gently wagging his tail.

Dr. Gundula Barnett, the clinic's owner, dropped what she was doing and examined Duke. Besides the compound fracture of his leg, there was a large open wound near Duke's rectum. This turned out to be an area where infection from a fractured pelvis had been draining. Also, the skin on Duke's muzzle was raw from abrasion.

Dr. Barnett started working on Duke right away. Among other things, he was injected with pain medication and his leg was splinted. He spent the night sleeping comfortably on many layers of quilts – safe and warm, at last.

In the days that followed, Duke's X-rays were evaluated by one of Austin's finest veterinary orthopedic surgeons. He estimated the fractures to be 2 to 3 weeks old. Duke had been very determined to survive! Unable to bear weight on his leg or his hips, he had evidently propelled himself forward using his muzzle. That's why it was so raw.

Dr. Barnett and the orthopedic surgeon were impressed by Duke's strong will to live. They decided to do everything possible to give him a chance for a new life. After two major surgeries, Duke's fractured pelvis has been repaired and he is learning to walk again. He will require physical therapy and perhaps a few more operations, but he has a promising future."

"Duke arrived at Lone Star Animal Clinic on December 16 just as they were getting ready to close for the day. Dr. Barnett cleaned his wounds, splinted his fractured leg, and began treating the abscesses that had developed while he was lying helpless by the roadside. She thought his leg was so badly damaged it might have to be amputated, but Duke responded well to her efforts. She decided to bring in an orthopedic specialist for further evaluation. Duke's radius and ulna were in bad shape. There wasn't much to work with, but they decided to give it a try.

During the first of two major surgeries, Duke's broken pelvis was repaired. Loose shards of bone were causing further damage and encouraging infection. These were removed so the real healing could begin. Later on, Duke underwent his second major surgery. The orthopedic specialist reassembled Duke's front leg using special steel plates that he'd had custom made just for Duke. So far, the complicated procedure seems to have worked.

As to the nature of his injuries, Dr. Barnett speculates that Duke was hit from behind by a car and thrown through the air. He probably landed on his left leg, which then shattered from the impact. The driver of the vehicle obviously hadn't bothered to stop and help."

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