Buddy: You Can't Keep a Good Rottie Down!

Found alone and injured, gentle Rottweiler Buddy needed a little help getting back on his feet.

Two weeks before Christmas, NYPD officers picked up Buddy in Queens. Apparently the six-year-old Rottweiler had been hit by a car — he was limping and had abrasions on his leg. They brought him to the Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C) shelter in Brooklyn. An AC&C veterinarian examined Buddy and gave him medication for pain, but he still had such difficulty walking that it was clear his injuries were serious. At the same time, Kodi's Club, an Alliance Participating Organization, received Buddy's information in a plea from AC&C's New Hope Department, and they decided to take Buddy into their adoption program.

The Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals transported Buddy on a Wheels of Hope transport van to NYC Veterinary Specialists in Queens, one of our partner veterinary hospitals, where surgeons performed femoral head osteotomy (FHO) surgery. The procedure removes the ball from the hip's ball-and-socket. The surgery would allow Buddy to walk without experiencing pain. Buddy was then transported to a Kodi's Club foster home in Pennsylvania to recover from his surgery. He arrived safely, and the foster family, Matt and Michele McDevitt, welcomed him warmly and set up their kitchen as an area for Buddy to heal.

Buddy quickly made friends with his foster brothers, Toby and Mason.

The next day Buddy appeared to be having difficulty breathing. Beth Gordon, the PA-based representative for the rescue, and his foster mom immediately took him to the Center for Animal Referral and Emergency Services (CARES) in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, where it was discovered that Buddy had pneumonia and a collapsed lung. Buddy remained in the ICU for six days under the care of a critical care internist, Dr. Melissa Java. Beth went to CARES to sit with Buddy for hours each day. It took a while to find the right antibiotic to treat the bacteria, but once it was identified through the results of an endotracheal wash, Buddy quickly regained his health and lively disposition, and returned to his foster home.

Buddy has quickly fit in with the McDevitt's two Rotties — six-year-old Toby and seven-month-old Mason. Toby tried hard to get a rise out of Buddy, but Buddy staunchly remained a gentleman. According to Beth, "Toby finally gave up trying to get a reaction from him. The three boys then started play-wrestling and thoroughly enjoying themselves, after which they laid down next to each other for a nap."

Beth says that Buddy has proven to be a shining example of how special he is. "I love Rotties," she says, "and devote a great deal of time and energy into their rescue. Buddy is simply a shining example of the breed. I can't believe whoever lost him didn't scour the universe looking for him."

Buddy was treated for a leg injury and pneumonia, and he is now healthy and ready for adoption, thanks to the Picasso Veterinary Fund.

If you'd like to adopt Buddy, please contact Kodi's Club at kaya1227@comcast.net.

And please consider supporting the Picasso Veterinary Fund. For dogs and cats that end up at AC&C shelters suffering from an injury or illness, the Picasso Veterinary Fund is a lifesaver. It pays for medical treatment that simply wouldn't be available otherwise. Since 2002, the Fund has saved hundreds of dogs and cats, and given them a fresh start on the road to a new home. To meet some of these wonderful animals, visit our Picasso Pet Scrapbook.