Yoda was a Mexican street dog.
She was hit by a car when she was around 6 months old as we understand and was hanging around where she felt safe at an RV park in a small fishing village. Her back leg was useless and was hanging.
She survived on whatever she could forage and an occasional morsel from people who lived there. When she was around 9 months old, we arrived and she started showing up around our RV spot. We took pity on her, as people were talking about taking her and dumping her in old town, or out on the desert. She wouldn't have had a chance for survival, so we put a collar on her and made it known that we were keeping her with us.
After gaining her trust, we contacted a vet who occasionally came to town. He gave her rabies shots, puppy shots and meds to treat the mange on her face.
The bones in her leg didn't heal and a bone penetrated her femoral artery and she was chewing at it. She was literally bleeding to death and when we found her, she couldn't lift her head. I took her 70 miles to a vet who amputated her rear leg.
She had the will to live and after she healed, we took her back and had her spayed. Running on the beach, she could keep up with any 4 legged dogs.
She lived with us in Mexico, Montana and California for 2 and a half years until her sweet life was cut short by renal failure.
This is a tribute to her and other dogs who go on and are very happy and content with their 3 strong legs. Yoda became a legend by all who knew her and by many who never had the pleasure of meeting her personally. She will be missed terribly.

Dave English
Tuesday June 12, 2012

Hello, I found your website and I was so excited.
I am hoping to get some advice on my new rescue baby.
My boss was on her way to work when she spotted this small Lab mix in the middle of the highway.
She was looking up at all the cars hoping someone would help her.
My boss pulled over and went to help.
The dog walked to her with one hind leg flopping around.
Animal control came and took the dog as she was a stray.
After calling all day trying to get information on her I finally got contact.
They informed me that she was going to be euthanized.
I told them I was going to step in and take her and fix her up.
She would have a forever home. So by the next morning I went to pick her up.
After an X-ray the vet looked at her and shook his head.
Her leg is fractured alright and it splintered off into 4 pieces.
Two of the bone pieces are floating around in her muscle.
They said it would be best just to amputate.
So Monday morning we are calling our regular vet and seeing if we can get her in.
(we had taken her to the emergency clinic).
She has pain medication and is by far the sweetest thing I have ever met.
She is about 15lbs underweight so they think she had been out on the streets for a while.
The fracture was probably caused from a car hitting her and they think that it had been broken
for a few days, as nerve damage has set in.
Her name is pending as Annie (Little Orphan Annie).
She loves my two Italian greyhounds (who were also rescues).
Her estimated age is about 4 or 5, but we really don't know.
I was wondering if there is anything that I can do to help her along with the transition and also long term. She gets around pretty well right now, but she gets tired and has a hard time trying to go to the bathroom. I'm not sure if I should let her try to get her balance squatting, or if I should try to hold her up? Also, is there anything I can do to help her from having so much stress on the remaining leg?
Thanks so very much.

Heather Keefer
Sunday July 22, 2012