Shot three times when he was just five months old, the black and white pit bull-mix puppy found bleeding in Oakland, Calif. this past May didn't look like he'd make it.
"No one on the scene knew who the puppy belonged to, or who had shot him," Megan Webb, director of Oakland Animal Services, tells Pet News Examiner. "It could have been a drive-by shooting. He was outside and found in front of a house, but no one claimed him as theirs."
The pup had a shattered front leg, another bullet lodged in his hip and a wound where a third bullet had passed through. Scooping up the puppy -- later named Remy -- firefighters took the injured dog to Berkeley Dog & Cat Hospital where an emergency veterinary doctor stabilized Remy and performed surgery to remove shrapnel from his front leg.
"Even with the pain medications and throughout the whole ordeal, he was just the sweetest little thing," veterinary technician Jen Russ tells Pet News Examiner. "He was responsive to people and excited and he let us take real good care of him. He never growled or anything."
Remy was transferred to Oakland Animal Services where he stayed for several months. "As he grew, his injured leg started to bow pretty dramatically making it painful and more and more difficult for him to walk," says Webb. X-rays revealed that the bullet had lodged in the growth plate in Remy's leg, causing it to stop growing.
Remy had surgery to fix his leg. Metal pins were used to hold the bones in their correct place until they could grow together. For eight weeks, Remy wore an exterior metal cage-like stabilizer over his leg and a cone-shaped E-collar. He wasn't allowed to run or play.
"I was a little apprehensive having such a rambunctious puppy that needed to stay calm," says Emily Whiston, who fostered Remy for little over two months until the brace was removed from his leg. "But it's been great. He's so sweet and excited to meet everybody. Even when he's sedated and woozy he'll hear his name and his tail starts wagging."
Whiston unwittingly found Remy his permanent new family when she emailed the pup's picture to her mother, who sent it to a friend, Robert Alan. "I heard about Remy's history and emailed his photo to my partner to see what he thought of adopting Remy," says Alan, who along with his partner James Trosino, lives in Yonkers, N.Y. with their two rescued dogs, an 8-year-old Mastiff-pit bull mix named Bruno and 3-year-old pit bull named Spirit. "The answer immediately came back, 'yes!'"
On the Friday before Thanksgiving, Alan flew to San Francisco to pick up Remy, whose brace had been removed a week earlier, and brought him to his new home.
"Remy's doing great," Alan tells Pet News Examiner. Now almost a year old, Remy runs around the house and loves to wrestle with Spirit. "It's like WWF [pro wrestling] around here," Alan laughs. "One dog gets up onto the couch to get a flying jump on the other dog."
For Christmas, Remy got plenty of presents: a collar, toys and a new winter coat to keep him warm. It's a long way from the streets of Oakland, but Remy has finally found a home. "He'll always have a slight limp and he'll need physical therapy to break down the scar tissue," says Alan. "But he runs and jumps just like other dogs. He behaves as though there's nothing wrong with him."
(Professional photos from slideshow by Sara Atkins Photography.)
Comments
It just hurts my heart to think that people could be so cruel, I just don't understand. I am glad the puppy got a home with people who will love him.
It's a pit bull-what else do you expect. People torture and kill those dogs all the time. It's like the American favorite past time including dog fighting.
Won't it be something if Remy grows up to maul a child or kill an unlucky neighborhood dog?!?
Joe Munn, won't it be something if you actually do some research about pitbulls and find out what fantastic dogs they are? I'm guessing your research is composed of "something a friend told me he heard somewhere" and some crazy talk from a couple of nutsy websites. Try looking at the websites of BAD RAP dot org and PBRC dot net if you'd like to challenge your prejudice with some facts!
After reading Remy's story I was filled with the warm fuzzies. My partner and I are proud to have been a part of saving Remy's life. We even named him and would have kept him if we were able. Between the 2 of us we have 20 years of shelter and vet tech experience and have a enormous soft spot for pits. After reading Joe Munn's comments my heart is in the bottom of my stomach and I am reminded of the hate, fear, and ignorance that plagues Americans. It is most likely these feelings that contributed to Remy being shot in the first place. Do me a favour Joe Munn before you decide to open your mouth again take the time and do some research about these dogs you think you know. Last time I checked it was something like Golden Retrievers and Chihuahuas that bite more children than pits. Unfortunately no one cares when Goldens go bad. Do me a favour and go to your local shelter and spend some time with a pit bull for adoption and see if you don't change your mind.
Jen Russ and pitbull friend, you could not have said it better. It is a shame that people abuse animals like its there hobby. Those people who do this inspicable acts are cowards because they need something that can hardly defend themselve to beat up on to feel good about themselves. I personally would love to see a law, where we go back to the old days where your punishment fits the crime committed. I do not think our law is tough enough for these animal/children abusers. These poor animals suffer, yet in the end they always come with their tail wagging and sloppy kisses. They love unconditionally, never ask for much except love and thats something we all should learn a lessoon from. I own a handsome, more affectionate than anyone can ask for pitbull- he will be 1 years of age in 10 days and I couldn't ask for a better dog.
Hey Joe Munn , guess what Remy should be OK , he is being raised by people who love and appreciate dogs. I think were the problem would be if an idiot like you was to have a pitbull. Because someone who could read a story of hope and be so negative, you need to get a life ,loser.
Just too many evil people out there. What a great dog. Hope he outlives the a=oles that shot him.
These dogs are awesome animals! They are NOT mean, cruel, sadistic animals as many are led to believe. I own one. She is incredible and would never hurt anything or anyone!
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