MASON CITY, Iowa – A dog is looking forward to a new life with one less leg.
A pit bull mix puppy was brought to the Humane Society of North Iowa in early November with a broken leg. The family who brought him in says they found the dog on the side of the road and thought he’d been hit by a car.
Shelter staff named the puppy “Leroy” and took him to a local veterinarian. The vet’s office said they had received a call earlier that day from a woman with a pit bull pup with a broken leg who said she could not afford medical care for the dog.
Because he had no other related injuries, the vet determined that Leroy was likely not hit by a car but his leg was broken by some other blunt force trauma.
A woman then came to the Mason City shelter and claimed Leroy was her dog and had been stolen from her yard. While she seemed upset over his injury, she said she could not afford to pay for his care. The woman signed Leroy over to the Humane Society of North Iowa.
During Thanksgiving week, Leroy went to the Iowa State University Veterinary Hospital for surgery to repair his broken leg. However, his kneecap was completely shattered and it was decided that amputation was the only option. Leroy had his left hind leg removed and the Humane Society says he is currently doing well in a local foster home.
“We may never know the truth about what really happened to Leroy. When he came into the shelter, our options were to repair his injury or humanely euthanize him to end his pain. We felt strongly that this adorable pup’s life was worth saving” said Humane Society Executive Director Sybil Soukup.
Leroy’s story is being shared with the public to remind people that when adding a pet to your family, make sure you are financially able to handle any emergency or medical situations that might occur.
“We hope our supporters agree with our decision to save Leroy’s life and will make a donation this holiday season and help us continue saving the lives of animals like Leroy,” said Soukup.