Stringer was introduced to Gateway Pet Guardians in late July. We found him in a grassy area in the Metro East, not moving but shaking and crying. We instantly noticed something was wrong. Volunteers created a stretcher out of a sheet, carried him to their vehicle, and rushed him to receive immediate vet care. We learned that Stringer had a fractured vertebrae (possibly from being hit by a car) and was heartworm positive, meaning his road to recovery would be at least 6-8 weeks.
Shortly after rescue, Stringer went to live with John Wagner and his wife, Sharon. The Wagner family has dedicated their home to helping medical fosters, meaning they specialize in sick dogs needing crate rest and time to rehabilitate. The layout of their home and John’s expertise make them the perfect place for animals with special needs.
Stringer couldn’t have found a more perfect place to recover! John is a vet tech at Town & Country Veterinary Hospital, one of GPG’s partnering veterinarians. John was able to take Stringer to work with him every day, and Town & Country donated laser therapy twice a week to help speed up Stringer’s recovery period. John thinks it “greatly contributed to his speedy recovery, and he looked great in the goggles!”
The past several weeks have been difficult for both John and Stringer because he was on strict crate rest, first while his back was healing and now while he is being treated for heartworms. John says, “I have tried to do things to keep him from getting too bored. I give him different toys or chewies, or just spend time with him. I also have guests over at my house frequently, and everyone loves to spend time with Stringer. It’s hard having to crate him so much. I wish he could run around and play with our other dogs.”
But, despite his crate rest and restricted activity, Stringer’s personality can light up a room. “My favorite thing about him is that he loves life. The best word I can think of to describe Stringer is Joyful. He is incredibly happy all the time. The fact that he has maintained this while enduring all the pain he had to go through amazes me.”
Stringer is looking for his forever family, someone who will help him continue to shine. If you are interested in learning more about him, visit www.gatewaypets.com/adopt. If you’d like to give an animal a second chance like the Wagner family did, visit www.gatewaypets.com/foster.
