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Dog Tragically Loses Leg, Gets Rescued And Learns To Love Humans Even More Than Before

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    A loveable three-legged dog is recovering and waiting for adoption in Richmond, Virginia, after a terrible tale of animal abuse and neglect.

    On January 13, 2022, Layla, a five-year-old mixed breed dog, was pulled from a municipal shelter in Clarksville, Virginia, by Sweet Virginia Barn Cats. When the southwest Virginia volunteer rescue team found Layla, she was extremely malnourished and couldn't bear any weight on her left front leg. The team placed her in a foster home to make her comfortable, but they lacked the veterinary resources to treat her injuries.

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    Less than two weeks later, Layla was transferred to the Richmond SPCA Robins-Starr Humane Center for further treatment.  

    According to Dr. David Molinas, an associate veterinarian with the Richmond SPCA, Layla's body condition score was a 3 out of 9 when she arrived. An initial medical evaluation discovered Layla was also suffering from heartworm, a life-threatening condition that not all shelters are equipped to treat.

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    The following day, Dr. Molinas performed a spay surgery and a dental and heartworm treatment at the Richmond SPCA's Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital. While Layla was under anesthesia, Dr. Molinas took radiographs that revealed her left front leg was filled with dozens of pieces of what appeared to be birdshot.

    While Layla's leg required amputation, she first needed to recover from spay surgery and heartworm treatment, so she was placed in a foster home for a few weeks.

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    Layla returned to the center on February 8, and Dr. Molinas amputated the leg.

    In the week and a half since the surgery, Layla's demeanor has changed drastically from a dog in dire straits to a smiling, playful puppy that is beginning to trust and give love to her caretakers.

    Richmond SPCA Director of Communications Tabitha Treloar explained, "It's incredible that dogs abused that badly can still trust and love people."

     

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